# [ 2013 ] Lisinipril side effects.



## shagnut (Feb 22, 2013)

WELL I spent 3 hrs in the ER this morning. Let me back up, last week I had a allergy reaction to something, my bottom lip swelled up, and broke out in welts everywhere. I also had trouble breathing but by morning I was better. 

Last night my eyes were burning & I couldn't breath well . Got up and my eyes were swollen shut & my upper lip was up to my nose, my face was huge, looked like a monster.  I also couldn't breath well. I waited till around 7 and headed to the ER. How I drove , I don't know.  

They immediately suspected Lisinipril. They said that even if you've taken it for years you can have a allergic reaction out of the blue.  So if you are on Lisinopril keep some Benedryl around. Just be aware that it is a common side affect. I am doing better and the swelling is going down.  

I will be fine but just wanted to let you know that this happens , and it seems to be a frequent problem.  ''

Hugs, Shaggy


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## scootr5 (Feb 22, 2013)

Wow. Hope you get better soon. That's my bp medicine for the last few years.  I'll have to make sure to keep some Benydryl in the house.


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## dioxide45 (Feb 22, 2013)

Glad you are getting better. I used to take Lisinopril until about 6 months ago. Doctor took me off of it after I lost weight and my cholesterol numbers got better. I never had an issue with it but did have a bad reaction to a sulfa drug. Had a bright red rash all over my body.


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## VacationForever (Feb 22, 2013)

My experience with Lisinipril was that it made me cough so much so that I could not breathe.  The cough got from bad to worse very quickly and by the 3rd day I was suffering so much that I told my doctor.  He immediately stopped the medicine and now this medicine is added to my list of drugs that I am allergic to.


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## MabelP (Feb 22, 2013)

Has anyone experienced exhaustion from this drug?


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## Beefnot (Feb 23, 2013)

I used to take lisinopril until it stopped working. The only issue I had was the constant going to the restroom.


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## RX8 (Feb 23, 2013)

Gee thanks everyone... I have been on this medication for a year now with NO problems.  Now all these symptoms are going to be in the back of my mind. 

I've got to use the restroom but I am too exhausted from coughing to get up...


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## JudyS (Feb 23, 2013)

sptung said:


> My experience with Lisinipril was that it made me cough so much so that I could not breathe.  The cough got from bad to worse very quickly and by the 3rd day I was suffering so much that I told my doctor.  He immediately stopped the medicine and now this medicine is added to my list of drugs that I am allergic to.


Coughing is a common side effect with all ACE  inhibitors (*A*ngiotensin *C*onversion *E*nzyme inhibitors), the category of drugs which includes lisinopril. Usually the coughing isn't that severe, however. 

I used to take enalapril, another ACE inhibitor, but it gave me a persistent dry cough and I had to switch to Diovan (a.k.a. valsartan) Diovan is an ARB -- *A*ngiotensin *R*eceptor *B*locker. Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by reducing the action of a hormone called angiotension, but the affect different stages of the hormone's actions. 

I'm not sure my new insurance will be willing to pay for Diovan, however. 



Beefnot said:


> I used to take lisinopril until it stopped working. The only issue I had was the constant going to the restroom.


Are you sure that was caused by lisinopril and not a diuretic? It's usually diuretics that cause the "frequent urination" side effect.


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## Beefnot (Feb 23, 2013)

JudyS said:


> Are you sure that was caused by lisinopril and not a diuretic? It's usually diuretics that cause the "frequent urination" side effect.



Yes, I had the Lisinopril/HCTZ pill. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic.


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## SmithOp (Feb 23, 2013)

I was glad to stop HCTZ too, was taking it with Atenolol.  

I'm taking Lisinipril with Amlodipine now, I get the dry cough but its not bad.


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## shagnut (Feb 23, 2013)

My swelling has gone down, but I'm still having trouble swallowing.  This was not to alarm anyone but to let you know that to be aware of the symptons if something happens in the future.  shaggy


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## SDKath (Feb 23, 2013)

shagnut said:


> My swelling has gone down, but I'm still having trouble swallowing.  This was not to alarm anyone but to let you know that to be aware of the symptons if something happens in the future.  shaggy



It's a very rare side effect of ACEI called "angioedema."  It can occur at any time, even after years of use.  The important thing to know is that it can also occur with a similar class of medicines called ARBs (Diovan, Losartan, etc) so you can't be put on those anymore either.

