Btw (can’t find prior post) If you get Lisinopril cough, you’re unlikely to tolerate ANY ACE inhibitors.
Yes indeed. That dry cough is the most common side effect of ACE inhibitors, and is associated with pretty much all of them.
I had that after many years of taking the drug. Then switched to ARBs and all is well. Nancy
I got the cough and constant nasal drip. I was told that I would probably have the same reaction to all other drugs in the class. Switched to ARB and no problems.
Interesting to hear. I don’t have the cough, but have been commenting the past year that I feel like a 1980’s cocaine addict with the constant nose drip. Will have think about ARBs.
Thanks for your insight!
I was put on Lisinopril around 2003 for mildly elevated BP. Nobody warned me about the cough (in retrospect I should have been warned when the drug was first prescribed) and it got worse and worse over the course of the next year. Was taken off Lisinopril and for about 18 month managed without any anti-hypertension pills (now on an ARB) but the cough never went away. It has had a significant effect on my life, since I had to be careful when exercising (running, gym work) as I would often experience almost constant coughing for the next few hours.
I have seen specialists locally and at one of the UK’s top cough clinics where I had lots and lots of tests and investigations. In the end I was put in the “unexplained” category. However, their research indicates that a high proportion of the people for whom they cannot find a cause have another autoimmune condition ,most often Crone’s disease or Type 1 Diabetes. So the conclusion is that continuing to take ACE inhibitors for a year may have triggered an autoimmune inflammatory condition in my lungs. It is controllable with a steroid inhaler, but still a PITA.
**WARNING ** If you have T1D and high BP you might be better advised to start out with an ARB and skip the ACE inhibitor.
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Dry cough is by far the most common and best known side effect of ACE inhibitor drugs, and has been known for a long time. My doctor warned me about it from the start and it’s incomprehensible to me that a competent, conscientious doctor would fail to do this. Sorry about your experience.
I had to discover it on my own, too. When I asked my PCP about my persistent dry cough he informed me that Lisinopril was probably the cause and switched me to Losartan, which fixed it.
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I was put on lisinopril at diagnosis to “protect my kidneys” when I questioned the medication. I have always had pretty normal blood pressure. Hmmmmmmm . More questions for the doctor next visit.
I am inclined to agree. To be fair, I my non-D related healthcare is handled by my local GP-heath centre and I waited nearly a year before going to see them about the cough. When I did so, the GP identified the problem immediately. What nobody seems to have expected is for the problem to persist after stopping the medication.
The recommendation to start Lisinopril came from my Diabetes Clinic but for NHS accounting purposes, all prescriptions have to come from my GP. My consultant (Endo) contacted my GP with the recommendation for me to start on Lisinopril and the Health Centre issued the prescription. To some extent, I therefore fell through the cracks in the system as I suspect Consultant and GP each expected the other to issue the side effects warning.
Since then, I have become a lot more conscientious about reading the information leaflets for any new medication.
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i have no problmes with the cough since i started using it
Good summary of the kidney protection of ACE inhibitors for diabetics.
The great majority of people don’t. However, it used to be suggested that cough was a side effect for around 3% of users. However subsequent research has suggested that the figure may be more like 15-20%.
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Thank you for this.
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