Common: dizziness (especially standing up fast - worst in the first days or after dose increases), headache, diarrhea, and the classic dry, tickly cough that does not go away.
The cough is the ACE-inhibitor signature: harmless but annoying, and switching to an ARB like losartan fixes it without losing the blood pressure benefit. Blood tests periodically check potassium and kidneys - monitored, not feared. The one to memorize: angioedema - sudden lip, tongue, face, or throat swelling - stop the drug and call emergency services; it can arrive after months of uneventful use. Fainting, yellowing skin, or irregular heartbeat also deserve prompt calls. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you weigh a symptom.
What to do
Common questions
What are the side effects of lisinopril?
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor, one of the most-prescribed blood pressure medicines in the world, and most people feel nothing on it. The common side effects, per the NHS: dizziness - especially when you stand up quickly, and most often in the first days or after dose increases (stand up slowly); headache; diarrhea; and the classic: a dry, tickly cough that does not go away - an ACE-inhibitor signature, harmless but annoying, and reason enough to ask about switching to an ARB (like losartan) if it bugs you, because ARBs do not cause it. You will have blood tests periodically: lisinopril can raise potassium and affect kidney function, which is monitored, not feared. The serious-but-rare one to memorize: angioedema - sudden swelling of the lips, tongue, face, or throat, sometimes with breathing difficulty. That is an emergency: stop the drug and call emergency services; it can happen even after months of uneventful use. Also call promptly for fainting, yellowing skin or eyes, or signs of high potassium (irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness). Dizzy or drowsy on it? Do not drive until it settles. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you weigh a symptom you suspect is the pill.