Angised Tablet 0.5mg Tablets

Glyceryl trinitrate, often called GTN, is a nitrate medicine. It relaxes and widens blood vessels so more blood and oxygen reach the heart.

• Spray or tablets under the tongue: to quickly relieve an angina attack, or to prevent angina before exercise.
• Skin patches: used daily to help prevent angina.
• Rectal ointment: to help heal anal fissures (small tears near the bottom).

Use it as your doctor or pharmacist tells you.

• Spray or tablets: sit down first. Spray under your tongue without breathing in, or let the tablet dissolve under your tongue (do not chew or swallow it). Rest, then stand up slowly.
• Call an ambulance if you have taken 2 doses and the chest pain has not gone 5 minutes after the second, gets worse, or you feel unwell. It could be a heart attack.
• Patches: apply to clean, hair-free skin, changing the place each time. Have a patch-free period each day as advised, so it keeps working.
• Do not stop regular GTN suddenly without speaking to your doctor.
• For a missed patch or ointment dose, use it when you remember unless the next is nearly due. Never double up.

Common side effects include:

• headache (very common)
• dizziness, weakness or tiredness
• feeling sick
• flushing of the face

Call an ambulance or get help straight away if you have:

• chest pain that is different from or worse than your usual angina
• new or worse breathing problems
• blue or grey lips, skin or tongue
• a very fast or very slow heartbeat, or fainting
• swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before using it if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to GTN or another medicine
• have had a recent head injury, bleeding in the brain or a stroke
• have heart problems other than angina, such as heart failure or a recent heart attack
• have low blood pressure, anaemia or glaucoma

Never use GTN with sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil or avanafil, as blood pressure can drop dangerously. Other blood pressure medicines, heparin and regular NSAID painkillers can also interact.

Keep tablets in their original glass bottle with the lid tightly closed. Throw away tablets 8 weeks after opening and keep a spare unopened supply. Keep out of the reach of children.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: GTN is considered safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding, but speak to your doctor, who may review your treatment.

Alcohol: it can make GTN lower your blood pressure more, causing dizziness or fainting. Keep drinking low.

Driving: do not drive or use machines if you feel dizzy, sleepy or faint.

Medical procedures: tell staff you use GTN, and remove patches before an MRI scan or heart shock treatment if asked.