Lisinopril and Nausea: What Users Say

• med...
• December 10, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Prescribed lisinopril for borderline high blood pressure 10mg. Initially left me feeling very weak, extremely lethargic, and sleepy/tired. Went back to the doctor for a follow-up, they advised that this was my body adjusting and getting used to blood pressure being in a normal range. Blood pressure better, but wow the side effects were not good at all. Side effects were heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, a general feeling of being unwell and sick, flu-like symptoms, overproduction of phlegm, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, discharge in my eyes, and a lessened quality of life. At the 25 day mark, I decided to try cutting the pills in half to wean myself off. The first day off, I was already starting to feel better. After stopping, some days I've felt decent, but still struggle with the withdrawal side effects like cough and nausea. I've changed my diet for the better and only drink water. I'm glad to find message boards to share this info to let others know they are not alone."

• BLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I don't even want to give this drug one star! I started taking this medication back in June of 2016 for only about 3 weeks, and I am still having side effects to this day! My whole life changed overnight. I started having heart palpitations, extreme dizziness. I lost close to 30 lbs, hair loss, swollen nose, lip, and eye. Pains/pressure in the top and back of head, shortness of breath, blurred vision, weakness, nausea, pains in my stomach, night sweats, and leg cramps. My entire body felt shaky ( and I'm pretty sure I'm missing some things). Numerous trips to the ER and 8 different doctors to basically be told they don't know what's wrong with me. Take my advice and do not take this."

• Dan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 10, 2014

For High Blood Pressure "I've been on 5 mg of lisinopril for over 2 years. I never developed the cough or nasal drip that others have had. I did have joint pain, which would come and go. Lisinopril is great at controlling my BP. I'm an otherwise healthy 5'3'' 125-pound 47-year-old female, and my BP diastolic would not stay below 90. Typical BP was 140/98. So, I've taken 5 mg of lisinopril for 2 years. But, I'm exhausted all the time, no appetite, severe abdominal pain, constant nausea, and bloating/constipation when I do eat. I'm miserable, it has been like this for 6 months!! On a whim, I stopped the lisinopril 3 days ago. I'm not exhausted anymore. My appetite is back. Still have pain and nausea though."

• Dam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I was on Cardizem since I was 15 years old. It was okay up until the last 2 years. I started having stomach problems. So my doctor switched me to Zestril (lisinopril) at the beginning of December. I have only been on it a couple of weeks, and it has lowered my BP. But the side effects are horrible. I cough constantly, itchy, chest pains. I already have joint problems, and it has made my joints a lot worse. I constantly feel nauseous now. I feel like I'm shivering all the time. My insomnia is horrible, anxiety is through the roof, I feel like I'm going to pass out, my vision gets blurry, depressed feeling. I honestly feel like this medicine has taken more from me than the high blood pressure."

• Saw...
• April 7, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "My doctor just put me on this stuff last week. The first afternoon I took it, I was just so spaced out and walking around in a fog. I hated it. I thought I would take it before bed, so the fog would at least be while I slept. WRONG! Took it around 10:00 PM, went to bed at about 11:30, fell asleep okay, THEN... woke up at 1:00 AM with a pounding heart and mild chest pain. Was awake until 5:00 AM, slept maybe an hour, then had to get up for my day. I didn't take it the next night and decided to take it the next day in the afternoon. Well, here I am, feeling like garbage and reading all the bad reviews. Not going to take any more of it. Thanks to all who shared."

• Loc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2013

For High Blood Pressure "My family history includes high blood pressure. I started taking Lisinopril 20mg about 6 months ago in combination with HCTZ 7.5mg. The meds have greatly reduced my blood pressure from 170/105 to 98/65. The side effects I experienced are dizziness, nausea, and lack of sex drive. My lifestyle includes eating healthy and exercise. I'm considering asking my provider to lower my Lisinopril dose."

