Isosorbide and GTN

Hi, hope everyone is keeping ok. Two questions, comments highly appreciated as always, don’t know where I would be without this forum. Dad had an angina attack on Monday, gave him GTN spray and he fainted and got sick, he came round. Paramedic came and he also gave GTN and he fainted again! He went to cardiac ward and they prescribed 40 mg modified release isosorbide. He was on 10 mg normal but that gave him massive headaches. Cardiologist thinks the slow release will better (we will see). Told not to worry about GTN and the pills should work! What should he do? Is there anything else in an emergency.

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Hi Zinge. Sorry you’re Dads been having such problems.I do know Isosorbide can give bad headaches , But my personal experience is that they do fade over a week or two. The slow release works better for me, as I was always forgetting to take the second dose!

I do know the GTN spray lowers BP, so if he already has low BP that might have contributed to his fainting.

[Hidden in reply to Kristin1812]

Thanks for your quick reply, really appreciated. Trying to get my Dad used to the isosorbide requires a lot of patience. Hoping one day soon the headache ebbs away.

[Kristin1812 Heart Star in reply to Hidden]

I hope they do. It might take a little time. Drinking lots helps....but I’m sure you know that?