Nitroglycerin (medication)

Nitroglycerin
Clinical data
Trade names	Nitrol, others
Other names	Glyceryl trinitrate
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a601086
Routes of; administration	Sublingual, transdermal, by mouth, intravenous
ATC code	C01DA02 (WHO) C05AE01 (WHO);
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S3 (Pharmacist only); UK: P (Pharmacy medicines); US: ℞-only;
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	<1%
Metabolism	liver (rapid), red blood cells, vascular wall
Elimination half-life	3 minutes
Excretion	In urine, in bile
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 1,3-dinitrooxypropan-2-yl nitrate; [3-(nitrooxy)-2-[(nitrooxy)methyl]propyl] nitrate; 1,2,3-trinitroxy propane;
CAS Number	55-63-0;
PubChem CID	4510;
IUPHAR/BPS	7053;
DrugBank	DB00727 ;
ChemSpider	4354 ;
UNII	G59M7S0WS3;
ChEBI	CHEBI:28787 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL730 ;
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C3H5N3O9
Molar mass	227.085 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES C(C(CO[N+](=O)[O-])O[N+](=O)[O-])O[N+](=O)[O-];
	InChI InChI=1S/C3H5N3O9/c7-4(8)13-1-3(15-6(11)12)2-14-5(9)10/h3H,1-2H2 ; Key:SNIOPGDIGTZGOP-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
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Nitroglycerin, also known as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), is a vasodilator used for heart failure, high blood pressure, anal fissures, painful periods, and to treat and prevent chest pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart (angina) or due to the recreational use of cocaine. This includes chest pain from a heart attack. It is taken by mouth, under the tongue, applied to the skin, or by injection into a vein.

Common side effects include headache and low blood pressure. The low blood pressure can be severe. It is unclear if use in pregnancy is safe for the fetus. It should not be used together with medications within the PDE5 inhibitor family such as sildenafil due to the risk of low blood pressure. Nitroglycerin is in the nitrate family of medications. While it is not entirely clear how it works, it is believed to function by dilating blood vessels.

Nitroglycerin was written about as early as 1846 and came into medical use in 1878. The drug nitroglycerin is a dilute form of the same chemical used as the explosive, nitroglycerin. Dilution makes it non-explosive. In 2022, it was the 196th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2 million prescriptions.