You can get allergy tested just to make sure it is the medicine because this sort of reaction can occur to other basic things around your home (chemicals, some plants, etc).  So sometimes while everyone is convinced it is the medicine, it comes back once you stop it because it turns out to be something else you were exposed to around the same timeframe.  Going to see an allergist once the reaction is completely over would not be a bad idea just in case...

Hope you feel better.  Benadryl and Zyrtec are your friends!


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## Beaglemom3 (Feb 23, 2013)

Shaggy,
  Glad you're better and I know you know that  I care about you, so.....................
  Please call 911 if it happens again. You were very lucky this time.


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## Timeshare Von (Feb 23, 2013)

Good to know they diagnosed it quickly Shaggy.  Scary stuff when the meds we take to stay well make us sick.


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## pianodinosaur (Feb 24, 2013)

Pharmacology:  The study of poisons

I spend a great deal of my day discussing drug side effects with my patients.  Angioedema is seen several times a week in our ER as so many people are now on ACE inhibitors.  One good side effect is that ACE inhibitors help preserve renal function in diabetics.  Therefore, we are seeing a rapid increase in use of these drugs.

Everyone is worried about their cholesterol these days.  Therefore, we are seeing large numbers of people on "statins".  These cholesterol reducing agents can cause rhabdomyolysis.  The massive death of muscle tissue results in myoglobinuria and renal failure.  It is not a pleasant situation to treat, let alone suffer.


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## bogey21 (Feb 24, 2013)

SmithOp said:


> I'm taking *Lisinipril *with *Amlodipine *now, I get the dry cough but its not bad.



Lisinipril just didn't work for me.  Switched to Amlodipine.  Works fine but know that Amlodipine made my feet and ankles swell a bit.  Doctor told me this was common.  But since Amlodipine works so well for me I'm happy to live with the side effects.

George


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## JudyS (Feb 24, 2013)

shagnut said:


> My swelling has gone down, but I'm still having trouble swallowing.  This was not to alarm anyone but to let you know that to be aware of the symptons if something happens in the future.  shaggy


Shaggy, that sounds scary! Good thing you went to the ER right away. Hope you're all better soon!


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## JudyS (Feb 24, 2013)

Beefnot said:


> Yes, I had the Lisinopril/HCTZ pill. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic.


So, it sounds like the HCTZ caused the "need for rest room" problem. Lisinopril by itself shouldn't cause increased urination. 

I have my doubts about HCTZ. The combination of atenolol/HCTZ has been dropped as a blood pressure therapy by the UK's National Health Service. Over time, the combination of atenolol/HCTZ causes weight gain, with blood pressure slowly increasing plus other metabolic problems. (It's not clear how much of the problem is due to HCTZ, and how much to atenolol.)


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## shagnut (Feb 24, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your concerns. I am still coughing and coughing and coughing. I can't wait until it stops.  Not to be grose, I'm hacking up huge globs of phlem. YUCK.  It sounds like I'm dying, very surprised my xrays were clear.  I don't feel bad, just sound it.  

Y'all stay well and just be aware of the side effects.  

Surprising that there are so many people are on Lisinipril. Just last night I was talking to a friend and he said he was only on 2 pills but one was Lisiniprl. 

Has anyone ever used a Nettie pot> Thinking of getting one due to the phlem .  Might help me breathe better.  shaggy


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## pacodemountainside (Feb 24, 2013)

*Are Lisinopril and Lisinipril Same  Thing?*

I have been taking 15mg  daily of Lisinopril for   over 2 years.

Last weekend I started experiencing  symptoms listed  here.

Friday I woke up   with  extreme breathing difficulty and  eyes swollen shut. Called  for ambulance  and hospital said I had pneumonia and gave lots of pills. Still not  feeling   much better although Percoet  does work and have an appointment with PCP  Monday AM.

Thought was flu as shots have not worked well in olde folks.

So, I guess I need DOC to check for allergy!

I do recall a few years ago taking Niacin(sp) and it caused me to turn  red,  get a temperature and pass out!


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## Kay H (Feb 24, 2013)

shagnut;1429093

Has anyone ever used a Nettie pot> Thinking of getting one due to the phlem .  Might help me breathe better.  shaggy[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> Shaggy,
> I have chronic sinusitis and. I use a netty pot every day. It gets out mucous from my nasal passages when they aren't too swollen for the water to enter.
> It doesn't do anything for my post nasal drip? iI do think that I have had fewer sinus infections since I have been using it.  It does take some getting used to. i felt like I was drowning the first few times  I used it.


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## amycurl (Feb 24, 2013)

I find the sterile saline spray works better for me that a neti pot (also, just seemed like more of a hassle.)

