Lisinopril cough

[Rose1942]

http://blood-pressure.emedtv.com/lisinopril/lisinopril-cough.html

It's a known side effect of lisinopril.

I have had this cough for months on end, and I am wondering how many others have it too. Frankly I don't think the lisinopril has done a thing for my blood pressure anyway. I have gone to the doctor 3 or 4 times about this cough, and every time they listen with their cute little stethescope and say "well, it isn't in your lungs, it's high up (I knew that) and I think it's allergies". So I have been treated with various allergy medicines, none of which ever stopped the stupid cough. Yeah I do have allergies, but in my lifetime I have never had a chronic cough like that. Stuff that I take helps with the real allergy symptoms, but not the cough.

Last Monday I stopped taking the lisinopril because I found lots of information on the web about 'the lisinopril cough'. Today is Saturday and every day the cough has been less annoying. It's not gone but it's definately improving. From coughing all day long and being waked at night with it - to some coughing daytime and NO waking up coughing, in less than a week. This cannot be a coincidence! So I guess I will have to fess up and ask for another type of BP med if they insist I take one, but for now I am taking fish oil and all I can say is 'sue me'.

Anyone else on lisinopril suffering from this?

[TessaR]

I've heard of many people with the lisinopril cough. I was taking it for a while and couldn't stand it either. If I remember my neurophys correctly it actually irritates nerve endings on a branch of cranial nerve X. Nothing life threatening, but annoying as all heck and, in my opnion, probably doesn't help with over all health.

All that being said, I do hope you are working with your doctor because it's not good to mess around with blood pressure meds with out help.

[Rose1942]

Thanks for the input. It's been a full week now and the cough is better every day. I have 2 blood pressure meds and didn't stop the other one (Atenenol) and frankly, stopping the lisinopril hasn't yet affected my BP adversely - in fact yesterday it was lower than usual (a good thing!). I have to wonder if all that coughing didn't raise it anyway, it's stressful to cough all the time. I will confess to the doc pretty soon, I know I can't self-med forever.

[TessaR]

:bhug: I'm glad your cough is getting better! I have to agree with you about the coughing...probably not the best thing for ones body.

[mimianvy]

I am on lisinopril. When I first started on the 10mg, I had the cough for over a month. Didn't cough during the day but when I layed down at night, I would cough. At times I would cough when I was sleeping and it would wake me up.

My MD increased the dose to 20mg....cough again. But it didn't last as long as the first one. Now all is good.

Mimi