A Simple Drug, A Big Problem: Ana's Story

Ana B. was struggling. Every day was a battle. She couldn't breathe right. She was always tired. Her body ached all over. She had COPD, but that wasn't new. What was new was how bad she felt. She needed oxygen all the time now. Even simple tasks like walking to the mailbox or shopping were tough. She had to stop for breaks just to catch her breath. Her allergy shots? She couldn't even do those anymore because of her constant coughing. One day, her friend Mia visited. Mia mentioned something interesting. She had taken a medicine called Lisinopril for high blood pressure. Right after she started taking it, she got a dry cough. It was just like Ana's cough. Mia stopped taking Lisinopril, and her cough went away. Ana was surprised. Could this medicine be the reason she felt so bad? Ana and Mia looked up Lisinopril together. They found a lot of side effects. Coughing was the most common one. But there were others too. Numbness, sore throat, swelling, tingling, headaches, even insomnia. Ana had all of these. She also had tinnitus, which was worse. She had trouble peeing. Some websites even said Lisinopril could hurt your liver or kidneys. Ana was shocked. She didn't know any of this. Ana decided to stop taking Lisinopril. She didn't even tell her doctor first. But she felt better right away. She could breathe easier. She coughed less. She slept better. Two months later, she was walking around her garden. She felt like she was living again. She wanted others to know about this. Maybe they were struggling too. She promised herself to always ask about side effects before taking any medicine. Ana still had her allergies. But without the cough, she felt so much better. She could walk more. Her oxygen tank didn't feel as heavy. She was living more. She was happy.