What Should You Do If You Think You Are Having A Heart Attack
If you have symptoms of a heart attack, act fast. Quick treatment could save your life.
If your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin for angina:
If you do not have nitroglycerin:
The best choice is to go to the hospital in an ambulance. The paramedics can begin life-saving treatments even before you arrive at the hospital. If you cannot reach emergency services, have someone drive you to the hospital right away. Do not drive yourself unless you have absolutely no other choice.
Nitrostat Side Effects List For Healthcare Professionals
The following adverse reactions are discussed in moredetail elsewhere in the label:
- Headache
- Hypersensitivity
Vertigo, dizziness, weakness, palpitation, and othermanifestations of postural hypotension may develop occasionally, particularlyin erect, immobile patients. Marked sensitivity to the hypotensive effects ofnitrates may occur at therapeutic doses. Syncope due to nitrate vasodilatationhas been reported.
Flushing, drug rash, and exfoliative dermatitis have beenreported in patients receiving nitrate therapy.
What Causes A Heart Attack
Heart attacks happen when blood flow to the heart is blocked. This usually occurs because fatty deposits called plaque have built up inside the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. If a plaque breaks open, the body tries to fix it by forming a clot around it. The clot can block the artery, preventing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.
This process of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries is called coronary artery disease, or CAD. In many people, plaque begins to form in childhood and gradually builds up over a lifetime. Plaque deposits may limit blood flow to the heart and cause angina. But too often, a heart attack is the first sign of CAD.
Things like intense exercise, sudden strong emotion, or illegal drug use can trigger a heart attack. But in many cases, there is no clear reason why heart attacks occur when they do.
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Drugs You Should Not Use With Nitroglycerin
You should not take certain drugs with nitroglycerin. Doing so can cause dangerous effects in your body. Examples of these drugs include:
- Sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil. Taking any of these drugs with nitroglycerin can cause very low blood pressure.
- Ergotamine. Taking these drugs together can cause more chest pain.
- Riociguat. Taking these drugs together can cause very low blood pressure.
Why Does Gtn Cause Tachycardia
lead totachycardia
. Likewise, people ask, why does nitroglycerin cause tachycardia?
At higher doses nitroglycerin dilates arteriolar smooth muscle, thereby reducing peripheral resistance and afterload. It causes hypotension and reflex tachycardia, which are exacerbated by the volume depletion characteristic of hypertensive emergencies.
does nitroglycerin help tachycardia? Thus i.v. nitroglycerin in the conscious dog exerts a potent direct coronary vasodilating action and also a secondary coronary vasodilation caused by reflex increases in contractility and heart rate. The decreases in diameter are largely the result of tachycardia.
Considering this, does GTN increase heart rate?
The observed hemodynamic GTN effect confirmed known postural reactions, such as decreased arterial pressure , increased heart rate and QTc prolongation in upright position.
What causes reflex tachycardia?
If blood pressure decreases, the heart beats faster in an attempt to raise it. This is called reflex tachycardia. This can happen in response to a decrease in blood volume , or an unexpected change in blood flow.
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What Are The Symptoms
Symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
- Sweating.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.
- Light-headedness or sudden weakness.
- A fast or irregular heartbeat.
For men and women, the most common symptom is chest pain or pressure. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have other symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain.
Here are some other ways to describe the pain from heart attack:
- Many people describe the pain as discomfort, pressure, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest.
- People often put their fist to their chest when they describe the pain.
- The pain may spread down the left shoulder and arm and to other areas, such as the back, jaw, neck, or right arm.
Unstable angina has symptoms similar to a heart attack.
How Viagra Can Affect The Heart
An article from the American Association of Retired Persons shows that Viagra can affect the heart .
The Journal of Family & Community Medicine notes that men who are taking nitrate-based medicine shouldnt take VIAGRA®.
Their study adds that men with the following conditions also shouldnt take this drug:
- Hypotension. Abnormally low blood pressure, which is a reading below 90/60 mm Hg. Hypotension can cause a person to feel dizzy or faint. If the blood pressure drops suddenly or becomes extremely low, the situation can become life-threatening.
- Angina pectoris. With this condition, the patient feels severe chest pain. The discomfort can spread to the neck, shoulders, and arms. The pain is the result of insufficient blood flow to the heart.
- Postural hypotension. Also called orthostatic hypotension, this condition describes when a persons blood pressure falls significantly because they stood up or sat down.