My whole upper-respiratory system has never functioned that efficiently, so you definitely have my sympathy. 

I'll be at work tomorrow (in W-S) so if there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to PM me.


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## VacationForever (Feb 24, 2013)

JudyS said:


> Coughing is a common side effect with all ACE  inhibitors (*A*ngiotensin *C*onversion *E*nzyme inhibitors), the category of drugs which includes lisinopril. Usually the coughing isn't that severe, however.



My coughing was very severe, coughing day and night and could not sit through a meeting without running out of the room every 10 minutes and coughing till my throat was raw and I was in tears.  While the symptoms got better after I stopped the medication it still took almost a month before the cough finally subsided.


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## shagnut (Feb 25, 2013)

sptung said:


> My coughing was very severe, coughing day and night and could not sit through a meeting without running out of the room every 10 minutes and coughing till my throat was raw and I was in tears.  While the symptoms got better after I stopped the medication it still took almost a month before the cough finally subsided.



Oh crap, a month!!  I thought I'd be over the coughing by now, but NO. It's driving me nuts, my throat isn't as sore tho, so little bit at a time.


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## shagnut (Feb 25, 2013)

amycurl said:


> I find the sterile saline spray works better for me that a neti pot (also, just seemed like more of a hassle.)
> 
> My whole upper-respiratory system has never functioned that efficiently, so you definitely have my sympathy.
> 
> I'll be at work tomorrow (in W-S) so if there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to PM me.





Howdy neighbor!! Really nothing you can do I guess except say "boy , do you want some wheeze with that cough? Maybe we can get together sometime , but tomorrow is my bd and I'm sleeping in late,  we will go out for a nice steak thanks to living social. Hope I don't cough all thru supper.  shaggy


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## JudyS (Feb 25, 2013)

sptung said:


> My coughing was very severe, coughing day and night and could not sit through a meeting without running out of the room every 10 minutes and coughing till my throat was raw and I was in tears.  While the symptoms got better after I stopped the medication it still took almost a month before the cough finally subsided.


That sounds bad! 

So, it seems there are two (at least) different side effect from lisinopril that involve coughing. One is a severe allergic reaction that involves coughing, swelling, and other symptoms. The other is just a persistent dry cough.

Shaggy, hope you are feeling better on your birthday!


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## amycurl (Feb 25, 2013)

Happy birthday! Hope you enjoy your steak tonight!


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## Dandc3 (Jan 26, 2014)

*lisinopril*

Thanks for the advice. I have been taking lisinopril & have a constant cough. I'm goint to try something different after reading this thread.


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## glenmore (Jan 26, 2014)

I have felt very tired on the it in the past. My doctor said to try taking it at night instead of the morning and that has helped.


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## Gophesjo (Jan 26, 2014)

*Lisinopril was not for me*

I developed the cough, too, after having been on lisinopril for a number of years with no side effects.  The cough got bad so I got something else from my Dr.  Then I lost the 40 more pounds, and now I take nothing, cuz the hypertension is gone.


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## 2Blessed (Jan 26, 2014)

*I Also Had Lip Swelling*

It has been 5 years since I have taken this medicine. Was taking Procardia successfully for many years until a not so smart military doctor switched me to Lisinopril. The first two times that my lips swelled, I saw my primary care doctor, but they could not figure out why I had a swollen lip. I will never forget, we had plans to travel to HHI for vacation, and my lip started swelling that Friday morning. I did not go to the doctor, but immediately started taking Benadryl. My husband and kids could not believe that I was still willing to travel. Are you kidding me HHI is my favorite place, and that trip had been planned for a while. Luckily, my lip had returned to almost normal by Saturday evening. I did see an allergist a few weeks later, and through a careful system of elimination, he discovered that it was the Lisinopril. I stopped taking it and I haven't had lip swelling since. He did say that this reaction occurred in less than 10% o people taking this drug. Hope you feel better soon.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 26, 2014)

I've also experienced a dry cough off & on.  And I noticed ever since I've been using this, I've had achy joints at times, especially in the hip area--never noticed before.  Thought I'd read something about that as a side effect, but the pharmacist couldn't find anything on it.


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## Panina (Jan 3, 2020)

I am bringing this thread back to life, to make those that are taking Lisinopril and hadn’t read this thread years ago,  are aware that they can get a severe Angioedema reaction that can be life threatening.

