Nitrolingual

What is Nitrolingual?

Nitrolingual is a branded medication that you spray into your mouth. It can be used to both prevent attacks of angina and treat the symptoms of angina attacks when they appear.

Angina is a common condition which causes a tight chest and breathlessness. It’s caused by your heart muscles not getting enough blood and oxygen. Bouts of these symptoms are usually called ‘angina attacks’, and they can also make you feel dizzy and your arms feel heavy. They can also feel frightening or distressing to a lot of people, so learning when one might be about to happen so you can try to prevent or prepare for it can make a lot of difference.

Angina attacks can sometimes be triggered by you exercising or becoming stressed. In these cases angina can be treated by taking Nitrolingual and resting, but it can also be used before exercise to prevent an attack from happening. These types of angina attacks are usually called ‘stable angina’.

But sometimes angina attacks can be unpredictable – especially when they’re caused by underlying health issues rather than physical or environmental triggers. This form of angina, known as ‘unstable angina’, is often caused by a clot or calcium deposit in your blood vessels, disrupting the natural flow of blood to the heart.^[1]

But while Nitrolingual can be used to treat both stable and unstable angina, you should seek medical help straight away if you experience symptoms of unstable angina. This is because it can put you at a very high risk of a heart attack, so you shouldn’t rely on Nitrolingual alone to help with these symptoms.

How does Nitrolingual work?

Nitrolingual is a branded treatment used to both prevent and treat angina attacks. It works by widening your blood vessels, allowing more blood and oxygen to enter your heart muscles, which makes it easier for blood to be pumped around your body. As a result, drugs like Nitrolingual are often considered to be one of the best options for treating angina.^[2]

What doses of Nitrolingual are there?

Nitrolingual is available in one dosage size: 400mcg. So if it’s not working as you’d hoped in treating or preventing your symptoms, you should let our clinician know. You might need to use another treatment as well, or have a surgical procedure to help your condition if medications aren’t working.

How to take Nitrolingual

You should always take your treatment as directed by a clinician.

You’ll usually be told to:

• hold the bottle upright with your finger on the button
• open your mouth and put the bottle in front of your chin so that the direction of spray will go into your mouth
• press the button firmly so that the puff of the medicine goes under your tongue
• close your mouth
• avoid breathing in as you take the puff of medicine

You should also make sure you keep the spray with you at all times and know how to use it. It might also be a good idea to show your friends and family how to use it.

Keeping a spray on you, as well as spares at home and at your workplace, will help to make sure that you have the treatment that you need during an attack.

You should also check the spray once a week to make sure that it’s working.

How long does it take Nitrolingual to work?

When you use Nitrolingual before an attack, or to treat an attack that you’re currently experiencing, it should start to work within minutes. If you’re currently suffering from an attack and you’ve taken a dose of Nitrolingual, you should wait five minutes before taking another dose. If you’re still struggling with your symptoms after another five minutes, you should call an ambulance.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Nitrolingual?

If you forget to take it before exercising then you can take it as soon as you remember. Simply stop what you’re doing, find somewhere comfortable to sit and take the spray. You should then wait for a few minutes for the medication to get to work before you carry on exercising, and make sure that you don’t double up on doses to make up for any missed ones.

If you’ve taken more Nitrolingual than you should have done then you might start to feel faint. If you feel like your symptoms aren’t going away, or are getting worse, call 999 straight away.

If you develop a blue tinge on your fingers and lips, seek medical attention straight away.

If your side effects don’t lessen or disappear, you should seek medical advice.