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I'm on much higher doses of most of these and have been for years. The only inconvenience I have is with the water pill (Hydro) which requires a trip to pee every two hours or so. Any dizziness from them probably came from dehydration. The Metro was prescribed to slow down my heartbeat after my aneurysm repair and sometimes used by others I'm told for panic attacks.
The dizziness I had was from dehydration...I would drink a couple of bottles of water and be fine after that. At first I was on HCTZ and Lisinopril, and when I started having the dizzy spells, the doctor told me to stop the HCTZ. After that, I would have dizziness only when I stood up quickly, or got out of bed fast. A couple of months later I was riding my bike, and suddenly got very dizzy and everything looked purple, green and sparkly. I had to sit on the ground and wait until I knew I wasn't going to faint. I took my blood pressure when I got home and it was 80/48. I quit riding my bike until I could get in to see my doctor, and she had me stop the Lisinopril at that point.
So for those of you who have used Lisinopril, have you experienced the cough that is reported as a common side effect? Also, has anyone used both Lisinopril and Valsartan and can compare them for effectiveness/side effects?
I've been taking Valsartan 80mg for the last month and it works with no significant side effects, but I may need a higher dosage to get my pressure down further to where it should be. Lisinopril has been suggested to me and I may give it a try. But I hesitate as there's lots more negative commentary about it online than there is about Valsartan. What complicates the decision is the fact that Valsartan is much more expensive. Lisinopril is $4.00 for 30 tablets at Wal-Mart.
Just wondering if anyone has experience with either that they would care to share.
I'm not sure I can be that much help here as my dosage on lisinopril is only 10mg. It has served me fine though. I take the lisinopril after breakfast and then Amlodopine (Norvasc generic equiv.) at night and my bp has been ok. Was in to take blood work last week and got a flu shot a couple weeks before. Both times my bp has been around 125/85. No complaints there.
My doctor switched me last year as I had been on fosinopril for 10 years, maybe longer. My part D coverage is under AARP and I about had a stroke (!) when I was told that for whatever reason my fosinopril was getting jacked up to over $70 for a 3 month supply. I said BS to that. Doc switched me to lisinopril and I'm now paying pretty much what you're paying. As far as side effects I don't have the coughing problem, I do have a little issue with dizziness, but I've been used to that for a long time.
I haven't read online complaints regarding lisinopril but maybe I ought to.
So for those of you who have used Lisinopril, have you experienced the cough that is reported as a common side effect? Also, has anyone used both Lisinopril and Valsartan and can compare them for effectiveness/side effects?
I've been taking Valsartan 80mg for the last month and it works with no significant side effects, but I may need a higher dosage to get my pressure down further to where it should be. Lisinopril has been suggested to me and I may give it a try. But I hesitate as there's lots more negative commentary about it online than there is about Valsartan. What complicates the decision is the fact that Valsartan is much more expensive. Lisinopril is $4.00 for 30 tablets at Wal-Mart.
Just wondering if anyone has experience with either that they would care to share.
I've been on Diovan HCT (valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide) 80/12.5 once daily for a good fifteen years. Works. No side effects. I'm surprised to hear about the cost. Under my health insurance plan and at my local pharmacy, I get a 90-day supply for less than $5.00.
I'm not sure I can be that much help here as my dosage on lisinopril is only 10mg. It has served me fine though. I take the lisinopril after breakfast and then Amlodopine (Norvasc generic equiv.) at night and my bp has been ok. Was in to take blood work last week and got a flu shot a couple weeks before. Both times my bp has been around 125/85. No complaints there.
My doctor switched me last year as I had been on fosinopril for 10 years, maybe longer. My part D coverage is under AARP and I about had a stroke (!) when I was told that for whatever reason my fosinopril was getting jacked up to over $70 for a 3 month supply. I said BS to that. Doc switched me to lisinopril and I'm now paying pretty much what you're paying. As far as side effects I don't have the coughing problem, I do have a little issue with dizziness, but I've been used to that for a long time.
I haven't read online complaints regarding lisinopril but maybe I ought to.
Good Morning HH,
Thanks for your reply. It does help to know that you have been taking lisinopril and don't have the cough. I actually have a 30-day supply of it that I had decided not to use. But considering the cost difference, I think I will give it a try when my Valsartan runs out at the end of the month.
I've been on Diovan HCT (valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide) 80/12.5 once daily for a good fifteen years. Works. No side effects. I'm surprised to hear about the cost. Under my health insurance plan and at my local pharmacy, I get a 90-day supply for less than $5.00.
My Valsartan includes the HCTZ component as well, 80/12.5. So it's the generic version of the same thing. I paid $69 for it for 30 days worth at Wal-Mart. Clearly, I don't want to keep doing that, but would if I had to to avoid major side-effect problems.
