Can GTN spray relieve asthma tightness in chest?
GTN spray: Can GTN spray relieve asthma... - Asthma Community ...
GTN spray
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I dont think so...doesnt gtn open up like blood vessels so blood can flow through them whereas in an asthma attack its not the blood vessels that are a problem its your airways?
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Yes GTN is a Vasodilator, so relieving chest pains which can be a consequence of unresolved asthma. I carry both Ventolin and GTN if the weather is severe : Hot, Cold, Wet or Windy. Retired non-invasive cardiologist
Hmm a GTN spray is used for angina attacks, if you use one and get a stonking headache it means its probably not angina. That's the extent of my knowledge of GTN spray but hopefully someone more knowledgable will be along shortly, take good care, Lois
Yes, as has been said, GTN spray is a treatment for angina. It's a vasodilator - i.e. it makes the blood vessels wider - this is why it relieves angina attacks (by making the coronary arteries wider to provide better blood flow to the heart muscle) and has the side effect of giving people rather nasty headaches or making them feel faint. It's of no use at all in asthma I'm afraid.
Just to add, lois, that the headache tends to occur in susceptible people whether they have angina or not... getting a headache from GTN spray doesn't necessarily mean that it's not likely to be angina.
GTN is said to have some effect on the muscle of the oesophagus (gullet) - so chest pain caused by spasm of the oesophagus can occasionally be relievd by GTN, which can confuse the issue of what is causing the pain.
I've not heard of it being of any use at all in asthma.
Em H
Actually there is evidence of benefit using GTN in acute asthma, and i have done this in the distant past:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/980...
GTN works on all smooth muscle, and acts as a bronchodilator as well as a vasodilator. The main reason for not using it regularly in asthma is that it drops the blood pressure rather smartly, which is not always a good thing. It is more effective given as a continuous nebulised spray rather than as puffs from the inhaler, but one item to be wary of is that undiluted GTN dissolves in the plastic of the administration set, so it is best diluted with saline in a glass syringe (not easy to find nowadays).
