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Nitroglycerin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator sold in the U.S. under 15 brand and generic names, for angina pectoris, eclampsia and fissure in ano. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Drug class
Nitrate Vasodilator
Treats (across its forms)
Angina Pectoris, Eclampsia and Fissure in Ano
Available as
Film, extended release · Topical · Tablet · Injectable · Powder · Patch · Spray/Inhaler · Spray/Inhaler, metered
Sold as
15 products — Minitran, Nitro-Bid and Nitrostat, and others
Prescription?
Prescription only
Generic available?
Yes
What the pharmacy pays
about $4 for a 30-count supply — not your price
Boxed warning
Boxed warning

How Nitrostat is dosed

From the FDA label for Nitrostat (application NDA021134). Other nitroglycerin products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Administer one tablet under the tongue or in the buccal pouch at the first sign of an acute anginal attack. Allow tablet to dissolve without swallowing. One additional tablet may be administered every 5 minutes until relief is obtained. No more than three tablets are recommended within a 15-minute period. If the pain persists after a total of 3 tablets in a 15-minute period, or if the pain is different than is typically experienced, seek prompt medical attention. Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets may be used prophylactically 5 to 10 minutes prior to engaging in activities that might precipitate an acute attack. For patients with xerostomia, a small sip of water prior to placing the tablet under the tongue may help maintain mucosal hydration and aid dissolution of the tablet. Administer nitroglycerin sublingual tablets at rest, preferably in the sitting position. • At the onset of an attack, administer one tablet under the tongue or buccal pouch. One additional tablet may be administered every 5 minutes as needed. No more than 3 total tablets are recommended within a 15 minute period. ( 2 ) • If chest pain persists after three tablets, seek prompt medical attention. ( 2 ) • May be used prophylactically 5 to 10 minutes prior to engaging in activities that might precipitate an acute attack. ( 2 )

Everything below is the FDA label for Nitrostat (tablet). Nitroglycerin is also sold as film, extended release, topical, injectable, powder, patch, spray/inhaler and spray/inhaler, metered, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Nitrostat side effects

The following adverse reactions are discussed in more detail elsewhere in the label: • Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] • Headache [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] • Hypersensitivity [see Contraindications (4.4) ] Vertigo, dizziness, weakness, palpitation, and other manifestations of postural hypotension may develop occasionally, particularly in erect, immobile patients. Marked sensitivity to the hypotensive effects of nitrates (manifested by nausea, vomiting, weakness, diaphoresis, pallor, and collapse) may occur at therapeutic doses. Syncope due to nitrate vasodilatation has been reported. Flushing, drug rash, and exfoliative dermatitis have been reported in patients receiving nitrate therapy. Most common adverse reactions occurring at a frequency greater than 2% are headache, dizziness and paresthesia. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Viatris at 1-877-446-3679 (1-877-4-INFO-RX) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Who shouldn’t take Nitrostat

Use of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, such as avanafil, sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil, or soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators. ( 4.1 , 7.1 ) • Severe anemia ( 4.2 ) • Increased intracranial pressure ( 4.3 ) • Hypersensitivity to nitroglycerin or to other nitrates or nitrites or any excipient ( 4.4 ) • Circulatory failure and shock ( 4.5 ) 4.1 PDE-5-Inhibitors and sGC-Stimulators Do not use nitroglycerin sublingual tablets in patients who are taking PDE-5 Inhibitors, such as avanafil, sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil hydrochloride. Concomitant use can cause severe hypotension, syncope, or myocardial ischemia [see Drug Interactions (7.1) ]. Do not use nitroglycerin sublingual tablets in patients who are taking the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, such as riociguat. Concomitant use can cause hypotension. 4.2 Severe Anemia Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients with severe anemia (large doses of nitroglycerin may cause oxidation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin and could exacerbate anemia). 4.3 Increased Intracranial Pressure Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets may precipitate or aggravate increased intracranial pressure and thus should not be used in patients with possible increased intracranial pressure (e.g., cerebral hemorrhage or traumatic brain injury). 4.4 Hypersensitivity Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients who are allergic to nitroglycerin, other nitrates or nitrites or any excipient. 4.5 Circulatory Failure and Shock Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients with acute circulatory failure or shock.

