Lisinopril Side Effects and How to Deal with Them

Lisinopril is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure and is often prescribed to those who have survived a heart attack. My grandmother took lisinopril for several years after her first heart attack. I asked her about her side effects and she said, "At first they were moderate, but after some time they began to dissipate."

When she first began taking lisinopril, the first side effect she experienced was a persistent cough. She used cough lozenges to ease the cough and they seemed to work rather well. Her doctor recommended that she not take cough syrup because there was a chance that it could have a dangerous interaction with other medications she was on. After about two weeks the cough completely went away.

Another side effect that didn't present itself until about two weeks into taking the medication was itchy skin. It was mild, but still bothersome and typically was on her arms and legs. She used Aveeno lotion with oatmeal in it to soothe the itch. This side effect only lasted about ten days.

She also experienced nausea and upset stomach. To deal with these side effects she made sure to avoid spicy foods as well as sugary foods and ate small snacks throughout the day. If her stomach was really upset she ate some crackers or took a couple of Tums. She still experiences these side effects, but they are very mild and do not occur regularly.

She experienced dull headaches and drowsiness as well, but only for the first few days of taking lisinopril. She would just take a pain killer and take a short one hour nap and this would kill the headache and drowsiness. She still gets headaches, but they are not related to this medication.

She got considerably dizzy when she began taking lisinopril. This hasn't completely gone away, but only tends to happen when she quickly switches positions such as standing from a sitting position.

There are other less serious side effects associated with lisinopril. These side effects are vomiting, diarrhea, rash and dizziness. These should eventually subside, but if they are constant and/or get worse you should consult your doctor.