I woke up with a coughing spell, and wasn’t sick but feeling well. I coughed and coughed the whole day through, and thought that I might get the flu. The cough got worse day by day, but nothing made it go away. Codine, cough drops, and musinex,…. to my dismay had no effect. Then I tried a Z-pack cure, but that dog gone cough did endure. Finally………. my doctor looked at my blood pressure pill,then exclaimed it’s lisinipril.
Don’t take that pill anymore, you’ve coughed so hard your lungs aresore. Now here’s a word to the wise, what I discovered to my surprise. If you cough and cough, but don’t feel ill. Ask your doctor about lisinipril.
My Lisinipril Story:
I started a hacking dry cough 21 days ago and am still coughing as I write this blog on Christmas day. I treated the cough with musinex, codine, and a constant supply of cough drops during the first ten days. On day eleven, the physician assistant started me on a z-pack anti-biotic, but the five day remedy had no effect. The cough was so severe that my head hurt and the violent cough spasms appeared throughout the day and night. Finally, my doctor listened to my cough, then looked at my medication list in his records, and said: “it’s the lisinipril”.
I was taking Diovan for a few years, then Avalide and never had side affects, then switched to lisinipril about six months ago to save money with this $4 co-pay generic. Now I regret that decision. I have never had such a severe and lasting cough like this. My doctor mentioned that about 20% of patients get the cough, but I thought it would a mild side affect.
I was wrong. The only remedy is to stop taking the medication. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I might be coughing for 3-4 more weeks before the drug is out of my system.
Lisinipril (how it works)
Lisinipril is a widely used inexpensive drug to treat hypertension because research has shown that it caused the fewest side affects of all blood pressure medications and provides additional benefits stemming the risk of developing diabetes and kidney disease. Lisinipril is a synthetic substance derived from the venom of the “Jararca Brazilian Pit Viper”.
The “Pril” family of drugs is notorious for causing the dry cough. Catepril was the first ACE inhibitor taken by mouth, but the drug also appears as benazepril, fosinopril, quinapril, and ramipril. Lisinipril works by restricting an enzyme called the “angiotensin”. This enzyme causes the blood vessels to narrow, and the medication stops the enzyme from doing that. The blood vessels as a result are relaxed and it decreases the blood pressure conclusively.
But the “angiotensin” that is being blocked by the drug lisinipril has other functionalities like breaking down some other enzymes in the lungs like “bradykinin”. When activated, bradykinin is pro inflamatory and can irratate and stimulate cough.
What to do if you are taking lisinipril?
See your doctor. Discuss the risks. If you’re coughing is a result of the medication, ask your doctor if you can stop using it. Select a substitute. The literature says that ARB’s (angiotensin recepton blockers) are not associated with cough because of a different mechanism of action. But verify with your doctor.
Does the benefit of lisinipril outweigh the risk of developing the cough?
In my opinion no. If you don’t have the cough yet, it might appear when you least expect it. If your doctor wants you to take the lisinipril medication to treat your hypertension, think twice before you agree. If I was a doctor, knowing what I know now, here’s what I’d say: “Lisinipril is a low priced and very effective medication for treating hypertension. But, be aware that if you are among the 20% of patients who develop the cough side affect, you will be miserable for up to a month or more with a constant irritable cough that will only go away if you stop taking the medication, and it may take a month or more to get it out of your system.”
Save yourself the misery, ask for another option.
“The Coughing Christmas Coach”
PS: I’m hoping my cough will end by January 15th… cough cough cough…Happy New year..
