Hey everyone
Just picked up my first box of Isosorbide Mononitrate at 60mg half a tablet a day.
As I've just got them this evening I wondered what was the best time to start taking my half tablet?
Any suggestions what you people do who are on them.
Sadly I can't get hold of anyone at the moment to ask
My husband was on 90mg, he used to take his in the morning. Does it not say on the box when to take it?
I started on them first thing in the morning with my lisinopril with aspirin after breakfast. There were no side effects unlike CCIs (calcium channel inhibitors) for me.
Hi l take 2x 60 of these every morning as per consultant instructions (and a lot more other tabs too)
I think it’s amazing how theses tablets keep the blood flowing
Hi Rob
For those of us with vasospastic angina it is better to take your nitrate in the evening especially if you get most of your pain in the night at rest.
I take mine at 6pm. I also use GTN patches again in the evening.
Just sent you another message in response to the one you sent me Milkfairy.
As for the Meds I've now got. Well I get my pain at anytime of the day so because of that I suppose I best wait until tommorrow and try and get hold of consultant to make sure.
I too have my pain anytime day or night l find the pain very tiring l use my gtn spray often (another amazing medicine. ) .
I have gtn and use when I'm in trouble
I found this med gave me headaches until I split tablet in half and took morning and evening 😊
My cardiologist warned me I would get a headache. I suppose like all drugs it will wear off....hopefully!
Hi Rob. I take 30 mg first thing in the morning. When I first started taking the tablets it wasn't a headache in the sense of a sharp pain or ache. It's much duller than that, more like pressure. But it was quite intense at first particularly right at the back of my head where it joins the neck. But it wore off after a few days. I sometimes still get a bit of pressure. It builds up a bit and peaks around lunchtime then wears off in the afternoon. Hope it helps you.
I’m on isotard 40mg and take it in the morning along with aspirin, clopidogrel, lisinopril and Bisoprolol. Luckily that fills me up so I don’t overeat at breakfast 😂😂😂😂
My angina occurs when it feels like it.
Ditto
Might be wortitalking either to your pharmacist or the BH F nurses.
It would appear from the replies so far that people who have been prescribed this drug are experiencing some form of Angina pain? I was prescribed 10mg of it (along with the "standard" prescription) after having 2 stents fitted. However, I have never had any Angina pain since they went in and taking them or not makes absolutely no difference, and I stopped taking them months ago. Has anyone else been prescribed them when they don't have Angina? I am becoming increasingly convinced that they just throw every drug that has ever been developed for heart disease at anyone who has any symptoms of it, without any real subjective consultation. It must be costing a small fortune quite apart from the possible side effects of prescribing medication that the patient actually doesn't need. I personally will shortly be down to just 2 of the original 7 medications I was prescribed.
Apparently they are a very good drug for people with ongoing sever Angina
I have Microvascular angina so they are at a loss with it so yes they are trying to find something that works for me.
Everyone is different. But I'm at the end of my tether because it severely affects my quality of life. So I'm going to give them a go......even with the headaches supposedly attached to this drug
Watch this space.
I was on 20mg twice per day (for Angina and/or MVA) with strict instructions to take them early in the morning, then mid afternoon, but not in the evening. It was explained that they are short lived in the body, but you must have a time without them in the system as the body becomes used to them and they cease to be effective. I had a huge surge of tiredness and universal yuck with each tablet: it wore off just in time to take the next one😁. I was quickly switched to a single 40mg of the slow release version, taken in the morning, which is much better for me (and I have realised that it wears off in the evening, and don’t always sleep well) They explored upping the dose, but didn’t because I am so sensitive to this sort of drug, so have me Renexa as well (max dose is ok for a change). Improvements are incremental, but it’s all about managing a deteriorating situation for me at the moment.
I've got MVA too and was prescribed Ranolazine but came off it within weeks because it made me feel bloody awful.Hope Isosorbide Mononitrate doesn't cause me the same issues?I'm starting on half tablet so 30mg
I'm still at work unfortunately so hoping it won't interfere with my daily duties.