• Dan...
• March 29, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Was told I had high blood pressure (BP) at the start of 2019. No news there, as I know I don't live the healthiest lifestyle, and I was told my BP was slightly elevated about a year prior to this. I reluctantly started 20 mg of Lisinopril. At first, everything seemed OK, I had random pains in my arms, lower back, neck, jaw, etc., but I attributed that to my body just getting used to the meds. Two months later, my BP has only slightly been lower, but at what cost? I'm now starting to feel nauseous and have lost my appetite for about two days now. The pains are still here, with now pains starting to be pinpointed towards where my heart is. I don't know if I had a silent heart attack, if it's a side effect of Lisinopril, or acid reflux. I'm losing hair, my nails and big toenails have blackish-red lines running across them, and my scalp and cheek/nose are flushed and pink. I've never experienced pains like this before until I had started taking this medication. I recommend trying a healthier lifestyle before trying meds."

• Anonymous
• April 18, 2012

For High Blood Pressure "I am on 10 mg/day. I've cut down my sodium drastically and have been going for brisk walks for 30 mins/day. I've noticed that about 4 hours after taking the medicine, I felt very dizzy, nauseous, and tired. I wouldn't be able to stand for more than 5 minutes at a time. I usually take it around 10 am, so around 7 pm I went to a pharmacy to check my blood pressure, and it was 95/67. When I woke up the next morning, I decided to go get it checked before taking the medicine, and it was 102/52, so I did not take the medicine that day. Overall, I feel like it's making me feel worse and lowering it way too much!"

• Sic...
• July 15, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I am extremely sensitive to prescriptions/medications. I do not take anything on a daily basis but do take Advil, Mucinex, and Aspirin as needed. After only a few days of taking 10mg, I am so weak/tired I cannot function or drive. I am always 'tired,' but this is different. The first things that I noticed were SEVERE lower right back pain, tingling/numbness in my hands and feet, nausea, and ringing in my ears. Now I have swelling, a bad taste on the back of my tongue, slight shortness of breath, but if I am active, it is bad and my heart pounds, burning pain similar to heartburn, and extreme weakness. I am not on other meds and did not have these symptoms until after I took this. I have only taken 3 pills in total."

• Doa...
• June 8, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I had been taking Lisinopril for a few years. 10 days ago I picked up a new script and the next day had a small rash on my face. I thought it was from my flight. After it calmed down, 2 days ago it started up again only this time my whole face was swollen, rash on my neck and chest, ulcerations in my mouth and throat, and some very bad intestinal pains. I've told doctors for a long time I have a problem with sulfa in medications. I just read that this is a medicine I shouldn't have been taking at all. I'm in so much pain and itchy skin. I am nauseated and have a bad headache. I stopped taking it, but now I have to let the reaction calm on its own. I'm afraid to go in and have them pump something else into me that I react to."

• Coc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 26, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking this horrible drug for about 9 months. I slowly began to feel more fatigued until I had extreme fatigue, where I could not function at work and was sleeping up to 18 hours per day. I was constantly lightheaded, and it got to where I did not want to stand at all. I was also nauseated, had extreme brain fog, and became abnormally moody because of this. I had no time left at work and will probably have to take a warning because of the time I did have off. I figured it out without help from my doctor. They would not believe me, so I took myself off, and I am trying lifestyle changes, fish oil, and baby aspirin. I feel much better after only 3 days off this medication. I would never take this again."

• MHo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "My husband has now been taking Lisinopril for right at 1 month, adding a few days to that. The last week, I noticed him complaining and dealing with some pretty rough heartburn, which just in the last 3 days has increased dramatically. He isn't one to complain about anything medical related, but this has. He also has had more episodes of feeling bloated without any visible distention I could see or noticed. It's a heavy feeling that just sits there (upper middle abdomen). Well, tonight, or rather about 4 hours ago, he had the same discomfort in the upper abdomen with tenderness, a bloated feeling, an increase in burping, diarrhea, and nausea that later progressed to vomiting. He threw up bile/green color. Can't lay down."

• Anonymous
• April 9, 2009

For Diabetic Kidney Disease "I have been taking it for 3 weeks, and I have headaches, a constant cough, nausea, itching (mild), and weakness. I went off of it for two days, and I felt better. I am going to ask my doctor to prescribe an alternative, as the cough and nausea are getting worse, and I have a severe headache every day at the same time. My blood pressure has not changed."

