BP reducer=Lisinopril(Generic) Any problems ?

fordy · #1 12/22/09, 12:45 PM

.............My BP has been creeping UP , so My Doc prescribed Lisinopril ! I've been taking one 2.5 mg. pill each day , My BP went from 145\85 down to 120\65 !! No side effects , Yet , but I'm paying attention . A one month supply runs me $4.00 from Wal Mart

. It's cheaper than Aspirin almost . I was wondering IF anyone else is taking this Ace inhbitor , and , have you had any side effects ? , thanks , fordy

Harry Chickpea · #2 12/22/09, 01:02 PM

Been on it for a while. The only side effect is more mucus in the morning. Just stay away from salt substitutes and large sources of potassium. Within reason, bananas and such are ok.

If you don't have insurance, have the doctor write your scrip for the full bottle size. It is cheaper and you aren't tied to going to the pharmacy once a month. Lisinopril also can have slight positive effects at protecting against diabetes and kidney issues.

Congrats on getting your BP down to that range.

Speckledpup · #3 12/22/09, 02:47 PM

I've been on it for 2 years with no side effects.

gardenlily · #4 12/22/09, 02:51 PM

My husband has been on it for almost two years with no side effect. We get a 90 day supply for $10 at Walmart. My sister has been on it for about 3 months with no side effects.

Dianna

jassytoo · #5 12/22/09, 03:26 PM

My DH is on it too. No side effects and our insurance pays for it too.

Fae · #6 12/22/09, 03:37 PM

My DH takes Diovan for his BP and I was wondering if there is a drug that would work for him that he can get in a generic. He has cardiomyopathy and his bp has to stay low. He takes 2 heart meds and I wonder how it would work with them.

mightybooboo · #7 12/22/09, 03:45 PM

Taken it for many years,no problems,well known drug and appears to be very safe.Cheap too,gotta love it!

Some folks do get a dry cough when first on it that usually goes away.

calliemoonbeam · #8 12/22/09, 03:50 PM

The biggest known side effect to ACE inhibitors is a cough. I can't take any ACE inhibitors (tried them all) due to an almost chronic dry cough. Sometimes one ACE causes it and another one doesn't, so if you start to develop a cough tell your doctor and they can try you on something else. If it turned out that you couldn't take any ACEs, there's another class of BP meds called ARBs you can take instead.

The next most common side effect is swelling in your hands, fingers, ankles and feet, though it's not a problem for most people.

If you drink much alcohol, it in combination with the lisinopril could make your blood pressure go too low. If you do drink, make sure you also get an adequate intake of water to stay hydrated.

Other than that, it's a piece of cake, lol. Just kidding, it's not a bad drug at all and as you found out it's really cheap, woo hoo!

Fae, Diovan is an ARB. Maybe your husband can't take an ACE or maybe they want the extra cardioprotective properties of the ARB as opposed to the ACE. The generic for Diovan is valsartan. I don't see why he couldn't take the generic, but ask his doctor. It might not be any cheaper as far as your insurance is concerned though, sometimes they say an ARB is an "upgrade" from an ACE and still make you pay the higher copay, so check wtih them too. Hope this helps.

salmonslayer · #9 12/22/09, 04:43 PM

I was on Lisinoril for 2 years but couldnt take the fish bone in the throat feeling and I also would almost nod out at times. The worst for me was the increasing feeling of doom and depression which I found out is a side effect (apparently Lisinopril is a type of snake venom). For me the cough never went away.

I just did a 24 hour BP monitoring and I wasnt too bad but I am looking at one of the non-ACE inhibitors.

fordy · #10 12/22/09, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fae

My DH takes Diovan for his BP and I was wondering if there is a drug that would work for him that he can get in a generic. He has cardiomyopathy and his bp has to stay low. He takes 2 heart meds and I wonder how it would work with them.

................What I've discovered is that , Some Physicians , are very prejudiced in that they will prescribe drugs from "their" preferred manufacturer . They not only will , NOT , give an Rx for a generic , they prescribe the higher priced drugs leaving ALL over the counter drugs unprescribed .
................W. Mt. has a list of several hundred Generic drugs that it sells for $4.00 a month !! I would consult with your Doc and Tell him what you want to do ! , fordy

............Well , I answered a question you , Didn't Ask ! I think Lisinopril has been thoroughly test . It does have side effects but they are minimal for most users . , fordy

Wayne02 · #11 12/22/09, 06:44 PM

I was on it for awhile earlier this year until I developed a chronic cough. Went to the doc and he immediately took me off the lisinopril and the cough cleared up in about 3 weeks. Ironic that 'I' was the one to request being changed to lisinopril in the first place because it was on Walmart's $10 program.

