Lisinopril was the first blood pressure medication I tried. It is a first line medication, but it doesn't work for everyone. For me, after taking it for a time my blood pressure would spike. Listen to your body, and if the medication is not working, ask your PCP to try a different class of drug. Everyone's body chemistry is different, and it's often necessary to try different drug classes (ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, alpha blockers, alpha receptor agonists, vasodilators, etc.) to determine what works for you. In my case, I had to try ten different medications before I found the right combination that controls my blood pressure without unacceptable side effects.