Gluten-Free, Lisinopril-Free?

Seattle, WAChances are, you know someone who is on a gluten-free diet to help treat digestive problems. This diet is fast rising in popularity, and at the same time, so is an increase in prescriptions for medications such as Lisinopril. But Lisinopril comes with serious side effects, including liver damage and digestive-tract problems, such as celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. It would be interesting to find out how many Lisinopril consumers believe they are wheat-intolerant and are on gluten-free diets…

Could there be a correlation between the two?

In 2010, Lisinopril was the third most-prescribed drug in the US, with 87.4 million prescriptions, according to WebMD's 10 most-prescribed drugs. And it topped the pharma chart in 2011, coming in first on the annual Prescription Index of the 20 most commonly prescribed medications. At the same time, digestive ailments are on the rise. For instance, celiac disease was almost unheard of years ago, but recent research says that one in every 133 Americans now suffer from it. Celiac disease was thought to be a genetic issue, but some experts disagree, thinking it could be linked to medications.

And countless Lisinopril users also believe their digestive issues and liver problems are due to the medication. Apparently, so do some doctors…

"My husband Robert took Lisinopril for the past few years and he has had ongoing digestive problems to the point that he went to ER," says Anita. "He had terrible constipation problems and complained about his side hurting. He was in great shape before taking Lisinopril, besides having slightly high blood pressure. The ER doctor said he had a swollen liver and spleen. When I told the doctor that Robert was only taking Lisinopril, he said, 'That'll do it!' I couldn't believe it…"

Stephanie believes that Lisinopril played a role in her mom's death. "My mom took Lisinopril from 2005 to 2007 and I saw her deteriorate so fast in those two years," she says. "I didn't know why she got ill so fast until I stumbled upon Lisinopril and its side effects. My mom was diabetic but it was under control. She was never one to talk about herself but she did complain that her side hurt, around her liver area. Then she got so swollen and the top part of her abdomen protruded. I didn't know that she had liver disease until she went into hospital in early 2007—she never came out.

"The doctors say she had liver disease but the cause of death was colon cancer. The reason I am calling an attorney is because if you find out someone has colon cancer, you don't prescribe something that is going to mess up your liver. After she passed away, I went through her medical records. I was looking up her meds to see if anything had been recalled; when I found out she had liver disease, what else didn't I know? Liver disease and Lisinopril—it was just too coincidental."