nitroglycerin vs sildenafil
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Side-by-side comparison of nitroglycerin and sildenafil. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
PDE-5-Inhibitors such as avanafil, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil have been shown to potentiate the hypotensive effects of organic nitrates.
Nitrostat, Nitro-Dur
Viagra, Revatio
Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets help to relieve chest pain (angina) due to heart disease. They work by widening blood vessels to improve blood flow.
Sildenafil is a medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. It helps increase blood flow to the penis to get and keep an erection.
This medicine treats chest pain called angina. Angina is caused by heart disease. Nitroglycerin can relieve an attack or prevent angina before activities that may cause it.
Sildenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, in men. ED is when you cannot get or keep an erection firm enough for sex. Sildenafil helps by increasing blood flow to the penis when you are sexually stimulated.
Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator. It widens your blood vessels. This lets more blood flow to your heart and reduces chest pain.
Sildenafil belongs to a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors. It works by relaxing the muscles and increasing blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation. This helps you get and keep an erection.
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Tingling
- • Headache
- • Flushing (redness of the skin)
- • Upset stomach
- • Abnormal vision (blurred vision, changes in color vision)
- • Nasal congestion (stuffy nose)
- Dyspnoea 4,151
- Pain 3,626
- Fatigue 3,491
- Myocardial Infarction 3,393
- Nausea 3,266
- Dyspnoea 7,729
- Headache 5,655
- Diarrhoea 4,447
- Nausea 3,984
- Death 3,873
Taking too much nitroglycerin can lead to tolerance, where the drug stops working as well. Nitroglycerin can also cause very low blood pressure, especially if you stand up quickly. If chest pain continues after 3 tablets, get medical help right away.
You should not take sildenafil if you are taking nitrates for chest pain, as this can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. If you have an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours, get medical help right away. Stop taking sildenafil and seek medical attention if you have a sudden loss of vision or hearing.
It is not known if nitroglycerin will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if nitroglycerin passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Sildenafil is not for use in women. It is not known if sildenafil can harm an unborn baby or pass into breast milk.
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How to Read This nitroglycerin vs sildenafil Comparison
nitroglycerin is classified in the Nitrate Vasodilator drug class, while sildenafil sits within the PDE5 Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, nitroglycerin has 17,927 submissions while sildenafil has 25,688. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these drugs work to relax and widen your blood vessels. taking them together can cause your blood pressure to drop to a dangerously low level.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for nitroglycerin or sildenafil.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.