Lisinopril Cough
http://blood-pressure.emedtv.com/lis...ril-cough.html

Wis Bang · #12 12/22/09, 07:22 PM

I've been on it for two years and my mom [75] started taking it after her quad bypass a year ago. I'm also on a Beta Blocker [Atolenol] and the two have been keeping my BP under control.

Fae · #13 12/22/09, 07:35 PM

We have to take out a prescription drug program and the more I can buy on the walmart $10 plan the better to keep him out of the donut hole. I will probably just leave the diovan alone and just buy the rest without the insurance. His doctor usually writes for generic choice but does not on the diovan. I will ask him about it.

Peacock · #14 12/22/09, 08:30 PM

Good to know there are alternatives to what the doc prescribed me. I mean, I knew there were . . . but it's just discouraging sometimes. I'm on Metoprolol and it's making me gain weight, making me depressed, and making me feel like my heart's flip-flopping. Don't like it a bit. Yes, I do intend to get into the doc after the holidays.

fordy · #15 12/22/09, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calliemoonbeam

The biggest known side effect to ACE inhibitors is a cough. I can't take any ACE inhibitors (tried them all) due to an almost chronic dry cough. Sometimes one ACE causes it and another one doesn't, so if you start to develop a cough tell your doctor and they can try you on something else. If it turned out that you couldn't take any ACEs, there's another class of BP meds called ARBs you can take instead.

The next most common side effect is swelling in your hands, fingers, ankles and feet, though it's not a problem for most people.

If you drink much alcohol, it in combination with the lisinopril could make your blood pressure go too low. If you do drink, make sure you also get an adequate intake of water to stay hydrated.

Other than that, it's a piece of cake, lol. Just kidding, it's not a bad drug at all and as you found out it's really cheap, woo hoo!

Fae, Diovan is an ARB. Maybe your husband can't take an ACE or maybe they want the extra cardioprotective properties of the ARB as opposed to the ACE. The generic for Diovan is valsartan. I don't see why he couldn't take the generic, but ask his doctor. It might not be any cheaper as far as your insurance is concerned though, sometimes they say an ARB is an "upgrade" from an ACE and still make you pay the higher copay, so check wtih them too. Hope this helps.

...............Thanks Callie , the more info people have the better off they are ! , fordy

Callieslamb · #16 12/22/09, 09:23 PM

Count your blessings. I have been on BP meds for 20year and have yet to find one that works very well for very long.

calliemoonbeam · #17 12/22/09, 10:30 PM

You're welcome Fordy!

Callie, I've been taking Cozaar for almost 10 years with no problems whatsoever, other than price, lol. It is one of the highest copay drugs, if you have a three-level program because there's no generic. I pay out of pocket, and it's just under $100 a month, but it works better for me than anything else ever has. My heart function has improved, and my ejection fraction has gone up 12% since being on it (well, along with a couple of other drugs). Cozaar is in the ARB class of drugs.

Edayna, that's not good. One of the purposes of metoprolol is to help control cardiac arrhythmias. There's an extended-release version that usually eliminates the problems you're having, Toprol XL, but of course it's not generic and is higher priced. However, it's a beta blocker class drug, and there are others you can take. Definitely talk to your doctor about it.

Sorry if I'm spouting off too much, lol, but like Fordy said I think the better informed a patient is and the more they take control of their health care the better off they'll be! If anyone is interested, any time you want to know more about a drug, go to the library and ask to see a PDR (Physician's Desk Reference). Some of it may be over your head because it's written for doctors, but there's a lot of info for the average patient too. Hope this helps.

Country Lady · #18 12/23/09, 01:22 AM

My doctor had me on Lisinopril for a while, but my coughing was just unbearable. It kept me from sleeping, disturbed DH, and I was hesitant to even go places because of continuous coughing. My doctor had to prescribe another BP medicine for me.

Shygal · #19 12/23/09, 02:23 AM

I have the cough too, it SEEMS to be getting better, but its very very annoying

Reptyle · #20 12/23/09, 06:37 AM

Go to the website webmd.com , put in the drug name and you'll see responses from people that are using that drug. Last time I looked at Lisinopril there were around 1300 reviews, some of them not good. It had a review rating of around 3 out of 5 if I remember correctly. In the reviews most people stated what kind of side effects they experienced, if any.
Interesting read.