Nitroglycerin Ointment

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this medicine. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert or have clear eyesight until you see how nitroglycerin ointment affects you.
• To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down. Be careful going up and down stairs.
• Have your blood pressure checked often. Talk with your doctor.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this medicine.
• Talk with your doctor before you drink alcohol.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using nitroglycerin ointment while you are pregnant.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.
• Do not use this medicine to treat chest pain that becomes worse. Talk with your doctor.
• If you have been taking nitroglycerin ointment for a long time without a break, it may not work as well. This is known as tolerance. Be sure to have a "nitrate-free" period of time each day. Talk with your doctor if this medicine stops working well. Do not take more than ordered.
• Do not stop taking nitroglycerin ointment all of a sudden without calling your doctor. You may have a greater risk of side effects. If you need to stop this medicine, you will want to slowly stop it as ordered by your doctor.
• This medicine may stain clothing or fabric.
• If you are 65 or older, use nitroglycerin ointment with care. You could have more side effects.

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Very bad dizziness or passing out.
• Very bad headache.
• Fast or slow heartbeat.
• Flushing.
• Blurred eyesight.
• Dry mouth.
• Sweating a lot.
• Pale skin.
• Very upset stomach or throwing up.
• A heartbeat that does not feel normal.
• Restlessness.
• Feeling very tired or weak.
• Chest pain that is new or worse.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Dizziness.
• You may have headaches when you start taking nitroglycerin ointment. Most of the time it gets better with time. Do not change how you use this medicine to avoid these headaches. Talk with your doctor for ways to lessen this side effect.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. Check with your pharmacist. If you have any questions about nitroglycerin ointment, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about nitroglycerin ointment. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using nitroglycerin ointment.

Review Date: October 4, 2017