Lisinopril and this annoying, unrelenting cough - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

Jenz3LilOnes · 01-16-2007, 12:56 PM

I've been on Lisinopril 2.5mg for about three-four months. At first I had none of the coughing. About a month on the drug, I started a little hacking with a little tickle in my throat. For the past month, the cough is horrible and incredibly unrelenting. My throat is so sore, my chest and abdomen hurt from coughing up my lungs. I get no relief--I cough 24/7. My sleep stinks and therefore my hubby's sleep stinks too. Can't read bedtime stories to my kids because I cough so hard while reading. Church is horrible because it's a quiet time and I have to excuse myself to go and cough and choke in the restroom. I have a call into the nurse at my doc's office and am waiting to hear what's the next thing to do.

Anyone else have to deal with the cough and if I get switched to a different med, how long will this cough hang around? It's so very annoying.

Thanks for the input.

violet312s · 01-16-2007, 04:02 PM

Welcome to the ACE Inhibitor cough. For some reason as many as 20% of people get this side effect with ACE Inhibitors. I was on Altace for about 2 months until I could stand it no more. It was becoming impossible to do my job (lots of speaking). Didn't much enjoy the gagging and vomiting either.

There is no alternative but to stop the lisinopril and switch to a new drug. The cough will not go away unless you do. However, on the plus side, within a few weeks of stopping the lisinopril the cough will go away completely.

If the ACE Inhibitor was working well at controlling your BP, you should look at switching to an ARB. It works in a very similar way to the ACE Inhibitors except that it does not have coughing as a side effect. Unfortunately there are no generic ARBs so they can be expensive. Also like ACEs, ARBs also tend to have low side effects in general.

The ARB I'm on (Diovan) doesn't work as well as the Altace so I had to go on a higher dose, but I'm glad to have the coughing gone.

Oh, and when you go to get your new prescription filled, be sure to tell the pharmacist that you are allergic to ACE Inhibitors so they can adjust your record and the insurance companies won't try to keep you on it.

tfkeel · 01-16-2007, 04:02 PM

I had this while taking a different drug (Altace) which is ramipril - of the same class as Lisinopril. The cough progressed to the point I had a throat close-off and was gasping for breath. It was scary - about a week off Altace (got switched to Norvasc) and it was gone - the cough and the closed-throat has never returned in 7 years now.

Jenz3LilOnes · 01-16-2007, 04:23 PM

Thank you for the quick, informative replies. I appreciate the time you took to post them.

I just got off the phone with my doc's office and she told me to get off the lisinopril. She put me on Norvasc. I don't have prescription drug coverage, so I pay out of pocket. Am I going to faint when I see the price of it?

The nurse said "are you sure you don't have a cold because you sound so raspy and I said nope, that's the result of coughing up my insides day and night!"

I hate taking meds. I'm relatively young and I have a few lbs. to lose, but I exercise daily, eat right, no smoking, occassional drink or two (wine) no illegal drugs and I have this problem. Things could we worse in life, I know, I'm just whining right now.

Thanks for all of your help and comments!

Lenin · 01-17-2007, 06:27 AM

Jenz,

I coughed for 6 months on enalapril (Vasotec.) Worst experience was in the Metropolitan Opera when I thought people around me were going to string me up. I tried SO HARD not to cough that tears were streaming down my cheeks before I had to crawl over about 10 people and make my exit.
I was afraid the Soprano was going to stop singing mid-aria!
That was the last straw.

Cough took less than a week to stop once I deep-sixed the damned drug.

Personally, I think the incidence of coughing with ACE inhibitors is FAR higher than that reported 20%...my guess is closer to HALF!