Pharmacist’s Antidote | When angina attacks, this is how you should use nitroglycerin tablets!

Winter is the peak season for coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. When angina pectoris attacks, carrying a small pill with you can save your life at the critical moment. This "life-saving artifact" is nitroglycerin tablets. However, many people take nitroglycerin tablets improperly, and the angina pectoris that could have been relieved may turn into myocardial infarction, or even cause irreversible serious consequences - sudden death! So, how to use nitroglycerin tablets correctly?

Taking posture: sitting, lying or standing?

Many people believe that when they have angina pectoris, they should lie down and rest immediately. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. When lying down, the amount of blood returning to the heart will increase, and angina pectoris will not be easily relieved. Some people may ask, can I stand? The answer is no. If you take nitroglycerin tablets while standing, your blood pressure will drop too quickly, causing orthostatic hypotension, and you may faint, which is a very scary thing for the elderly. Therefore, the correct posture for taking nitroglycerin tablets should be sitting or semi-recumbent, such as sitting on a sofa or by the bed.

Dosage method: Is it the same as regular tablets?

If we take nitroglycerin tablets orally like ordinary pills, the efficacy will be greatly reduced and the onset time will be delayed. Nitroglycerin tablets are administered sublingually. The correct way to take them is to hold them sublingually and do not chew, crush or swallow them. This way of administration is quickly absorbed and has high bioavailability. It takes effect in 2 to 3 minutes, reaches the maximum effect after 5 minutes, and lasts for 10 to 30 minutes. Dosage: What if taking one tablet sublingually does not work? Generally, nitroglycerin tablets are taken in stages. Take one tablet sublingually for the first time. If the effect is not good after waiting for 5 minutes, you can take another tablet sublingually. If nitroglycerin tablets are taken in too large a dose at one time, it may reflexively cause an increase in cardiac oxygen consumption, thereby exacerbating angina pectoris. Therefore, do not take more than 3 nitroglycerin tablets within 15 minutes. If there is still no relief after taking 3 tablets sublingually, it is recommended to call "120" and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Drug storage: Will they die in the light?

Nitroglycerin tablets are a very unstable drug. They are afraid of light, oxygen and high temperature. When using them, we must store them in brown bottles, avoid light as much as possible, and cover the bottle cap tightly after each use, and store them in an environment below 20℃ .

In addition, there is a wax seal at the mouth of a new nitroglycerin bottle to ensure that the medicine is completely isolated from the outside air. However, once it is opened, the wax seal is damaged and loses its sealing effect. After that, no matter how tightly the bottle cap is closed, air can penetrate into the bottle, causing the nitroglycerin to oxidize and reduce its efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended that the nitroglycerin bottle be replaced every 3-6 months after opening.