Lisinopril for hypertension good for MS too?

ewizabeth · 08-22-2009, 01:09 PM

From Medscape Medical News

Hypertension Drugs May Be Helpful in Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Allison Gandey

Quote:

August 20, 2009 — Early research has investigators questioning whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may also have a role in treating autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. In a new study published online August 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers evaluated lisinopril in an animal model.
"When we treated mice with lisinopril given at standard doses, we could reverse paralysis," senior author Lawrence Steinman, MD, from Stanford University, Palo Alto, California told Medscape Neurology. "Who would have imagined that the angiotensin system could play such a decisive role in inflammation within the nervous system?"

The full article is here...
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707812

ewizabeth · 08-22-2009, 01:11 PM

I hope I didn't violate any TOS here, but mods please edit if I did. I was just so excited to read this.

I take a small daily dose of Lisinopril and I do better on this than any other BP med I tried.

mrsD · 08-22-2009, 01:19 PM

Lisinopril has been in the news for brain inflammation before.
Some of the ACE inhibitors do not cross the blood brain barrier. But Lisinpril does. I saw a study suggesting that the ACE inhibitors may also reduce Alzheimer's onset.

It is also unique in that it is not metabolized by the liver and hence does not interfere with other drug metabolism.

It can however cause dizziness. In low doses this is less common. But in the higher ones, if it occurs it might be best to take at night.

I use lisinopril myself for blood pressure control.

I personally don't see anything wrong with your post.
You linked the to article correctly and did a good job.

gonnamakeit · 08-22-2009, 02:18 PM

I was on lisinopril for about a year and did not notice any MS type symptom relief. My doctor put me on a different BP med because the lisinopril was not lowering it enough.

After reading this article, I am going to talk to the doctor again and see if he could raise the dosage and let me try it again.

gmi

DizzyLizzy · 08-22-2009, 03:48 PM

I took Lisinopril for about 10 months to regulate my BP and my Dr. thought it would also help the tremors I was having in my hands. (pre-MS diagnosis) The meds worked great in keeping my bp low and helped quite a bit with the tremors too, however I developed a horrible, chronic cough while taking it. I'm embarrassed it took me so long to have my cough checked out, because when I told my Dr. that I had a nagging cough that wouldn't go away, he looked at my chart and said "well, I guess you won't be taking Linopril any longer".

I honestly did not realize that I could get a cough from taking medication.... ( I suppose my nickname "Dizzy Lizzy" might have been given to me for a reason?

) Once I stopped taking it, my cough disappeared, and I had many people make comments to me that they noticed my cough was better. I didn't realize how constant my cough had become.....

mrsD · 08-23-2009, 03:35 PM

That cough is called the ACE cough. It is due to the increase in
bradykinin in the tissues. (this is one effect the ACE inhibitors have) Some doctors believe the cough is connected to a potential allergy, which can happen in some people using ACE inhibitors. But I think it is really a separate side effect.

I don't know of an antidote to that cough, but I'll look around for you this week, to see if anything NEW has been tried for it.

mrsD · 08-23-2009, 06:11 PM

I found this article on ACE cough fairly interesting: If you cannot read the whole article, you can join for free, anytime.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/484537_2

Quote:

Treatment of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Cough

In cases in which the continuation of an ACE inhibitor is necessary despite cough, cromolyn, baclofen, theophylline, and local anesthetics have been reported to be of benefit, although none has been subjected to large-scale trials.[12-14] Although no large, controlled studies have demonstrated the inhibition of ACE inhibitor cough with cyclooxygenase inhibitors, sulindac has been reported to be of benefit, and two studies suggested that intermediate doses of aspirin (500 mg/day) but not low doses (100 mg/day) can suppress ACE inhibitor cough.[15-17] In a small series, Lee et al.[18] tested the hypothesis that because NO has proinflammatory effects on bronchial epithelial cells, supplemental iron, an inhibitor of NO synthase, may reduce the cough associated with the use of ACE inhibitors. Patients treated with iron, but not placebo, had significant reductions in cough scores.

The recommended interventions still leave something to be desired IMO. Not everyone can take iron, or 500mg of aspirin a day.

Here is more information on iron use for ACE cough:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0817081843.htm

ewizabeth · 08-23-2009, 08:43 PM

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=22188&channelid=CHAN-100013

Thanks to Agate for first posting this on her website where I read it today.

This link explains it better.

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