Lisinopril is one of a group of drugs used to treat high blood pressure called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors. They work to relax blood vessels by keeping your body from producing angiotensin II, a chemical that narrows blood vessels. By interfering with angiotensin II, lisinopril works as an anti-hypertensive to help prevent a heart attack, to treat congestive heart failure and as after-care treatment for a heart attack. A number of common side effects can be experienced while taking the drug.
Cough
One side effect of taking lisinopril is a persistent cough. Drugs.com reports that this side effect was more of a problem among African-American patients than white patients, with nearly 10 percent of black patients discontinuing the drug due to coughing. Less than five percent of white patients found the coughing side effect as problematic.
Dizziness
Lisinopril may cause dizziness as a side effect. More than five percent of patients taking lisinopril experience dizziness, with more than nine percent reporting this side effect when lisinopril was combined with hydrochlorothiazide in controlled clinical trials. The Mayo Clinic reports that dizziness may be combined with feeling faint or lightheaded when standing up from either sitting or lying down.
Nausea
Nausea that may develop into vomiting may be experienced as a side effect of lisinopril. Similar symptoms such as upset stomach and diarrhea have also been reported as gastrointestinal side effects of the drug, according to Drugs.com. In clinical trials, less than three percent of patients developed diarrhea, about two percent had nausea and only one percent experienced vomiting from the drug.
Headaches
Headaches were reported as a side effect in nearly six percent of patients during clinical trials for lisinopril. Drugs.com reported this side effect as part of the nervous system response to the drug.
Fatigue
Fatigue may be experienced as a side effect of taking lisinopril. Drugs.com reports that 2.5 percent of patients in clinical trials experienced fatigue when taking lisinopril, whereas four percent experienced fatigue when lisinopril was combined with hydrochlorothiazide.
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