Hydrochlorothiazide / lisinopril and Headaches: What Users Say

• tim...
• April 4, 2013

For High Blood Pressure "I am presently on Lisinopril HCTZ, and for a while, I was doing well. Then I got upped from 10/12.5 to 20/25, and within a month of using, I have headaches, dizziness, nausea, the cough sometimes to the point of falling over. I can't seem to make my brain work the way I need it to, and my whole body hurts. My blood pressure is down, no question about that, but this is freaking me out."

• Dee...
• December 28, 2011

For High Blood Pressure "My MD wanted me to take Lisinopril rather than Lotensin, for some reason. It sure worked well in lowering blood pressure, but the side effects were a pain in the neck. I was taking 20/25 mg and was dizzy, headachy, awfully tired all the time, stomach upset, aching all day in my feet so that I could hardly walk, as well as other side effects. On my own, I cut it down in half and feel much better. My blood pressure is still on the low side, but these miserable side effects have finally let up. Guess I'd better tell the doctor."

• Dre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "While on this medicine, I experienced back and neck pain and coughing headache. And always tired and sleepy. Is there someone who can relate? I'm sleepy all the time, it makes me restful. I don't like that lazy feeling."

• FL ...
• November 16, 2015

Hydrochlorothiazide / lisinopril for High Blood Pressure "I have been taking Zestoretic 20-25 mg along with Norvasc 5 mg for 30 years... brand only as my original doctor prescribed and have never had any more issues with my high blood pressure. The generics released medication more up front than Zestoretic brand, and I would wake up with severe headaches. Zestoretic, along with the Norvasc, was perfect. My blood pressure is normal, and I have no signs of any side effects after all these years... I am now in my 70s. I do have to avoid being out in the hot sun for extended periods of time as it does make me a little dizzy, and I have to drink lots of fluids, but a small price to have my blood pressure under complete control."

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2009

For High Blood Pressure "I took this medicine for several months. There definitely was a cough, it also affected my sinuses. Then I started developing headaches. I thought it was viral in nature, but this continued on for 2 months. Then my hair started to fall out, and I stopped taking this medicine. It took several days for it to leave my system, and I feel much better without it."

• Emm...
• April 4, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was on atenolol for 15 yrs with leg swelling, facial swelling, headaches, joint aches, insomnia, no restful sleep, erratic bp in maybe 1 hr. Switched to lis/hctz 10/12.5 3 yrs ago. The only pill I take. BP steady 125/80. Throat sore, swelling closed, mouth breather, headache 12 hr after taking, tinnitus, dizzy when rising, then began vertigo, real vertigo. Dr said food allergy, stopped lin/hctz for 3 days = BP high, no tinnitus, no dizzy, no headache. 3 days ago had a bleeding floater in left eye. This morning, the ophthalmologist said lin/hctz can affect floater and macular degeneration. Deciding what to do.... lose 50 pounds and get off drug! Or put up with side effects and go blind?"

• Emm...
• April 4, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was on atenolol for 15 yrs with leg swelling, facial swelling, headaches, joint aches, insomnia, no restful sleep, erratic bp in maybe 1 hr. Switched to lis/hctz 10/12.5 3 yrs ago. The only pill I take. BP steady 125/80. Throat sore, swelling closed, mouth breather, headache 12 hr after taking, tinnitus, dizzy when rising, then began vertigo, real vertigo. Dr said food allergy, stopped lin/hctz for 3 days = BP high, no tinnitus, no dizzy, no headache. 3 days ago had a bleeding floater in left eye. This morning, the ophthalmologist said lin/hctz can affect floater and macular degeneration. Deciding what to do.... lose 50 pounds and get off drug! Or put up with side effects and go blind?"

• Jea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 1, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I was on this first about 8-10 years. It did help blood pressure but just a tad. Had daily diarrhea first thing in the morning, ongoing sinus issues (woke up most mornings with a sinus headache), zero tears, etc. After a sudden onset of several eye floaters in one eye, I did some research and stopped taking it. About a week after stopping, I woke up with my eyes oozing thick fluid. I thought my eyes were leaking ocular fluid. It was tears! Eyes floaters considerably lessened after two weeks. Have switched to low-dose Losartan. So far, the only effect I've noticed is a slight headache and sleepiness (so I take it with dinner). However, the last few days, the effects have not occurred at all. Hopefully, Losartan will work better for me."

• Tin...
• April 15, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "I'm 61 years old and have been taking lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide (20 mg/25 mg) for over 10 years for high blood pressure. Over the last 3 years, I developed symptoms of neuropathy in both feet, and in the last several months, irregular heartbeat, spikes in blood pressure, and near-constant headaches. I was recently evaluated for vascular problems in my feet and lower legs; this was ruled out. However, my foot pain is constant, and sometimes it results in shooting pains up to my knees. For an unknown reason, this foot pain often increases right after a meal. I am to undergo heart 'stress tests' to be followed with some sort of nerve tests in both feet. If these other tests do not point to any known cause, I will ask my doctor to switch me to another blood pressure medication."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 24, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking it off and on for many years. Back when I first started to take it, back around 20 years (I'm 47 now), it worked. No side effects. Started taking it again for around 8 months now. Side effects galore. Itchy throat, legs and big toe cramps, numbness in my arm, backache, headache, dizzying, and sleep is like never enough but can't not work. Checking with my doctor Friday to see what are my other options. BP is all over the scale."

• Mmd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 23, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "This particular generic pill does not work. I've been on the blue octagon-shaped generic (works excellent) and the peach round generic form (works okay). This is the first time I've been given this white round generic form, and it does nothing for lowering blood pressure. I may have been given placebos. I could tell by a dull headache and realized I'm not peeing like I normally do on this med. I then checked my blood pressure, 141/98. Med was taken at 6 am, and I monitored it every three hours throughout the day. Never went below 128/88."

• Zoe...
• July 28, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "Headaches. Dry eyes. Aches. Excruciating pain in feet. Insomnia. This stuff is poison."

• Ali...
• March 23, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I had to take this medicine for high blood pressure and it was horrible. I had headaches and stomach cramps."