Zestril Side Effects

Zestril (Lisinopril)

An Overview of Zestril Side Effects

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Zestril^® (lisinopril). However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well.

If side effects do occur, they are generally mild and either require no treatment or can be treated easily by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.

Zestril has been studied in several groups of people with different conditions. Because the groups were so different, the side effects are broken down by group. These groups include people with:

(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Zestril. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Zestril side effects with you.)

High Blood Pressure

Zestril has been studied extensively in clinical trials for people with high blood pressure. In these studies, the side effects that occurred in a group of people taking the drug were documented and then compared to the side effects that occurred in another group of people taking a placebo (a "sugar pill" that does not contain any active ingredients). As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the group not taking the medicine.

In these studies, the most common Zestril side effects, occurring in more than 1 percent of people with high blood pressure, were:

Fatigue
Body weakness (asthenia)
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting when standing from a sitting or lying down position
Extremely low blood pressure
Diarrhea
Nausea
Vomiting
Headache
Dizziness
Cough (see Zestril Cough)
Upper respiratory infections, such as the flu or common cold
Unexplained rash
Impotence or erectile dysfunction (see Lisinopril Sexual Side Effects).

If side effects with Zestril do occur, most people do not need to stop their medicine. In previous research studies, 5.7 percent of people with high blood pressure stopped taking Zestril because of side effects.

Congestive Heart Failure

Zestril has been studied extensively in clinical trials for people with congestive heart failure. The most common side effects of Zestril, occurring in more than 1 percent of people with heart failure, were:

Chest pain
Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
Extremely low blood pressure
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Headache
Upper respiratory infections
Unexplained rash.

In previous research studies, 11 percent of people taking the drug for congestive heart failure stopped taking the medicine because of side effects.

Heart Attack

For people taking Zestril following a heart attack, the most common side effects, occurring in more than 1 percent of people, were:

Extremely low blood pressure
Kidney problems.

In this category, 17.6 percent of people stopped taking the medication because of side effects.

(Zestril Side Effects Continued: Page 2)