I am dragging myself, kicking and screaming, into this new blood pressure drug dependency era of my life. Something I swore I would never do. I have felt all my life, and still feel today, that "high blood pressure" is largely a concocted malady used as a fear-based marketing tool by Big Pharma. I have always avoided the "health care" cartel to the maximum extent possible and will continue to do so. But my pressure has reached levels that have convinced me that I must start the pills, since I've tried the diet/exercise thing, lost 35 pounds, and it made almost no difference.
If you don't mind sharing, what is your monthly insurance premium cost that gets you that $5/90 day price for Diovan?
My Valsartan includes the HCTZ component as well, 80/12.5. So it's the generic version of the same thing. I paid $69 for it for 30 days worth at Wal-Mart. Clearly, I don't want to keep doing that, but would if I had to to avoid major side-effect problems.
I am dragging myself, kicking and screaming, into this new blood pressure drug dependency era of my life. Something I swore I would never do. I have felt all my life, and still feel today, that "high blood pressure" is largely a concocted malady used as a fear-based marketing tool by Big Pharma. I have always avoided the "health care" cartel to the maximum extent possible and will continue to do so. But my pressure has reached levels that have convinced me that I must start the pills, since I've tried the diet/exercise thing, lost 35 pounds, and it made almost no difference.
If you don't mind sharing, what is your monthly insurance premium cost that gets you that $5/90 day price for Diovan?
To be clear, the cheap $5/90 days ($4.69 to be exact ) is for generic valsartan/HCTZ fills. I used to take brand Diovan HCT, but switched once it went generic for more favorable pricing though my health insurer. Monthly health insurance premium is just shy of $200 but increasing a bit for 2016. I'm a federal employee insured through the Federal Health Benefits Program. Let the bashing begin
"Concocted maladies" - I couldn't agree with you more. Latest studies indicate systolic blood pressure targets should be even lower than the current standards. Just a money grab for big pharma. And don't get me started on the whole cholesterol-lowering drug thing
To be clear, the cheap $5/90 days ($4.69 to be exact ) is for generic valsartan/HCTZ fills. I used to take brand Diovan HCT, but switched once it went generic for more favorable pricing though my health insurer. Monthly health insurance premium is just shy of $200 but increasing a bit for 2016. I'm a federal employee insured through the Federal Health Benefits Program. Let the bashing begin
"Concocted maladies" - I couldn't agree with you more. Latest studies indicate systolic blood pressure targets should be even lower than the current standards. Just a money grab for big pharma. And don't get me started on the whole cholesterol-lowering drug thing
Indeed....the worst drug pushers in our strange, misguided culture are the ones who advertise all day, every day on TV and have free reign to poison the gullible at will.
The one and only reason that I have put my big toe into this prescription drug pond is that my pressure has gotten so high that I could regularly feel my heart pounding at rest and have had some scary sensations in my chest. Been to the ER and I'm told my EKG and chest X-ray is fine, but my pressure is off the charts without the pills. I can no longer rationally deny that I'm in a small group, probably due to genetics, of people who must resort to medication or be at great risk for hemorrhage, aneurysms, and the like.
That said, most people do not need the drugs. And it has been proven that drug intervention makes zero difference in mortality rate outcomes for what is termed "moderate hypertension". Nonetheless, the drug pushers have people by the tens of millions wringing their hands and suffering sleepless nights worrying about blood pressures like 140/86. It is immoral and should be criminal.
Thank you for the answer on monthly premium. That confirms that I'm money ahead by just paying out of pocket, which is what I'll continue to do. And from what I understand, most people are paying a lot more than that these days. Earlier this year, I signed up for Medicare Part A only. I'm not going to pay any premiums whose end is to make it so easy to suck me further and further into the system. Not gonna happen.
Last edited by CrownVic95; 11-11-2015 at 01:46 PM..
So for those of you who have used Lisinopril, have you experienced the cough that is reported as a common side effect? Also, has anyone used both Lisinopril and Valsartan and can compare them for effectiveness/side effects?
I've been taking Valsartan 80mg for the last month and it works with no significant side effects, but I may need a higher dosage to get my pressure down further to where it should be. Lisinopril has been suggested to me and I may give it a try. But I hesitate as there's lots more negative commentary about it online than there is about Valsartan. What complicates the decision is the fact that Valsartan is much more expensive. Lisinopril is $4.00 for 30 tablets at Wal-Mart.
Just wondering if anyone has experience with either that they would care to share.
I didn't have a cough on lisinopril. I did get a red rash on my face that lasted until about a month after I stopped the lisinopril.
I didn't have a cough on lisinopril. I did get a red rash on my face that lasted until about a month after I stopped the lisinopril.
Thank you for letting me know. I do think I remember reading about that as one of the fairly common side effects.
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) is for generic valsartan/HCTZ fills. I used to take brand Diovan HCT, but switched once it went generic for more favorable pricing though my health insurer. Monthly health insurance premium is just shy of $200 but increasing a bit for 2016. I'm a federal employee insured through the Federal Health Benefits Program. Let the bashing begin 
