How to Use Nitroglycerin

Chest pain? This little pill can help — if you use it right.

Today, how to use nitroglycerin — the safe way to ease chest pain.

So what does nitroglycerin do? It relaxes your blood vessels and opens them up. That lets more blood flow to your heart. When your heart gets more blood, the chest pain often eases. It works fast, so a few simple rules keep it safe.

Rule one — before you take a tablet, sit down or lie down. Nitroglycerin can make you dizzy very quickly, because it can lower your blood pressure fast. If you are standing, you could faint and fall. So get seated first, every time.

Now, how to take it. Put one tablet under your tongue, and let it melt all the way. Do not chew it. Do not swallow it. A mild tingling or burning under your tongue is normal — it means the medicine is still good.

Here is the timing rule. Take one tablet, then wait five minutes. If the pain is still there, take a second tablet, and wait five more minutes. If it is still there, take a third. If your chest pain has not gone away after three tablets — about fifteen minutes — call 911. Do this exactly as your provider directed, and call sooner if they told you to.

Some chest pain is an emergency. Call 911 right away if your chest pain is still there after three tablets. Call 911 if your chest pain comes with sweating or nausea. Or if the pain spreads to your arm or jaw. These can be signs of a heart attack. Do not drive yourself — call 911.

A few storage tips. Keep your tablets in their dark bottle — light can ruin them. Replace them when they expire. Keep them out of the bathroom, away from heat and moisture. And carry them with you, wherever you go.

One more big safety rule. Make sure your provider knows about every medicine you take. Some medicines, taken with nitroglycerin, can drop your blood pressure to a dangerous level. Before any new medicine, tell your provider you carry nitroglycerin.

So remember three things. Sit down first. Take it exactly as directed. And call 911 if the pain won't go away. Keep your tablets close.

Leg pain when you walk can be your arteries too. That's our next video. Watch next.