How Lisinopril may help us.

Lisinopril: uses Lisinopril belongs to a group of medications called ACE inhibitors. It's used to treat high blood pressure ( hypertension ) in adults and in children 6 years of age and older. It works by relaxing blood vessels, causing them to widen. High blood pressure reduction helps prevent strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.

Lisinopril is also used after an acute heart attack to improve survival, and is used with other drugs ( e. g. , " water pills " /diuretics, digoxin ) to treat congestive heart failure.

Lisinopril: how to use Take Lisinopril by mouth, usually once a day or as directed by your doctor. We may take Lisinopril with or without food. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at same time each day.

If we are taking Lisinopril in liquid suspension form, shake the bottle well before each use. Measure dose out carefully.

Do not take potassium supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first. This medicine can raise your potassium levels, which rarely can cause serious side effects such as muscle weakness or very slow heartbeats. Tell your doctor immediately if these effects occur.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. For treatment of high blood pressure, it may take 2 to 4 weeks before full benefit of Lisinopril occurs. It may take several weeks or months to see full benefit when Lisinopril is used for congestive heart failure.

It's important to continue taking Lisinopril even if we feel well. Most people with high blood pressure do not feel sick.

Lisinopril: other used This section contains uses of Lisinopril that aren't listed in the approved professional labeling for drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use Lisinopril for a condition that's listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.

Lisinopril may also be used to help protect the kidneys from damage due to diabetes.

Lisinopril: side effects We may experience headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, dry cough or blurred vision as your body adjusts to medication. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed Lisinopril because he or she has judged that benefit to we is greater than risk of side effects. Many people using Lisinopril don't have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these highly unlikely but very serious side effects occur:

Lisinopril may rarely cause serious ( possibly fatal ) liver problems. If we notice any of following highly unlikely but very serious side effects, seek immediate medical attention:

A very serious allergic reaction to Lisinopril is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if we notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including:

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If we notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Lisinopril: precautions Before taking Lisinopril, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're allergic to it; or to other ACE inhibitors ( e. g. , captopril, benazepril ) ; or if you have any other allergies ( including an allergic reaction after exposure to certain membranes used for blood filtering ) .

Lisinopril shouldn't be used if we have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if we have:

Before using Lisinopril, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of:

Lisinopril may make we dizzy; use caution engaging in activities requiring alertness such as driving or using machinery. Limit alcoholic beverages.

To minimize dizziness and lightheadedness due to lowering of your blood pressure, get up slowly when rising from a seated or lying position. Serious loss of body water can also lower your blood pressure and worsen dizziness. Drink adequate fluids to prevent from becoming dehydrated. If we are on restricted fluid intake, consult your doctor for further instructions. Be careful not to become too overheated during exercise which can lead to excessive sweating. Consult your doctor if you experience severe vomiting or diarrhea.

Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that we are taking Lisinopril.

Caution is advised when using Lisinopril in elderly because they may be more sensitive to effects of drug, especially the dizziness effect.

Lisinopril isn't recommended for use during pregnancy due to the risk for harm to an unborn baby. Consult your doctor for more details. ( See also Warning section. )

It is not known if Lisinopril passes into breast milk. Breast-feeding isn't recommended due to potential harm to nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Lisinopril: interactions Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Don't start, stop, or change dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Before using Lisinopril, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products we may use, especially of:

A very serious reaction may occur while use Lisinopril if we are getting injections for bee/wasp sting allergy ( desensitization ) and are also taking Lisinopril. Make sure all your doctors know which medicines we are using.

Check labels on all your medicines ( e. g. , cough-and-cold products, diet aids ) because they may contain ingredients that could increase your heart rate or blood pressure. Ask your pharmacist about safe use of those products.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using Lisinopril, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Lisinopril: overdose If overdose of Lisinopril is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include: unusually fast or slow heartbeat, severe dizziness, or fainting.

Lisinopril: notes Don't share Lisinopril with others. Lifestyle changes such as stress reduction programs, exercise and dietary changes may increase the effectiveness of this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about lifestyle changes that might benefit you.

Laboratory and/or medical tests ( e. g. , kidney function, potassium blood level ) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Check your blood pressure regularly while taking this medication, especially when we first start Lisinopril or when your dose is changed. Learn how to monitor your own blood pressure at home, and share the results with your doctor.

