I haven't checked back here for awhile and see a few more responses are here. sewcrzy56.......My husband does drug research for drug companies, and he just said that ACE inhibitors can cause coughs, but he hadn't heard of them causing menstrual changes. But.....being a person myself who is very sensitive to meds and has symptoms from them that NO ONE else gets, I sort of feel like if it started up exactly when you started the med, then its fair to make that connection. How old are you? Is it possible that you have, indeed, started perimenopause? Don't you just want to smack the doc when he says stuff like "you read too many pharmacy inserts"? GGGRRrrrrrrr. I was on Toprol for 6 years. I took 3 months to wean off it. Then it took 2 months for my heart rate to finally slow down. The week after I was off it, I began getting lots of bodily pain...especially GI pains. It appears as though the Toprol was controlling more in my body than just my BP. I'm sure doctors would say that's not true......but its hard not to make that connection. I'm guessing your ACE inhibitor IS causing your sore throat, but maybe not your menstrual changes........but those drugs are very potent, so who knows for sure? May your trip through menopause be smooth.......but it sure wasn't for me!!

You can get Benedryl that is dye-free, but it is hard to find. You will be amazed at how many things have Red 40, like bar-b-que sauce, yogurt, many medicines. One brand of cake mix has it on the label for both yellow and chocolate cake. Then of course, all the red and pink things like jello, candy, some jelly, canned cherries, cherry pie filling, many toppings, ice cream, mixes with artificial berries. It's everywhere. A small percentage of people can taste red dye and it gives food a bitter taste to them. I am one of those people, so I have never been big on eating "red" things that other people think taste great. That is probably why I am not dead. I remember getting sick as a child on a desert that had red jello in it, and once ended up in the emergency room after taking a common (pink) med. In those days, I think I had to get a lot of it before I had a real problem. I always had problems after I would fly because I always took a pink motion sickness pill. I didn't know that everyone else didn't have gas, bloating, and diarrhea after flying. LOL Since I tend to get dizzy easily I had taken a lot of pink motion sickness meds before I discovered Meclizine. Also check any kind of vitamins you may take. Beware of anything red, pink or orange. I do really well most of the time, but occasionally when eating out I will get something without knowing it. If I get very much, I will have severe cramping within minutes. I practically live in the bathroom for the next two hours because my system will just try to "flush" it out. In addition, I have pains in my heart. During a very serious attack I will just be freezing and can't get warm. I sit in a hot tub of water, and keep running it hot until I finally warm up. I shake like I am having a siezure. Do you do any of these things? When it started to get so bad about 10 or 12 years ago, I thought I had some serious stomach or bowel disorder. Then I would get better and be fine for a few days, so I would think well, maybe not. If it does turn out that it is red dye, we are not alone. More and more people each year and learning that it bothers them. I am not a drinker, but I read an article about a lady being taken to the emergency after having a drink with grenadine. I hope this is not what is wrong, but at least if it is, you can control it. You will have to give up a few things, and maybe prepare more things from scratch, but you will soon learn what to avoid. Good luck. Carol

"Once I told the doctor to give me a much higher dose of my Lipitor and I would cut it down to size." "You are not suppose to cut pills in half unless they are scored across the center." "Yes, I know, but this was with the doctor's okay. I had read about doing it in a Women' magazine and brought his attention to it. I am sure it depends on the medication." Yes, it does depend on the medication, and Lipitor is one that should not be cut in half! My doctor prescribed Lipitor (10mg daily) for me many years ago, and then wanted me to cut it down to 5mg daily. But, it doesn't come in 5mg size. All of the literature on Lipitor says not to cut the pills. I contacted the pharmceutical company and was told NOT to cut them. So, my doctor "changed it" so that I would take one 10mg pill every other day.

oldgardener unfortunately that is definitely not an absolute, I and my mother experience the severe coughing with every type, some are rated as lower chance of causing it but any can cause it. Even the atenolol will cause me to cough when I have tried a stronger dose. I am not the norm, my doctors reached that conclusion pretty quickly, but they do try when new ones come out that are not a high coughing risk, I give it a try but so far no luck. Which will be bad if I ever had to stop the atenolol.