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Blood Pressure Meds Lead To All-Night Coughing

Q. I was interested in a column about a person who developed cough while taking lisinopril. I myself was put on this medicine for high blood pressure and immediately began having violent coughing spells. If they started in a meeting, I’d have to excuse myself. It became extremely embarrassing. Nothing worked, no cough syrup or cough drops.

I never got more than 30 minutes of uninterrupted sleep at a time. Sometimes the coughing was so severe it caused vomiting. My doctor put me on different medicines but never took me off lisinopril.

Then I went to a new doctor who immediately switched me from lisinopril to Benicar. The coughing stopped immediately.

A. Not everyone develops a bad cough while on an ACE inhibitor like lisinopril for high blood pressure. But you are certainly not alone.

Another reader wrote: “My doctor was pleased with the results of the ACE inhibitor, but my cough became so frequent and violent that I could not sleep for weeks. I couldn’t even lie in bed. When coughing, I would involuntarily empty my bladder, so I could barely leave the house. We eventually found another medication (Benicar) that I do not react to, and my blood pressure is even lower than when I was on the ACE inhibitor.”

We discuss the pros and cons of common blood pressure medicines in our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment.

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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