Lisinopril: missed dose If we miss a dose Lisinopril, use it as soon as we remember. If it's near time of next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Don't double the dose of Lisinopril to catch up.

Lisinopril: storage Store tablets at room temperature away from light and moisture. Storage temperature ranges differ according to different manufacturers, so consult your pharmacist for more information. Store liquid suspension at or below 77 degrees F ( 25 degrees C ) , and discard any unused suspension after 4 weeks. Don't store Lisinopril in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Properly discard Lisinopril when it's expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Lisinopril: warning Lisinopril can cause serious ( possibly fatal ) harm to an unborn baby if used during pregnancy. Therefore, it's important to prevent pregnancy while taking Lisinopril. Consult your doctor for more details and to discuss use of reliable forms of birth control while taking this medication. If we are planning pregnancy, become pregnant, or think we may be pregnant, contact your doctor immediately.

Delivery options for Lisinopril

Treating Post-Traumatic Stress First Helps Children Overcome Grief

Post traumatic stress disorder is commonly thought to effect victims of major trauma and those who witness violence, but a new University of Georgia study finds that it also can affect children who have lost a parent expectedly to diseases such as cancer.

The finding, scheduled to be published in May issue of journal Research on Social Work Practice, has major implications for helping children cope with grief, said lead author Rene Searles McClatchey.

" Often children who have lost a parent are given grief therapy, and we have found that grief therapy does not help if we don't take care of post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) symptoms first, " said McClatchey, an adjunct professor in UGA School of Social Work. McClatchey co-authored study with UGA associate professor Elizabeth Vonk and University of California, Riverside assistant professor Gregory Palardy.

McClatchey is also founder and director of Camp Magik, a non-profit organization that provides weekend camps for children that blend traditional camp activities such as canoeing and hiking with therapy for PTSD and grief. McClatchey and her colleagues studied 100 children to test the effectiveness of the camp-based intervention.

They found that:

• The odds of continuing to experience severe PTSD were 4. 5 times higher for children who didn't attend camp compared to those who did; and

• The odds of experiencing severe grief were 3. 6 times greater for children who didn't attend camp than for those who did.

" Delving into their grief without addressing their PTSD got them thinking about their loss, " McClatchey said, " but we did not teach them coping mechanisms to deal with the PTSD symptoms that were stirred up. "

Few studies have examined effectiveness of camp-based interventions and most studies on overcoming grief have focused on children who have lost family members to sudden death resulting from violence or accidents. Until now, researchers have overlooked post-traumatic stress and grief of children whose parents died expectedly after a long illness. The new study finds that both groups can benefit from PTSD treatment followed by grief counseling.

Vonk said PTSD treatment consisted of exposure therapy, in which children talk about their loss repeatedly until their fear diminished, and cognitive restructuring, in which children learn to modify negative thoughts, such as feelings of guilt, about their loss. The grief treatment portion included cognitive restructuring as well as lessons on coping skills.

" The camp allows kids to process their grief and go on with their lives, " Vonk said. " They can attend to everyday activities in a way that they were not able to before and can concentrate better in school. "

McClatchey said the average cost per camper is about $250 for the three-day weekend, making it more cost effective than individual counseling, which costs an average of $100 per hour and requires multiple sessions to be effective. ( Camp Magik is supported by donations so that children and their families never pay to attend. )

Another benefit of camp setting is that it gives children around-the-clock access to counselors so that those who do not open up during group sessions can have their needs addressed individually. The researchers add that attending such camps with other children that have experienced a loss has benefits that individual therapy can not provide.

" They see that other kids are having the same kinds of thoughts and feelings, " Vonk said, " and that in and of itself is healing. "

The study gives statistical evidence that the campers benefit from intervention, but numbers don't tell the whole story. McClatchey recalls one child who left Camp Magik and told her parents that she learned that it was okay to have fun again. Another went home and told her family that it was okay to talk about their loss. One child had not spoken for a year before going to camp but went home talking. One young boy had refused to leave his mother's side after the sudden heart attack of his father six months earlier. He returned home from camp insisting on sleeping in his own bed again. He went off to school without objection and resumed play dates with his friends.

" There is really no way of describing difference between how they're when they arrive on Friday and how much better they are when they leave on Sunday, " McClatchey said.

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To learn more about Camp Magik, visit http: //www. campmagik. org/.

Source: Sam Fahmy University of Georgia

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