Can Lisinopril And Atenolol Usage Lead To Eye Irritation And Red Eyes?

Posted on Tue, 11 Mar 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 Answered on

Tue, 1 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I have takes lisinopril and atenolol for 22 years.. I am 55 years old and physically fit but inherited high blood pressure . In the past week my eyes are really bothering me to the point I look like a raccoon, they hurt and recently became very red and irritated. I also have psoriasis. What is going on with my eyes and are my meds related to my problem? Have not had blood work in quite some time.

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Medicines,not a problem/psoriasis can be a cause Detailed Answer: Hello Welcome to Health care magic Iam Dr. Dadapeer K,an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye. It seems from the history that you are having irritation in the eyes and eyes are red appearing like raccoon. Lisinopril and Atenolol are antihypertensive drugs used for treatment of high blood pressure. They rarely cause side effects of the eyes like eye pain, dryness of eyes. But these side effects are relatively rare in clinical practice. Hence use of these drugs may not be a cause in your case. Psoriasis is known to cause eye problems commonly and the eye problems seen in psoriasis are conjunctivitis, uveitis, dry eyes... The treatment of the eye condition is by using antibiotic and decongestant eye drops. If the problem is recurrent you need to consult your eye doctor to look for eye problems caused by psoriasis and treatment for the same. Medicines are not a problem but psoriasis can be the cause for eye irritation in your case. Hope I have answered your questions and the information is helpful to you. Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar