Medications
Lisinopril Cough: Your Options and What to Ask
A dry cough is a known lisinopril side effect. See why it happens, what the alternatives are and how to switch safely with your provider.
Why lisinopril causes a cough
ACE inhibitors increase levels of substances called bradykinin in the airways, which can trigger a persistent tickle and dry cough. It is more common in women and people of East Asian descent. It is not an allergy and does not harm your lungs.
Your options
- Switch to an ARB (losartan, valsartan, olmesartan), which works similarly without the cough.
- Another class of blood pressure medicine, depending on your other conditions.
- Give it time after switching: the cough usually fades within one to four weeks, but can take up to three months.
Rule out other causes
If the cough has mucus, fever, wheeze or heartburn, or continues after switching, we look for other causes such as postnasal drip, asthma, reflux or infection.
How we can help
Switching blood pressure medicines is easy to do by telehealth. We choose the right replacement, check your kidney function and potassium when needed, and review your home readings to make sure your blood pressure stays on target.
Questions people ask
Will the cough go away if I keep taking lisinopril?
Usually not. It tends to persist until the medicine is stopped.
Is losartan as good as lisinopril?
For most people, ARBs lower blood pressure and protect the heart and kidneys similarly.
Can cough syrup help?
Cough medicines rarely help this cough. Switching medicine is the effective solution.
Talk it through with Lydia
Nagging cough on lisinopril? A simple switch usually fixes it. See a board-certified nurse practitioner virtually anywhere in Virginia, in our Woodbridge office, or straight to your front door in much of Northern Virginia.
Visits start at $85, and every membership comes with a 30-day trial.
Prefer to ask first? Text us at (571) 402-2102 or message us on WhatsApp.
