GTN spray query

[Yoga2011]

hello all

I’ve got a spray but haven’t used it yet and I’ve read that it can be used for breathlessness. Is this correct? Has anyone used it for this? I was given it for pain but no one said anything about shortness of breath. To be honest my shortness of breath is worse that the discomfort I get around my ribs sometimes. Thanks

[Tos92]

I don’t use it for shortness of breath. I use mine for chest pain triggered by my angina or spasms. I don’t need to use it very often however, and prefer not to unless I’m having a very bad episode. The GTN spray helps relax and dilate the blood vessels in order to increase blood flow to the heart.

I hope others can shed some light on using the GTN spray for the purposes of improving shortness of breath.

Tos

[Yoga2011 in reply to Tos92]

Thank you

[citygirl65]

I had shortness of breath too so used an asthma pump which I find helps in this case..hope this helps

[Yoga2011 in reply to citygirl65]

Asthma pump sounds a good idea. I’ll ask my GP about one, thanks

[citygirl65 in reply to Yoga2011]

Your welcome

[Billthedog]

I have angina together with other heart disease and once I get chest pain and shortness of breath I use my spray under my tongue as prescribed…I often need to use it again 5-10 mins later but it opens up my arteries and I can breath better. Sometimes I get a headache afterwards but after resting it goes away. It’s a very handy thing to have but if you are using it too often as happened with me you may need your meds adjusting.

[Yoga2011 in reply to Billthedog]

Thanks. The only meds I’m on are aspirin as beta blocker side effects were horrible.

[Alicito1234]

I use mine for shortness of breath , doesn't really help but makes me dit and rest a while , tastes awful too

[Yoga2011 in reply to Alicito1234]

Sitting and resting normally helps me as well.

[Fitbit-Joe]

Guess we use the spray in different ways, and if it works, then guess you continue with this. So with my self, get out of breath, some chest discomfort, and pain in left arm, around bicep.

I will use the spray mainly when the pain in my left arm, get worse, and spreads to my forearms. Using he spray does help me, as it eases of the pain, enough to tolerate the pain.

Chest discomfort or pain, and with this, only when the pain gets to much for me

[Yoga2011 in reply to Fitbit-Joe]

That doesn’t sound nice and I’m glad the spray helps your pain. Take it easy

[tannery]

As you have been prescibed the spray why not check the effect of one or two puffs when you experience different types of pain or discomfort to see what the effect is. This is how I found out when it was effective and worth using and might be a guide for future use. I find I need to use it more in cold weather.

[Yoga2011 in reply to tannery]

That’s a great idea, thanks. I’ve been scared to try it as i worried about the feeling dizzy etc but until I use it, I’ll never know! Thank you

[tannery in reply to Yoga2011]

Hope you can get a bit of confidence to use the spray which I find effective when I need to use it. Start off with one puff and see how this works, I rarely take two and experience little adverse side effects.

[Yoga2011]

thanks tannery. I’ll update when I’ve used it to let you know how it went. You’ve made me feel more confident in using it.

[Bubby1973]

I use my spray for angina and shortness of breath.... If you only use it three times in 15 minutes it won't hurt you. It's also good if it helps you both mentally and physically 😁

[Yoga2011 in reply to Bubby1973]

Does it work for your breathing as well?

[Bubby1973 in reply to Yoga2011]

It's not an instant fix but it does help.

[Yoga2011 in reply to Bubby1973]

Ok thank you

[Fish4Info]

Hi,

I suggest discussing this with your practice nurse/GP. GTN dilates blood vessels to make things easier for the heart: medicines.org.uk/emc/produc....

I remember the pain relief it brought me when unstable angina was diagnosed 17 years ago - resulting in an urgent CABG×4. No GTN since then.

The PIL doesn't deal with shortness of breath ... so you probably need something else, such as asthma type drugs.

Hope this helps,

David

[Yoga2011 in reply to Fish4Info]

Thanks, very useful info

[Heartinthehills]

Lots of advice already. After my event 10 years ago I carried the spray everywhere 'just in case' and would have been nervous if it wasn't to hand. I never had any angina pains but plenty of breathlessness on stairs and steep hills. I learnt to manage breathlessness by resting when needed and never used the spray. Finally deleted from my prescription after about 4 years even though breathlessness never improved and still the same. One less medication for me to think about but we are all different and you will need to make your own decisions with GP/consultant/cardiac nurse advice on whether and when to use it.

[Yoga2011 in reply to Heartinthehills]

Thanks. Haven’t used it yet as haven’t needed too thank goodness but I do carry it everywhere just in case! Did you ever find out why you are breathless?

[Heartinthehills in reply to Yoga2011]

My breathlessness is due to a weaker heart (LVSD) after my heart attack and cardiac arrest 10 years ago. This results in less oxygen in the bloodstream and when I reach a certain level of exercise muscles are calling for more oxygen than the heart and lungs can supply with an automatic breathless response and a need to stop or slow right down to 'get my breath back' and allow the heart and lungs to catch up. Something I became used to and manage it without worrying why it is happening. I believe the spray just helps speed up this process by opening up the arteries but I would rather manage it without a spray having got used to it. I think regular exercise helps by keeping the muscles working and improving the blood flow to them. My advice would be to keep up any exercise you can manage and just slow down or rest if you become breathless.

[Yoga2011 in reply to Heartinthehills]

Thank you