Nitrostat drug interactions

Ergotamine: increased bioavailability of ergotamine. Avoid concomitant use. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 PDE-5-Inhibitors and sGC-Stimulators Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients who are using a selective inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5). PDE-5-Inhibitors such as avanafil, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil have been shown to potentiate the hypotensive effects of organic nitrates. Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients who are taking soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators. Concomitant use can cause hypotension. The time course and dose dependence of these interactions have not been studied, and use within a few days of one another is not recommended. Appropriate supportive care for the severe hypotension has not been studied, but it seems reasonable to treat this as a nitrate overdose, with elevation of the extremities and with central volume expansion. 7.2 Ergotamine Oral administration of nitroglycerin markedly decreases the first-pass metabolism of dihydroergotamine and subsequently increases its oral bioavailability. Ergotamine is known to precipitate angina pectoris. Therefore, patients receiving sublingual nitroglycerin should avoid ergotamine and related drugs or be monitored for symptoms of ergotism if this is not possible. Drug interactions Aspirin: Coadministration of nitroglycerin with high dose aspirin (1000 mg) results in increased exposure to nitroglycerin. The vasodilatory and hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerin may be enhanced by concomitant administration of nitroglycerin with high dose aspirin. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) : Concomitant administration of t-PA and intravenous nitroglycerin has been shown to reduce plasma levels of t-PA and its thrombolytic effect.

Every nitroglycerin product we track (15)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Nitroglycerin products
#DrugRatingPharmacy pays
170/100$4View →
270/100$4View →
370/100$4View →
470/100$4View →
570/100$4View →
660/100$4View →
7Not yet rated$4View →
8Not yet rated$4View →
9Not yet rated$4View →
10Not yet rated$4View →

What nitroglycerin pills look like

Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.

Nitroglycerin pill imprints
ImprintStrengthColourShape
TCL;12212.5 mgpink, whitecapsule
TCL;12226.5 mgblue, yellowcapsule
TCL;12239 mggreen, yellowcapsule
UpArrowhead;70.4 mgwhiteround
4;V0.4 mgwhiteround

Nitroglycerin recalls

From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.

Can you crush or split nitroglycerin?

At least one nitroglycerinproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.

What each nitroglycerin label says about crushing, splitting and chewing

How long nitroglycerin keeps

The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some nitroglycerin labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 8 weeks.

Does nitroglycerin expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labels

Nitroglycerin and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

Topical use of nitroglycerin for anal fissures by nursing mothers appears to have no adverse effects on their breastfed infants. Topical use on the nipples has been used for alleviation of Raynaud phenomenon of the nipples, but only after cessation of breastfeeding. Nitroglycerin should not be used topically on the nipples during breastfeeding. Sublingual and intravenous nitroglycerin have not been studied during breastfeeding. Observe infants for flushing and discomfort after breastfeeding.

Full LactMed record for nitroglycerin: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider instead

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised October 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about nitroglycerin

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 41,064 reports naming nitroglycerin, and the FDA flagged 81% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

  • dyspnoea3,503 reports
  • fatigue2,777 reports
  • myocardial infarction2,770 reports
  • nausea2,710 reports
  • chest pain2,474 reports
  • fall2,450 reports
  • dizziness2,426 reports
  • headache2,231 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean nitroglycerin caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.

Related calculators

Frequently asked questions

What is Nitrostat?

Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are stabilized sublingual compressed tablets that contain 0.3 mg, 0.4 mg, or 0.6 mg nitroglycerin; as well as lactose monohydrate, NF; glyceryl monostearate, NF; pregelatinized starch, NF; calcium stearate, NF powder; and silicon dioxide, colloidal, NF. Nitroglycerin, an organic nitrate, is a vasodilating agent.

What kind of drug is nitroglycerin?

The FDA classifies nitroglycerin as a nitrate vasodilator. Nitrate vasodilators are converted in the body into nitric oxide, which relaxes the smooth muscle in blood vessel walls and widens them. This mainly opens up the veins, reducing how hard the heart must work and relieving chest pain. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take nitroglycerin with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run nitroglycerin against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What brand names is nitroglycerin sold under?

We track 15 nitroglycerin-containing products in the U.S.: Minitran, Nitro-Bid, Nitrostat, Rectiv, Transderm-Nitro, Tridil, Gonitro and Nitro IV, and 7 more. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does nitroglycerin come in?

Across the brands we track, nitroglycerin is currently marketed as film, extended release, topical, tablet, injectable, powder, patch, spray/inhaler and spray/inhaler, metered, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic nitroglycerin?

Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic nitroglycerin products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.

Has nitroglycerin been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists 2 recall records whose product description mentions nitroglycerin. The most recent: Nitroglycerin Sublingual Tablets 0.4MG 100-count carton (Mar 13, 2025). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.

Cite this page
APA
pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Nitroglycerin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/nitroglycerin
MLA
“Nitroglycerin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/nitroglycerin.

We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.

Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.

Read the full FDA label for nitroglycerin on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.