Prescription medication · Nitrate Vasodilator
isosorbide dinitrate
Also sold as Isordil. This medicine is used to prevent chest pain caused by heart disease.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 19,058
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- $0.22
- Generic price (NADAC)
isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil) is a prescription Nitrate Vasodilator. This medicine is used to prevent chest pain caused by heart disease.
Isosorbide dinitrate is a medicine that helps prevent chest pain (angina). It relaxes your blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow to your heart.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.22/unit
Generic Available
Yes (11 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine is used to prevent chest pain caused by heart disease.
Common side effects
Headache
Key warnings
You should not take this medicine if you are also taking drugs for erectile dysfunction (like sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil) or riociguat.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from isosorbide dinitrate's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Isosorbide dinitrate is a type of drug called a nitrate. It works by widening your blood vessels. This allows more blood to flow to your heart and reduces chest pain.
How to Take It
Take this medicine exactly as your doctor tells you. The usual starting dose is 5 mg to 20 mg, two or three times a day. For continued use, the typical dose is 10 mg to 40 mg, two or three times a day. To prevent your body from getting used to the medicine, you need a break from it each day. Make sure you have at least 14 hours between doses.
This is a plain-language summary of isosorbide dinitrate's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of isosorbide dinitrate's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of isosorbide dinitrate's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store at room temperature, about 77°F (25°C). Keep away from light and keep the bottle tightly closed.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 19,058 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for isosorbide dinitrate, by number of reports
- Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath
1,749 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
1,415 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
1,392 reports
- Feeling lightheaded
Feeling lightheaded
1,348 reports
- Loose stools
Loose stools
1,319 reports
- Heart attack
Heart attack
1,305 reports
- Pain in the chest
Pain in the chest
1,195 reports
- Discomfort
Discomfort
1,133 reports
- Pain in the head
Pain in the head
1,044 reports
- Throwing up
Throwing up
1,036 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for isosorbide dinitrate each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where isosorbide dinitrate sits
isosorbide dinitrate has more FDA adverse-event reports than 54% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is isosorbide dinitrate; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 19,058 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1996–2025.
Total Reports
19,058
Reports Mentioning Death
2,531
13.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
8,172
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 1,608 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 1,317 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,302 |
| 4 | DIZZINESS | 1,265 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 1,248 |
| 6 | MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 1,179 |
| 7 | CHEST PAIN | 1,118 |
| 8 | PAIN | 1,023 |
| 9 | HEADACHE | 970 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 961 |
| 11 | MALAISE | 866 |
| 13 | ASTHENIA | 799 |
| 14 | DEATH | 787 |
| 16 | ARTHRALGIA | 765 |
| 17 | PRURITUS | 760 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not take this medicine if you are also taking drugs for erectile dysfunction (like sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil) or riociguat. Taking these medicines together can cause very low blood pressure.
Common Questions
Can I use this medicine to treat sudden chest pain?
How long does this medicine take to work?
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
What should I do if I get a headache from this medicine?
Can I take this medicine with my other heart medicines?
How long will I need to take this medicine?
What if this medicine doesn't seem to be working?
Are there different strengths of this medicine?
Can I cut or crush the tablets?
What should I do if I feel dizzy after taking this medicine?
What are the common side effects of isosorbide dinitrate?
What drug class is isosorbide dinitrate?
Is isosorbide dinitrate safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Nitrate Vasodilator
Other drugs grouped near isosorbide dinitrate - same-class peers and common alternatives.
adenosine
Adenocard
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amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
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atropine
AtroPen
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bumetanide
Bumex
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carvedilol
Coreg
Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better.
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What the FDA Data Shows for isosorbide dinitrate
The FDA label for isosorbide dinitrate (sold under brand names such as Isordil) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Nitrate Vasodilator class. This medicine is used to prevent chest pain caused by heart disease. Official labeling lists 1 commonly reported side effect, including Headache.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 19,058 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.22.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: February 10, 2026
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages