Lisinopril is a drug that belong to class of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. So it lows blood pressure by widening blood vessels due to preventing synthesis angiotensin that narrow it.
Lisinopril can be used alone or in combination. The most widespread combination is with diuretics.
It can be prescribed for patients with hypertension, congestive heart failure, heart attacks (to improve survival prognosis). It is also can be used for prophylaxis of the diabetes complications (such as retinopathy and nephropathy).
Side effects
As it was shown in different clinical studies about 5,7 – 11% (depending on comorbid diseases) of the patients who were prescribed Lisinopril are experiencing side effects.
If you are taking such medicine as Lisinopril the most probable side effects that can develop are:
- Cough
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Tiredness
- Extreme low blood pressure (fainting, severe dizziness, light-headedness)
Also you can experience
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Asthenia
- Angina pectoris
- Palpitations
- Fluid overload
- Decreased urination
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Pruritus
- Fever
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Upper respiratory infections, such as the flu or common cold
- Unexplained rash
- Impotence or erectile dysfunction
- Decrease of the sexual desire in men and women
- Inability to achieve orgasm
- Vomiting
- Increased salivation
- Stomach pain (abdominal pain)
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Dark urine
- Swelling
- Paresthesia
- Insomnia
- Somnolence
- Muscle Cramps
If you are taking Lisinopril not only because of hypertension but also with other disease, relevant adverse effects can develop.
Intake of Lisinopril by patients with myocardial infarction can result in extreme low blood pressure, post infarction angina and kidney problems. Elderly patients have higher rate of renal dysfunction worsening.
Also Lisinopril can give some adverse effects in patients with heart failure. Among them: hypotension, angina pectoris, chest and abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and rash.
In patients with diabetes mellitus who are taking peroral antidiabetic agents or insulin, Lisinopril can cause hypoglycemia.
In addition Lisinopril can cause such allergic reactions as difficulty breathing or swallowing, rash, hives, itching tightness in the chest, swelling of the hands, eyes, mouth, face, lips, or tongue, hoarseness. Also some patients has allergic reaction with manifestation in angioedema which can associate with laryngeal edema – in this case it can be fatal.
Besides, rare but some patients can experience severe anaphylactoid reaction that cause damage to the lining of the bowel wall and usually manifests in severe abdominal pain. Such symptoms require urgent medical help.
Laboratory test’s changes
If you are taking Lisinopril your doctor can find some changes in your laboratory tests. So you should keep in mind that intake of the Lisinopril can lead to such adverse laboratory changes as an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, increasing in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, decreasing in hemoglobin and hematocrit, elevations of liver enzymes and/or serum bilirubin levels.
But all these changes are reversible and after discontinuation of the Lisinopril blood rates can come absolutely normal.
Also rarely Lisinopril can cause bone marrow depression with leukopenia/neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia.
Serious side effects
Some adverse effects of the Lisinopril are quiet severe and need immediate medical help:
- Cardiac arrest
- Myocardial infarction
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary infarction
- Arrhythmias (atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia and premature ventricular contractions)
- Bronchospasm
- Pancreatitis
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hepatitis
- Unexplained swelling of the head or neck (including the face, lips, tongue, or throat)
- Unexplained swelling of the hands and/or feet
- Unexplained skin rash
- Itching
- Unexplained blisters or peeling of the skin
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting spells
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain), with or without vomiting
- Decrease in the amount of urine produced.
Rare side effects
Some adverse effects fortunately developing very rare. However they should never been ignored. Among them: lymphadenopathy, pelvic pain, flank pain, edema, facial edema, vasculitis, inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, weight loss, dehydration, arthritis, arthralgia, neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, hip pain, low back pain, joint pain, leg pain, knee pain, lumbago, nervousness and mood alterations, orthopnea, painful respiration, epistaxis, laryngitis, sinusitis, malignant lung neoplasms, hemoptysis, pulmonary infiltrates, bronchitis, bronchospasm, asthma, pleural effusion, pneumonia, eosinophilic pneumonitis, alopecia, herpes zoster, photosensitivity, skin lesions, skin infections, pemphigus, erythema, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, flushing, diaphoresis, cutaneous pseudolymphoma, visual loss, diplopia, blurred vision, tinnitus, photophobia, taste disturbances, olfactory disturbance, acute renal failure, oliguria, anuria, uremia, progressive azotemia, renal dysfunction, pyelonephritis, dysuria, urinary tract infection
Side effects in pregnant women
In pregnant women using of the Lisinopril cause serious birth defects and possible miscarriage.
Side effects in children
Adverse effects in children don’t have relevant differences compared with adult patients.
Conclusions
You may never experience any of listed above side effects. And your doctor cannot predict reaction of your body to Lisinopril until you will try it. That’s why don’t forget to let your physician know if something in your health condition alert you. So when it seems that anything going wrong ask your doctor for advice and he or she will diagnose if your problem is connected with medicine intake. And be careful because some of Lisinopril’s side effects require urgent medical help.