- Congestive heart failure. This condition exists when the heart cant circulate enough blood to the body. Sometimes, the heart lacks sufficient force to push blood throughout the veins.
Men without these conditions may be given the green light to take VIAGRA® to enhance their sexual performance. However, its not uncommon for these patients to take this medication, yet still have issues relating to erectile dysfunction.
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Where Should I Keep My Medicine
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 25 degrees C . Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
NOTE: This sheet is a summary. It may not cover all possible information. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider.
Lesser Side Effects Caused By Viagra
For the most part, VIAGRA® doesnt cause any life-threatening side effects however, VIAGRA® can affect the heart. Adult Urology conducted a study involving 256 patients to study the side effects of VIAGRA®.
These results noted:
- 30.8% of men experienced facial flushing
- 25.4% of participants reported headaches
- 18.7% of men experienced nasal congestion
- 10.5% of participants reported heartburn
During the study, none of the men withdrew from the experiment or needed emergency intervention due to their symptoms.
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What Should I Tell My Health Care Provider Before I Take This Medicine
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- liver disease
- low blood pressure, or low blood volume
- previous heart attack or heart failure
- an unusual or allergic reaction to nitroglycerin, adhesives, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
How Is A Heart Attack Treated
If you go to the hospital in an ambulance, treatment will be started right away to restore blood flow and limit damage to the heart. You may be given:
- Aspirin and other medicines to prevent blood clots.
- Medicines that break up blood clots .
- Medicines to decrease the heart’s workload and ease pain.
At the hospital, you will have tests, such as:
- Electrocardiogram . It can detect signs of poor blood flow, heart muscle damage, abnormal heartbeats, and other heart problems.
- Blood tests, including tests to see whether cardiac enzymes are high. Having these enzymes in the blood is usually a sign that the heart has been damaged.
- Cardiac catheterization, if the other tests show that you may be having a heart attack. This test shows which arteries are blocked and how your heart is working.
If cardiac catheterization shows that an artery is blocked, a doctor may do angioplasty right away to help blood flow through the artery. Or a doctor may do emergency to redirect blood around the blocked artery. You may need to be taken to a hospital that can perform these treatments if there is not one in your area.
After these treatments, you will take medicines to help prevent another heart attack. Take all of your medicines correctly. Do not stop taking your medicine unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking your medicine, you might raise your risk of having another heart attack.
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What May Interact With This Medicine
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:
- certain migraine medicines like ergotamine and dihydroergotamine
- medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction like sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil
- riociguat
This medicine may also interact with the following medications:
- medicines for high blood pressure
- other medicines used to treat angina
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
How Much Is Nitroglycerin Iv
IV infusionIV
. In this manner, how much does nitroglycerin cost?
It is also used to prevent chest pain before activities like climbing stairs, going outdoors in cold weather, or sexual activity. The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of nitroglycerin is around $9.27, 57% off the average retail price of $22.01.
Subsequently, question is, what is IV nitroglycerin used for? Nitroglycerin injection is used to treat hypertension during surgery or to control congestive heart failure in patients who have had a heart attack. It may also be used to produce hypotension during surgery.
In respect to this, how high can you titrate nitroglycerin?
For pre-hospital use, begin the nitroglycerin drip at 10 mcg/min and increase by 10 mcg/min at 5 minute intervals if chest pain persists and systolic blood pressure remains above 100 mmHg. C. If titrating nitroglycerin for Pulmonary Edema / CHF, titrate until systolic BP is 120 mmHg or below.
How is nitroglycerin drip calculated?
Stability / Miscellaneous
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Warnings For Other Groups
For pregnant women: Studies of use of this drug in pregnant animals have not shown risk to the fetus. However, there arent enough studies done in humans to show if the drug poses a risk to a human pregnancy. Therefore, this drug should only be used if the potential benefit justifies potential risk.
Talk to your doctor if youre pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this drug.
For women who are breastfeeding: Nitroglycerin may pass into breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.
For children: This medication has not been studied in children. It should not be used in people younger than 18 years.
This dosage information is for nitroglycerin sublingual tablet. All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:
- your age
- how severe your condition is
- other medical conditions you have
- how you react to the first dose
Nitroglycerin Mechanism Of Action
Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that has an especially strong effect on vascular smooth muscle found in peripheral veins. Arterial vasodilation may also occur at higher doses of nitroglycerin.
