• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is nitroglycerin?
Nitroglycerin is in a group of drugs called nitrates. Nitroglycerin dilates (widens) blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow through them and easier for the heart to pump. Nitroglycerin is used to treat or prevent attacks of chest pain (angina). Nitroglycerin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Back to Top

What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

Back to Top

What are the possible side effects of nitroglycerin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using nitroglycerin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast, slow, pounding, or uneven heart rate;

• blurred vision or dry mouth;

• feeling light-headed, nausea, vomiting, sweating, pale skin fainting; or

• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash.

Less serious side effects may include:

• mild burning or tingling with the tablet in your mouth;

• warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin; or

• feeling weak or dizzy.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Back to Top

How should I take nitroglycerin?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. If possible, try to rest or stay seated when you use this medication. Nitroglycerin can cause dizziness or fainting. If you use nitroglycerin sublingual spray to treat an angina attack: At the first sign of an attack, apply the spray directly on or under your tongue. Close your mouth after each spray. Do not inhale the spray. Do not shake the spray before or during use. You may use additional sprays every 5 minutes, but not more than 3 sprays in 15 minutes.

Back to Top

What is the most important information I should know about nitroglycerin?
Do not use nitroglycerin if you are taking sildenafil (Viagra). Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take nitroglycerin while you are using sildenafil. Nitroglycerin can cause severe headaches, especially when you first start using it. These headaches may gradually become less severe as you continue to use nitroglycerin. Do not stop taking the medication. Ask your doctor before using any headache pain medication.

Back to Top

What happens if I miss a dose?
Since nitroglycerin is often used only as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is less than 2 hours away, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Back to Top

What other drugs will affect nitroglycerin?
Before taking nitroglycerin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: alteplase (Activase); aspirin or heparin; bladder or urinary medications such as oxybutynin (Ditropan) or tolterodine (Detrol); blood pressure medication; bronchodilators such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva); dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal) or ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, and others); an erectile dysfunction medication such as tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra);

Back to Top

Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Nitroglycerin has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have not been conducted. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Nitroglycerin should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

Data on the use of nitroglycerin during human pregnancy is limited. While it has been used safely and effectively to treat maternal hypertension and angina, it has also caused maternal hypotension, with subsequent fetal heart rate changes, including bradycardia and late decelerations, after intravenous administration for these conditions and when used to decrease the risk of hypertension associated with intubation. Some experts are very cautious of the possibility of nitroglycerin-induced hypotension, which may result in decreased uteroplacental perfusion and fetal hypoxemia. Hypotension appears to be less likely if the mother's intravascular volume is replete before nitroglycerin administration. The Collaborative Perinatal Project recorded seven first trimester exposures to nitroglycerin and amyl nitrite and eight patients on other vasodilators. Four malformed infants resulted from this group, although it is not clear whether the mothers of the affected babies had taken nitroglycerin. Data from the Michigan Medicaid Birth Defects Study failed to reveal an association between the use of nitroglycerin and congenital abnormalities (written communication, Franz Rosa, MD, Food and Drug Administration). This was a retrospective study of 229,101 completed pregnancies between 1985 to 1992, of which 50 were exposed to nitroglycerin at some time during the first trimester and 102 were exposed to the drug at any time during pregnancy. Of these pregnancies, one birth defect was observed. This observation did not achieve statistical significance. There were no observations of cardiovascular defects, cleft palate, spina bifida, polydactyly, limb reduction, or hypospadias. These data do not support an association between nitroglycerin and birth defects, although conclusions have not been made based on the small number of pregnancies with known exposure to the drug.

There are no data on the excretion of nitroglycerin into human milk. The manufacturer recommends caution when administering nitroglycerin to nursing women.

Back to Top

Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to nitroglycerin or any ingredient in the formulation.
• Use of topical nitroglycerin (transdermal system) in those allergic to adhesives used in the system.

• Use of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets in patients with early MI, severe anemia, or increased intracranial pressure.

  Use of extended-release oral nitrate preparations in patients with functional or organic GI hypermotility or malabsorption syndrome.

• Concomitant use of selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil). (See Selective Phosphodiesterase (PDE) Inhibitors under Cautions)

Back to Top

What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of nitroglycerin can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include a severe throbbing headache, confusion, fever, fast or pounding heartbeats, dizziness, vision problems, nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, trouble breathing, cold or clammy skin, feeling light-headed, fainting, and seizures.

Back to Top

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking nitroglycerin?
Do not use nitroglycerin if you are taking sildenafil (Viagra). Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take nitroglycerin while you are using sildenafil. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur), or isosorbide dinitrate (BiDil, Isordil), or if you have: early signs of a heart attack (chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling); severe anemia (a lack of red blood cells); or

Back to Top

Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
Even though you may feel better you should not stop taking your high blood pressure medication without first checking with your healthcare provider.

Back to Top

I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

Back to Top

Where can I get more information?
More Information

Back to Top