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Patient handout · Cardiovascular

Living With Angina: Your Chest Pain Plan

Angina is chest discomfort from too little blood reaching your heart muscle. Follow this plan for your usual angina; new or different pain needs emergency help.

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Stop and sit

  • For your usual angina, stop activity and sit down.
  • Place 1 prescribed nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue.
  • Let it dissolve. Do not chew or swallow it. Note the time.

Know when to call 911

  • Call if pain is not relieved within 5 minutes after the first tablet.
  • Call sooner if pain worsens. Call immediately for new or different pain.
  • Do not drive yourself.
  • While waiting, repeat every 5 minutes if prescribed, up to 3 tablets total. Follow the dispatcher's instructions.

Keep tablets safe

  • Keep them in the original dark glass bottle. Close it tightly.
  • Keep away from heat and moisture. Do not use a pill organizer.
  • Replace by the expiration date. Keep the bottle nearby.

Check medicine safety

  • Headache and dizziness are common. Stay seated and stand slowly.
  • Never combine nitroglycerin with sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil, or riociguat.
  • If you took one, do not take nitroglycerin for chest pain. Call 911 and tell the team what you took and when.

Protect your heart

  • Stop smoking. Take your daily heart medicines.
  • Follow your activity plan. Ask about cardiac rehab.

Call your provider today if you have

  • A troublesome headache after chest pain has gone away
  • Repeated mild dizziness without chest pain or fainting
  • Questions about your medicines or need replacement tablets

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have

  • Pain not relieved within 5 minutes after the first tablet
  • New, worsening, different, or resting chest pain
  • Chest discomfort with cold sweat, nausea, trouble breathing, or pain in your arm, back, neck, or jaw
  • Fainting or severe trouble breathing

This handout supports, not replaces, advice from your own nurse or doctor.

For nurses and nursing students: the teaching guide behind this handout →