Anyone know about ACE inhibitors?

[Mishka68]

I have really great blood sugar levels and cholesterol readings, but have had terrible blood pressure since entering menopause. I tried and tried (for 3 months) to treat my HBP with cardio and supplements, etc... to no avail, so my doc has started me on Lisinopril HCTZ ... a combo of an ace inhibitor and a mild diuretic in one pill.


I hate drugs... *sigh*

[muncheechee]

Lisinopril/HCTZ was great at controlling my bp when I was on it and it's the only thing that helps my mom's bp too (she also lives in NMB!). I'd still be taking it if I wasn't trying to have more children - I'm on one now that's safe during pregnancy. Sometimes drugs are necessary... I just thank God that I live in an age where things like this are available so I don't have a stroke before I'm 35.

[Mishka68]

Thanks so much for this! I am so scared right now with the way my bp has been. *hug*

[muncheechee]

Oh, there is one common side effect that you may experience.... a dry cough. The lisinopril gives a lot of people a tickle in the back of the throat that comes and goes. It's not usually too annoying though. Just fyi. I'm sure you'll be fine on it

[Mishka68]

Hey, what part of NMB is your mom in? I live right by the Intracoastal Waterway, near Cherry Grove NMB.

[svenskamae]

I appreciate this post. I imagine that my doctor will want to put me on medication for high blood pressure at my next physical, because even when I take my blood pressure at home now, it's high--despite the fact that I don't smoke, exercise lots, have lost weight, almost never drink, and have very good biostats (except for weight) otherwise. I've been afraid that BP medication would keep me from losing weight; have you found that it doesn't have that side effect for you?

[Karerose]

I've been taking it for about a month or two. My BP was scary high so had to do something.

I do have that little cough sometimes, but it is mostly when I'm falling asleep and isn't bad at all. If it gets troubling I'll look for something else. Losing weight and getting my cholesterol in check did nothing for my BP, and after a little research I felt comfortable taking the drug.

[watcher513]

Originally Posted by Karerose

I've been taking it for about a month or two. My BP was scary high so had to do something.

I do have that little cough sometimes, but it is mostly when I'm falling asleep and isn't bad at all. If it gets troubling I'll look for something else. Losing weight and getting my cholesterol in check did nothing for my BP, and after a little research I felt comfortable taking the drug.

HCTZ without lisinopril works also. My dh couldn't take the lisinopril. He got the cough pretty quick. They say it's rare to get that but that's not exactly true, it's a pretty common side effect. If they drop the lisinopril part, the cough goes away pretty quick.

[VictoriaLynn]

I was taking lisinopril/hctz and my doctor had to take me off of it because of the cough. Mine was so bad that I coughed so hard I would throw up and get light headed from coughing so hard. Not everyone has the cough that bad. My cough has went away since he has taken me off of it. I tried the HCTZ by itself and it didn't work for me, but my blood pressure was just that high that its not enough. He just switched me to a beta blocker instead (Atenolol) I just took my first dose today, so we shall see how this works out. I really didn't want to do the beta blocker, since its supposed to slow your heart rate down, but I guess mine should be lower anyways since at my last visit my heart rate was 112. I go back in a week to see if its working and to also get a full bloodwork check up on everything else (fasting). I am still taking the hctz also by itself.

[VictoriaLynn]

I do want to add that I took Lisinopril/HCTZ seven years ago (but lost weight and was taken off of it..) and I had no issues, but my doc said that can change with time, so I guess for me it did.

But not everyone experience the cough or the cough near as bad as me.

[MSN08]

I am taking it, I freaking love it. It has been the answer to my unanswered health issues, I did not even know I had high bp because it only happened after starting exercise, so when the Dr. told me to buy a monitor and track it when I was feeling most symptomatic, it caught it at 170/86 and I did a trial on the med and now I have no more symptoms or cardiac issues even when I exercise intensely. I do have an occasional sensation in my throat that makes me cough, but it is very infrequent. I also crave pickles a lot I have eaten a jar of pickles in a day, Idk what that is about, but I will take that over what I was experiencing any day! typical bp readings now are 116/67 and hr use to be 150's now its 70's with no irregular beats.