There is a question mark about if the Ranolazine is part of my problems, but they assume not for the moment. Awaiting test results. My experience of the nitrate would be to explore the slow release option, but I’m probably not typical. I’m always fitting low BP, and sometimes goes very very low.
You see Ranolazine did exactly what you said and how you felt
The tiredness and sudden nausea then weakness and dizziness just finished me off Hector. I done a test of coming off it and symptoms disappeared then back on and they came back.
I mentioned it to my consultant who said I did the right thing and it's obviously the Ranolazine
So maybe that's what's causing your problems?
Thanks Rob.
I’m not sure if the pattern is the same for me- every heart is different, and my present issues didn’t start, or align with Ranolazine (and it helps- probably) but I will ask.
I tend to stick to what the cardiologist and gp say (and they talk to each other😃). Partly because they know a lot more about hearts than I do, and partly because I think I have to invest my faith in what they recommend, if I question too much, or follow too much contrary advice, it all starts to fall apart in doubt.
Not a common view on here, perhaps, and I always want to know what and why they suggest something, but it’s the only way it works for me.
Im on 20mg twice a day. I have to take the first after breakfast & the second one 6 hours later. Need an 18 hour break before taking one next morning. I've been on this regime for 2 years for angina & have no side effects
I think with Vasospastic and Microvascular angina it can be trial and error when best to take your Isosorbide mononitrate.
As I have vasospasms at night at rest I take mine in the evening.
There is absolutely no one size fits all!
My Cardiologist encouraged me to work out the best time to take my medication.
I also have an emergency supply of other medication to try and prevent a hospital admission which usually but not always works.
Like anything you need to discuss this with your Cardiologist who knows you best.
Hi I take mine in morning half tablet
Too be honest I’ve been having this pain for over a year & they’ve just found I’ve had lung congestion 3 weeks off antibiotics, I’m not sure they are doing anything cause I’m still trying to get to bottom off my condition, but cardiologist wants me to stay in them
Short history had HA last May 2 stents fitted but still have blockage in lad also cardiologist thinks my pain might be costochondritis
I have been on these for several years. Now take 60mgs increased after about 2 years. I take it in the morning and have noticed no ill effects.
Hi Rob. Hubby took 30mg (had to break a 60mg in half) in the morning after breakfast. It's what our doctor told him to do. He started these tabs in November last year and was taken off them in April of this year.
Hope you get on OK. xx
Was there a reason he was taken off them
His blood pressure was (and still is) perfect so our doctor said he didn't need to be taking isosorbide. He's just on a low dose Bisoprolol, 75mg aspirin and an 80mg statin. He had a quad bypass in November.
He's still got GTN on repeat prescription but so far hasn't needed to use it. Before the bypass, he was really struggling!!
All the very best xxx
Oh
I've been put on them to try and ease my microvascular angina symptoms
Looking through hubby's hospital notes, I can now see that he was put on isosorbide after the dreaded angiogram last June. He'd been suffering with angina for ages but wouldn't see a doctor (until our son made him an appointment with BUPA!!). I'm ashamed to say that I got GTN online months before this appointment as he had classic angina symptoms. The BUPA doc wasn't impressed but said I'd probably saved his life doing that!!!
He was kept on isosorbide and a cocktail of other drugs including clopidogrel which our doctor, in liaison with the cardiac team, stopped in April.
xxx
I take it twice a day so I take it morning and night.
I was advised at the cardio clinic that on the hospital ward they would be given them at 8 am and 2 pm. I confirmed this with Boots’ pharmacist who agreed, saying you needed a long gap (16 hrs) between afternoon and morning. I’m feeling fine on them this way.
Hi Rob,
When i first started taking 60mg Isosorbide Monotrate I used to get like a Pressure Headache and feel giddy, much the same as when you use the Trinitrate spray under your tongue. But after about a week or so i was okay.
I take mine in the morning because that's what the Cardiologist told me how to take them. If you are sitting down when you take them don't get up too quick or they can make your head swim.
I also take Bisoporol, Amlodopine and Aspirin. Hope they work out for you. Take it Easy. Gjkas.
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