Nitroglycerin forms free radical nitric oxide , which in turn activates chemicals in the blood that cause smooth muscle to relax, resulting in vasodilation. Nitroglycerin is primarily metabolized by liver enzymes.
Sublingual forms of nitroglycerin are absorbed quickly, in one to three minutes, with peak effects in about five to 10 minutes. Sublingual doses of nitroglycerin continue to work for approximately 30 minutes, but with less effect.
Sublingual nitroglycerin is typically administered one tablet or spray every five minutes up to three doses. Some prehospital protocols recommend continuing dosage and even administering higher dose nitroglycerin two to three sublingual doses together in cases of hypertensive congestive heart failure.
Sublingual nitroglycerin is typically discontinued once the desired effect is achieved or if contraindications are encountered.
Transdermal forms of nitroglycerin work more slowly, but maintain therapeutic levels over a much longer period of time, typically 12 to 24 hours. Transdermal nitroglycerin is typically applied by patients to prevent the development of anginal chest pain and by EMS providers to help maintain consistent therapeutic levels of nitroglycerin in the field after administration of sublingual nitroglycerin.
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Does Nitroglycerin Stop Heart Attacks
Nitroglycerinheartreduceheart’scanreduceattacksheartABSOLUTE: Discontinue nitroglycerin administration or do not administer nitroglycerin to patients who:
- Have a known sensitivity to nitrate medications.
- Have taken erectile dysfunction medications within the past 24 hours, such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Stendra, Staxyn, sildenafil, avanafil, tadalafil or vardenafil.
What Decreases The Preload
Things that decrease the preload include :
- Impairment of atrial contractionthis can happen in atrial fibrillation, which will decrease the atrial kick so less blood fills the left ventricle prior to systole.
- Increased heart ratethis will shorten diastole so that there will be less time to fill the heart during the shorter time period, resulting in a decreased preload.
- Heart defectsthose valvular defects that decrease ventricular inflow, such as mitral or tricuspid stenosis, will decrease the filling ability of the left ventricle and will decrease preload.
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Other Treatment In The Hospital
After a heart attack, you will stay in the hospital for at least a few days. Your doctors and nurses will watch you closely. They will check your heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, and medicines to make sure you don’t have serious complications.
Your doctors will start you on medicines that lower your risk of having another heart attack or having complications and that help you live longer after your heart attack. You may have already been taking some of these medicines. Examples include:
- Aldosterone receptor antagonists.
- Statins and other cholesterol medicines.
You will take these medicines for a long time, maybe the rest of your life.
After you go home from the hospital, take all of your medicines correctly. Do not stop taking your medicine unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking your medicine, you might raise your risk of having another heart attack.
Interactions Between Nitrostat And Other Medications
Nitrostat may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Nitrostat . Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Avanafil
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The Relationship Between Afterload And Preload
There is a relationship between afterload and preload. Anytime the afterload is increased, the stroke volume will be decreased and the left-ventricular end-diastolic volume will be increased. Increased afterload will decrease the speed of myocardial muscle fiber shortening. Because the time frame for ventricular ejection is only 200 milliseconds, a shorter velocity translates to more blood left in the ventricle and an increased preload. Conversely, a decreased afterload will increase the stroke volume and reduce preload.
This relationship between preload and afterload is used in the management of heart failure. Drugs like vasodilators will decrease arterial pressure, which will increase stroke volume and reduce the ventricular preload. The left ventricle will be able to eject more blood volume, which leaves less blood in the ventricle after each beat. The ventricle will be able to generate less pressure before it can open the aortic valve and the velocity of ejection will be increased more blood can be ejected during systole.
Take Other Steps To Live Healthier
After a heart attack, it’s also important to:
- Take your medicines exactly as directed. Do not stop taking your medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
- Do not take any over-the-counter medicines or natural health products without talking to your doctor first.
- If you are a woman and have been taking hormone therapy, talk with your doctor about whether you should continue taking it.
- Keep your blood sugar in your target range if you have diabetes.
- Get a flu vaccine every year. It can help you stay healthy and may prevent another heart attack.
- Get the pneumococcal vaccine. If you have had one before, ask your doctor whether you need another dose.
- If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Ask your doctor how much, if any, is okay for you.
- Seek help for sleep problems. Your doctor may want to check for sleep apnea, a common sleep problem in people who have heart disease. For more information, see the topic Sleep Apnea.
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