Some medications that are extremely useful for the majority of people can cause frighteningly serious reactions in others. That is surely the case for the ACE inhibitors used to control blood pressure.
These medications are widely used and appear to provide good protection against heart attacks and strokes. (This is somewhat complicated, however, as we have written here.) Doctors frequently prefer to prescribe drugs in this category for individuals with diabetes, because they appear to put less strain on the kidneys.
The Downsides of ACE Inhibitor Pills:
ACE inhibitors do have some quite serious downsides. One side effect that is fairly common is a cough that does not respond to cough medicine. Many readers have suffered from this, and doctors don’t always diagnose it promptly. You can read some of these stories here.
Even more serious is a reaction called angioedema. This is unpredictable and can be life-threatening.
Q. A lisinopril reaction almost killed my partner. He had off-and-on swelling, fainting spells, angioedema, itchy swollen throat and vocal changes due to the swelling. All these symptoms started when he was prescribed lisinopril for high blood pressure.
I told his doctor about this lisinopril reaction because my partner had not mentioned it. The doctor prescribed EpiPen.
However, the symptoms returned. Despite using EpiPen and Benadryl, he needed the paramedics to whisk him to the ER. Then he had to be intubated and put on mechanical ventilation.
My partner was loath to go to the ER because he believed the EpiPen would cure him. Others should know: use the EpiPen AND call 911; the shot is just an emergency stopgap measure. If you feel your throat swelling, don’t wait: act FAST!
A. Blood pressure “pril” pills called ACE inhibitors can trigger swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (angioedema). These medicines include benazepril, captopril, enalapril, lisinopril and ramipril.
Angioedema is a potentially deadly reaction that can occur at any time (even after months or years of safe use). Abdominal angioedema can cause symptoms such as stomach cramping, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal distension due to bowel obstruction. This can be hard to diagnose but may be life threatening.
You are right to emphasize that this kind of lisinopril reaction is a medical emergency. After such an episode, the physician should prescribe blood pressure medication from an entirely different category rather than risk a recurrence.
A Medical Emergency:
Robin in Denver reported a similar lisinopril reaction:
“I had been taking lisinopril for several years without any problems. One evening a couple of years ago, I developed severe anaphylaxis with no warning. I had difficulty breathing and lost control of my bowels and bladder. When my family saw my swollen face and lips as well as my mental confusion and filth, they called an ambulance. I was hospitalized for 3 days. My allergy tests confirmed it was the lisinopril. The reaction can take just moments.
“I know most people don’t get a reaction like this, but, my question is why risk it? There are other drugs. What I remember clearly was the EMTs talking and asking questions. I didn’t feel like answering them. They were annoying me, and I just wanted to be left alone. Finally one threatened to intubate me. I just said “no”. That was all they wanted. My doctor told me later that kind of apathy was a sign that I was dying.”
Your partner might appreciate our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment so that he can see other types of blood pressure medicines and evaluate their pros and cons.
