Nitro pills

  What would cause nitro to give someone a brief headache ( sometimes less than a minute). Does this mean that the nitro is working, doing what it's suppose to do, or does it mean you didn't need it in the first place?
  Thanx
  Gwen

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

Dear Gwen, thank you for your question.  Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator which means that it causes blood vessels to dilate and thus, blood flow to increase.  Nitroglycerin preferentially vasodilates the coronary arteries, but other arteries in the body also dilate.  When this happens to the cerebral arteries that supply blood to the brain, a headache can result.  This effect is similar to what happens during a migraine headache.  Some people are more prone to having a nitro-induced headache than others, but the presence of a headache does not indicate whether the nitro is working or whether nitro is needed in the first place.  We give nitro pills to patients with angina from coronary artery blockages and we instruct patients to use nitro pills when their angina becomes severe or limiting.  If the nitro relieves angina, then it is working as intended.  If you have concerns about taking nitro pills, then I suggest that you speak to your physician.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies.  Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.

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I take nitro pills 3 times a day is this normal