• sbe...
• August 10, 2011

For High Blood Pressure "55-year-old female with hypertension, blood pressure generally around 160/95. Started lisinopril and experienced nausea, flushing, and an all-over sick feeling. Had to stop medication after 1 day and even missed a day of work due to the side effects."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Took my first 10 mg dose yesterday about 11 am. Felt good all day. Blood pressure (BP) was down and thought I’d be good-then the nausea started about 8 pm, with severe stomach cramps/pain starting about 9 pm and getting worse as the night went on. Did not sleep at all due to the pain. Contemplated going to the ER, which I’ve never done before. About 3:30 am, one episode of diarrhea. Convinced it’s the med, as I felt fine before-and doesn’t feel like your typical stomach bug. The cramps are what set it apart. Terrible. Finally started to dissipate about 6 am and I got a couple hours of sleep. Just ate a piece of toast now and Gatorade... hoping it continues to get better today-I’m NOT taking another dose. I’ll have to wait till Monday now to call the dr office and tell them. I am going on vaca Tuesday and am not taking a chance that I’ll be sick! I’m going to continue to research more natural ways to lower my BP and maybe try CoQ10."

• goo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 12, 2024

For Heart Failure "I have been on Lisinopril 2.5 mg Lupin brand for 4 years, and it was good, no problems. Then my pharmacy changed companies and did not tell me. That's when I started feeling sick in my stomach and had a bad taste in my mouth. I lost about 8 lbs before I realized they changed my medication. Fortunately, I had an old pill to compare them. I'm back on the Lupin brand and doing great."

• Anonymous
• July 6, 2010

For High Blood Pressure "I have been feeling nauseous and have headaches all the time. I also have a cough, which is annoying. I have been on the medication for three months and thought I had a gastrointestinal disease until I read all the comments on side effects. I feel better knowing where these symptoms are coming from."

• Hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "Have been a migraine sufferer for my entire life. I haven't had a week without 3-4 migraines for as far back as I can remember. Since the start of 2021, I have had a migraine every day when I woke up, and sometimes the migraine would wake me up. My quality of life was terrible. When I didn't have a full-blown migraine, where the back of my neck was so bad and my left eye felt like someone was turning a hot poker in it, I was scared to death that I would get one. My go-to medicine was Imitrex, but the side effects were terrible, and I was taking it every day, almost which of course is 3 times the recommended dosage in a month. I felt horrible and always had a migraine, was nauseous, throwing up, or not able to function. My personal and work life suffered. I was about to give up until one day I went to the doctor and got on 10 mg of lisinopril for high blood pressure. I have been taking it for 3 weeks and have not had 1 migraine since. This is the longest I have gone without a migraine in 30 years. I have my life back."

• Anonymous
• April 6, 2011

For High Blood Pressure "Blood pressure was 180/114 when I started taking lisinopril. It worked well for my BP, but the side effects were more than I could handle. Fatigue, nausea, and daily vomiting. We are in the process of trying to find a better option."

• Vur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "This drug has made me feel like I am dying. I emailed Doc, and they just told me to make another appointment. Very ill. Many symptoms, feel nauseated, very weak. Muscles ache. Head aches. Can breathe good and have an itchy cough. Just plain sick. I dropped my glutens, reduced my sodium and cholesterol drastically. Ready to end this drug. Been 1 week today."

• wil...
• June 22, 2011

For High Blood Pressure "It did drop my blood pressure, but within 2 days, I felt nauseated, tired, and got cramps. I explained to the doctor it was like having a hangover times 10 without the benefits the night before. I am about to try Bystolic 5 mg."

• Tan...
• November 18, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "Been taking lisinopril for 7 years with great results. The side effects have been minor with nausea and dry cough. Until now, I have been coughing every day with a spell of that nauseating feeling. Everyday, it is time to change drugs after reading everyone is having similar side effects."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2012

Lisinopril for High Blood Pressure "I had extreme reactions to this medication. Dizziness, shaking, nausea, polyuria, headaches, severe sweating, lethargy. It didn't work for me."

• Reg...
• December 14, 2013

For High Blood Pressure "I took one dose, experienced nausea, diarrhea, muscle weakness, dizziness, complete lethargy to the point I couldn't function. Couldn't sleep without jerking awake, and it actually scared me."

• wir...
• July 4, 2010

For High Blood Pressure "Been on lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide 20/25 for several weeks. Cough and throat tickle. Stomach cramps, lots of nausea. It did bring blood pressure down."