Prescription medication · Nitrate Vasodilator
nitroglycerin
Also sold as Nitrostat, Nitro-Dur. This medicine treats chest pain called angina.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 51,859
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 8
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 99% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) is a prescription Nitrate Vasodilator, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (51,859 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 99% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) is a prescription Nitrate Vasodilator. This medicine treats chest pain called angina.
Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets help to relieve chest pain (angina) due to heart disease. They work by widening blood vessels to improve blood flow.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$50.70/unit
Generic Price
$0.48/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (16 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
NADAC price trail: NITROGLYCERIN 0.1 MG/HR PATCH
Same CMS presentation as the headline generic unit price above (2 effective dates). Adjacent % compares consecutive NADAC releases for this description only, not a patient out-of-pocket quote. Latest step: -0.4% vs prior release.
| Effective | NADAC / unit | vs prior | NDCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 20, 2023 | $0.4869/EA | - | 1 |
| December 18, 2024 | $0.4849/EA | -0.4% | 3 |
What it does
This medicine treats chest pain called angina.
Common side effects
Headache, Dizziness, Tingling
Key warnings
Taking too much nitroglycerin can lead to tolerance, where the drug stops working as well.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from nitroglycerin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator. It widens your blood vessels. This lets more blood flow to your heart and reduces chest pain.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 51,859 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for nitroglycerin, by number of reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
4,151 reports
- Pain
Pain
3,626 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
3,491 reports
- Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Infarction
3,393 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
3,266 reports
- Chest Pain
Chest Pain
2,947 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
2,939 reports
- Fall
Fall
2,906 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
2,665 reports
- Headache
Headache
2,585 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 nitroglycerin 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 nitroglycerin sits
nitroglycerin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 74% 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 nitroglycerin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 51,859 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1999–2025.
Total Reports
51,859
Reports Mentioning Death
6,855
13.2% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
23,779
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 4,151 |
| 2 | PAIN | 3,626 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 3,491 |
| 4 | MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 3,393 |
| 5 | NAUSEA | 3,266 |
| 6 | CHEST PAIN | 2,947 |
| 7 | DIZZINESS | 2,939 |
| 9 | FALL | 2,906 |
| 10 | DIARRHOEA | 2,665 |
| 11 | HEADACHE | 2,585 |
| 12 | RENAL FAILURE | 2,513 |
| 13 | ASTHENIA | 2,401 |
| 14 | DEATH | 2,399 |
| 15 | HYPOTENSION | 2,247 |
| 16 | ANXIETY | 2,059 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
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.
Known Drug Interactions
7.4 Concomitant Use with Drugs that Induce Methemoglobinemia Concomitant use of ACZONE Gel, 7.5% with drugs that induce methemoglobinemia such as sulfonamides, acetaminophen, acetanilide, aniline dyes, benzocaine, chloroquine, dapsone, naphthalene, nitrates and nitrites, nitrofurantoin, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, pamaquine, para‐aminosalicylic acid, phenacetin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primaquine, and quinine may increase the risk for developing methemoglobinemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] .
Mechanism: These drugs can both cause a buildup of a specific type of hemoglobin that does not carry oxygen effectively. Taking them together adds to this risk.
Drugs That May Cause Methemoglobinemia When Used with LIDODERM Patients who are administered local anesthetics are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following drugs, which could include other local anesthetics: Examples of Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia : Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea,...
Mechanism: Both of these medicines can cause a blood condition that stops oxygen from reaching your body's tissues. Using them together increases the chance of this serious side effect.
Drug interactions Aspirin: Coadministration of nitroglycerin with high dose aspirin (1000 mg) results in increased exposure to nitroglycerin. The vasodilatory and hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerin may be enhanced by concomitant administration of nitroglycerin with high dose aspirin.
Mechanism: Taking high doses of aspirin can increase the amount of nitroglycerin in your blood. This makes the nitroglycerin work more strongly to widen your blood vessels and lower your blood pressure.
PDE-5-Inhibitors such as avanafil, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil have been shown to potentiate the hypotensive effects of organic nitrates.
Mechanism: 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.
PDE-5-Inhibitors such as avanafil, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil have been shown to potentiate the hypotensive effects of organic nitrates.
Mechanism: Tadalafil makes the blood-pressure-lowering effects of nitroglycerin much stronger. This can lead to a severe and unsafe decrease in your blood pressure.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take more than 3 tablets if my chest pain doesn't go away?
Can I chew or swallow the tablet to make it work faster?
What should I do if I get a headache after taking nitroglycerin?
Can I take nitroglycerin with my other medications?
How can I prevent nitroglycerin from losing its potency?
Can I use nitroglycerin before exercise?
What are the signs of low blood pressure from nitroglycerin?
Can nitroglycerin expire?
Is it normal to feel a tingling sensation under my tongue when the tablet dissolves?
Can I drink alcohol while taking nitroglycerin?
What are the common side effects of nitroglycerin?
Does nitroglycerin interact with other medications?
What drug class is nitroglycerin?
Is there a generic version of nitroglycerin?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for nitroglycerin?
Has nitroglycerin been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
Related Medications in Nitrate Vasodilator
Other drugs grouped near nitroglycerin - same-class peers and common alternatives.
adenosine
Adenocard
Adenosine (Adenocard) is a medicine used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeats.
Compare with nitroglycerin →
amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
Compare with nitroglycerin →
atropine
AtroPen
Atropine is a medicine that can temporarily block severe effects on your body.
Compare with nitroglycerin →
bumetanide
Bumex
Bumetanide is a water pill (diuretic).
Compare with nitroglycerin →
carvedilol
Coreg
Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better.
Compare with nitroglycerin →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for nitroglycerin: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 51,859.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 13.22%.
- rivaroxaban Δ 0.02 pts · 203,269 reports · Direct Oral Anticoagulant (Factor Xa Inhibitor) 13.20%death share
- spironolactone Δ 0.06 pts · 133,996 reports · Potassium-Sparing Diuretic / Aldosterone Antagonist 13.16%death share
- calcitriol Δ 0.08 pts · 20,452 reports · Active Vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxy) 13.14%death share
- cyclosporine Δ 0.10 pts · 106,440 reports · Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant) 13.12%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for nitroglycerin
The FDA label for nitroglycerin (sold under brand names such as Nitrostat, Nitro-Dur) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Nitrate Vasodilator class. This medicine treats chest pain called angina. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Headache, Dizziness, Tingling.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 51,859 voluntary reports. The database also lists 8 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.48 versus $50.70 for the brand - a 99% generic savings.
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 (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
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. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 15, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
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 from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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