My mom has had recent episodes of swelling in her mouth and throat and did not tell us.  Yesterday she could not hide it, her face, eyes, nose and lips swelled so much her face was deformed. It was frightening. Luckily her primary was immediately able to get her into an Allergy and immunology doctor who is almost certain it is the Lisinopril.  He said he is seeing more cases and many doctors are not aware that you can have this happen after years of taking it, they think it happens for new takers.

Came to find out on the episode she didn’t tell us about prior,  she thought it was her time to die.  She is lucky to be alive.  As bad as yesterday’s episode was, it was not life threatening because the flair up was not in her throat as it was the prior tiime.


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## RX8 (Jan 3, 2020)

Panina said:


> I am bringing this thread back to life, to make those that are taking Lisinopril and hadn’t read this thread years ago,  are aware that they can get a severe Angioedema reaction that can be life threatening.
> 
> My mom has had recent episodes of swelling in her mouth and throat and did not tell us.  Yesterday she could not hide it, her face, eyes, nose and lips swelled so much her face was deformed. It was frightening. Luckily her primary was immediately able to get her into an Allergy and immunology doctor who is almost certain it is the Lisinopril.  He said he is seeing more cases and many doctors are not aware that you can have this happen after years of taking it, they think it happens for new takers.
> 
> Came to find out on the episode she didn’t tell us about prior,  she thought it was her time to die.  She is lucky to be alive.  As bad as yesterday’s episode was, it was not life threatening because the flair up was not in her throat as it was the prior tiime.



Glad your mom is ok.  I have been on this medication for 8 years. It works, my BP is 120/70 every time I visit the doctor. My heart rate is down too. Never would have thought issues could arise long after starting the drug. Thanks for the heads up.


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## DaveNV (Jan 3, 2020)

I don't know if I replied to this thread or not back in the day, but I had to stop taking lisinopril after developing the nagging cough.  Stopped taking it, and the cough disappeared.  Nasty stuff.

Dave


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## DavidnRobin (Jan 3, 2020)

Thanks for the heads-up on the reminder of side-effects for lisinopril. Of course they all must be weighed against the benefit.

The effect is listed as anytime during treatment.
There is no Black Box warning for this - but is listed first under Warnings

There is bolded lettering for use of Epinephrine.
Overall - considered a low rate event.
Intestinal Edema is observed in post-marketing reports. 







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DrQ (Jan 3, 2020)

The other issue with Lisinipril combined with Hydrochlorothiazide is gout. After about 3 years on the medication I had a gout attack.


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## Passepartout (Jan 3, 2020)

This thread is all pretty instructional. I was started on Lisinopril about a year ago. I do have a nagging cough, that I thought of as productive due to another condition. I'll bring this up next week when I visit my cardio office. Nobody really talks to you about these drug 'cocktails' and explains how and why they do what they do.  They just give you a bag full of little yellow bottles and say "Here. Take these like the label says and you'll be fine."


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## DrQ (Jan 3, 2020)

Yeah, my doctor did tell me about the cough when he prescribed it, but I ask about side effects.  He did neglect to mention the gout side effect.


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## Panina (Jan 3, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Nobody really talks to you about these drug 'cocktails' and explains how and why they do what they do.  They just give you a bag full of little yellow bottles and say "Here. Take these like the label says and you'll be fine."


So true, mom has complained of a cough for a long time. Doctors just prescribed more pills to deal with the symptoms instead of finding the cause.  If one of them looked for the cause, maybe they would have changed this medicine prior and she wouldn’t have had this happen.


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## CPNY (Jan 3, 2020)

JudyS said:


> Coughing is a common side effect with all ACE  inhibitors (*A*ngiotensin *C*onversion *E*nzyme inhibitors), the category of drugs which includes lisinopril. Usually the coughing isn't that severe, however.
> 
> I used to take enalapril, another ACE inhibitor, but it gave me a persistent dry cough and I had to switch to Diovan (a.k.a. valsartan) Diovan is an ARB -- *A*ngiotensin *R*eceptor *B*locker. Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by reducing the action of a hormone called angiotension, but the affect different stages of the hormone's actions.
> 
> ...


I used to sell Diovan! Great ARB. OPsounds like they had a really bad case of angioedema. Lisinopril is generic and many generic meds can be made in India. I for one always opt for branded meds when I can. Could be a reaction to one of the components or just a delayed allergy. Good luck


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## Talent312 (Jan 3, 2020)

Panina, Thank You for reviving this thread. I missed or passed on it in 2013.
I've been taking both lisinopril & amlodipine for years w-no adverse effects
(AFAIK) So, I hadn't even thought about it.  This certainly puts me on notice.
.


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## CPNY (Jan 3, 2020)

Panina said:


> So true, mom has complained of a cough for a long time. Doctors just prescribed more pills to deal with the symptoms instead of finding the cause.  If one of them looked for the cause, maybe they would have changed this medicine prior and she wouldn’t have had this happen.


The cough is one of the most common adverse events with an ACE inhibitor. Was your mom on other meds. Wondering why an ARB wasn’t used instead. The cough is harmless but just a pain


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## VacationForever (Jan 4, 2020)

After 3 days of Lisinopril and coughing non-stop, my doctor replaced it with Losartan.  It took more than a month for the cough to go away and Losartan has worked very well to this day for me.


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## Talent312 (Jan 4, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> ... They just give you a bag full of little yellow bottles and say "Here. Take these like the label says and you'll be fine."



So true! A GI doc prescribed pantoprazole (a PPI) for acid reflux.
My creatinine levels soon started rising and my PCP sent me to a kidney doc.
I read that PPI's may be associated with kidney disease, so I stopped taking it.
My kidney doc was non-committal, but my creatinine levels returned to normal.

My PCP said the studies are inconclusive and there may be no relationship.
I said, "It may be anecdotal, but my study is conclusive enuff for me."


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## SmithOp (Jan 4, 2020)

Like everyone else I love to talk about my BP meds 

I couldn’t stand the cough, got off Lisinipril quickly to Losartan and Amlodipine. Amlodipine then cause swelling and water retention around my ankles so Dr added HCTZ which then leached out Potassium so my blood work showed low. Recently there has been supply problems with Losartan and Valsartan due to a recall, my CVS was not able to refill. Im now taking Olmesartan and quit HCTZ so potassium came back up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## clifffaith (Jan 4, 2020)

Cliff started with the cough almost immediately, but we had no idea it was related to the drug. When he was going back for a check up three months later I begged him to mention his constant coughing to our Doctor. She immediately knew it was the Lisinipril and prescribed something else.


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## VegasBella (Jan 5, 2020)

My 10 year old son is on Lisinopril. He was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease March of last year. He doesn't have high blood pressure but ACE inhibitors and ARBs are often protective in all forms of CKD. He is up to 30 mg per day right now without any negative side effects. It seems to have reduced his proteinuria but he's still not in remission yet. So we might be starting Losartan soon in addition to the Lisinopril. I was surprised to see a thread about these drugs here at TUG.


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## Talent312 (Jan 10, 2020)

2nd Resurrection: From this month's AARP Bulletin...
An article entitled "Is Your Blood Pressure Being Treated Right?" says that:

--  A study analyzing the records of 5 million patients found that patients given thiazide diuretics had 15% fewer heart attacks, strokes and incidents of heart failure, than patients who started with an ACE inhibitor *(lisinopril)*.

-- "If the 2.4 million patients taking ACE inhibitors had been prescribed thiazide diuretics instead, 3,000 or more cardiovascular events could have been avoided."

-- ACE inhibitors caused more unwanted+frequent side effects, such as coughing, diarrhea, rashes and angioedema. OTOH, the side effects from diuretics cited were low potassium & low sodium.

-- But there's dispute over using large-scale statistical analysis for individual treatment. The writer's own cardiologist said that, as long as his ACE inhibitor was working and he had no side effects, there was no reason to change his treatment. Even the study's co-author says "ACE inhibitors are good drugs and produce more benefits than harm."

_Apparently, the results of the study notwithstanding, the writer is sticking with his lisinopril._
.


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## Panina (Jan 11, 2020)

Talent312 said:


> 2nd Resurrection: From this month's AARP Bulletin...
> An article entitled "Is Your Blood Pressure Being Treated Right?" says that:
> 
> --  A study analyzing the records of 5 million patients found that patients given thiazide diuretics had 15% fewer heart attacks, strokes and incidents of heart failure, than patients who started with an ACE inhibitor *(lisinopril)*.
> ...


All I know is since my mom is off it the last 9 days, not only did the severe swelling reaction on her face and mouth subside but her body swelling that she had for years subsided, especially her upper legs where recently she had developed edema and her other doctors could not find out why.  Most surprisingly her blood pressure is now on the low end where it was mostly higher with the medicine.


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## rapmarks (Jan 11, 2020)

My husband started this drug one week ago.  Now I know to watch for these symptoms
He was switched from a diuretic as his potassium kept dropping. 
I am on losartan, amlodipine, and also twice daily metropolol. I can’t get my blood pressure down and it has affected my kidneys and I am starting to get swollen ankles, or elephant feet.


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