FDA-filed SPL labeling · retrieved through openFDA

Nitroglycerin

Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator used across multiple forms and brands to relieve or prevent angina (chest pain), treat heart failure and high blood pressure in hospital settings, and ease pain from chronic anal fissure.

Brand names RectivGonitroNitro-bidNitrostatNitroMist +10 more
Drug class Nitrate Vasodilator
Rx/OTC Forms 10 Routes Sublingual · Oral · Transdermal · Rectal +2
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 10, 2026
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand

The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 35 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →

At a glance
Linked label effectiveOct 15, 2024
Clinical labels in scope 35
AvailabilityRx/OTC
Earliest approval/marketing year 1983
FDA-listed product records 238
Boxed warningNone found in compared labels
How we combine label and product data →
Other forms & routes:
Nitroglycerin at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
💊
HelloPharmacist Editorial Team Bottom Line
Nitroglycerin is a well-established nitrate that relaxes blood vessels to relieve or prevent chest pain, and in IV form is used in hospitals for heart failure and blood pressure emergencies. The form matters enormously — fast-acting sublingual tablets and sprays stop acute attacks, while patches and capsules prevent them. Never combine nitroglycerin with ED medications like sildenafil or tadalafil, as the blood pressure drop can be life-threatening.

📖 Nitroglycerin: Patient Information Guide

A plain-language walkthrough of Nitroglycerin — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.

🎯What it's used for

Nitroglycerin is used across several forms and settings — the right form depends on whether the goal is to stop an acute attack or prevent one from happening.

  • Sublingual tablets and lingual sprays (Nitroglycerin Lingual Spray, Nitrolingual): acute relief or short-term prevention of angina attacks from coronary artery disease
  • Nitro-Time extended-release capsules (oral): prevention of angina from coronary artery disease — not for stopping an active attack
  • Transdermal patches (Nitro-Dur, Nitroglycerin Transdermal Infusion System, Nitroglycerin Transdermal System): prevention of angina from coronary artery disease — not for stopping an active attack
  • Rectiv rectal ointment / Nitroglycerin rectal ointment 0.4%: treatment of moderate to severe pain from chronic anal fissure
  • Nitroglycerin Injection / Nitroglycerin in Dextrose (IV, hospital use only): treatment of high blood pressure around surgery; control of heart failure during a heart attack; treatment of angina not responding to sublingual nitroglycerin and beta-blockers; controlled low blood pressure during surgery
⚙️How it works

Nitroglycerin releases nitric oxide (NO) inside the body. NO activates an enzyme called guanylate cyclase, which raises levels of a chemical messenger (cyclic GMP) that tells smooth muscle cells in blood vessel walls to relax. When vessels relax and widen, blood pools more in the veins (reducing the load returning to the heart) and arteries offer less resistance — the heart works less, uses less oxygen, and chest pain eases.

With ongoing daily use, the body can develop tolerance — the vessels stop responding as strongly. That's why patch and capsule regimens require a daily drug-free interval of at least 10–12 hours.

💊How it's taken

Nitroglycerin comes in several forms, each with its own schedule — do not mix instructions between them.

  • Sublingual tablets / lingual sprays: taken or sprayed at the onset of chest pain, may be repeated every 5 minutes up to 3 times; if pain continues, seek emergency care. May also be used 5–10 minutes before an activity likely to trigger angina.
  • Nitro-Time capsules and transdermal patches: taken on a regular daily schedule that always includes a nitrate-free break (typically 10–12 hours overnight) to prevent tolerance. Patches are worn 12–14 hours, then removed.
  • Rectiv / rectal ointment: applied every 12 hours for up to 3 weeks.
  • IV forms: administered only by healthcare providers in a clinical setting using an infusion pump.
🤒Side effects — in detail

Most side effects are directly related to nitroglycerin's blood vessel–widening action.

  • Headache — the most common; often severe at first but usually improves with continued use
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension), especially when standing
  • Flushing (skin redness and warmth)
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Slightly faster heartbeat
  • Shortness of breath

Seek emergency help right away if you faint, develop severe or persistent low blood pressure, notice bluish or chocolate-brown skin (a sign of a rare blood oxygen problem called methemoglobinemia), or experience an allergic reaction such as hives or swelling.

⚠️Warnings & precautions
  • Severe low blood pressure: Even normal doses can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure, especially if you stand quickly, are dehydrated, or already have low blood pressure. Sit or lie down when using fast-acting forms. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, pale sweaty skin, and fainting.
  • PDE-5 inhibitor interaction: Combining nitroglycerin with ED drugs (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil) or the lung drug riociguat can cause a severe, potentially life-threatening drop in blood pressure. This combination is contraindicated.
  • Tolerance: Continuous use without a daily drug-free break leads to the drug losing its effect completely within 24 hours. Always follow the prescribed patch-off or nitrate-free interval.
  • Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: Nitroglycerin may worsen chest pain in people with this particular heart muscle condition.
  • Increased brain pressure: Nitroglycerin can raise pressure inside the skull and must not be used by people with cerebral hemorrhage or traumatic brain injury.
🔀What it interacts with

Nitroglycerin has several important drug interactions that can be dangerous.

  • PDE-5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil) — severely amplify blood pressure lowering; combination is contraindicated
  • Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators (riociguat) — causes dangerous hypotension; combination is contraindicated
  • Ergotamine / dihydroergotamine — nitroglycerin raises ergotamine levels, which can itself trigger angina; avoid or monitor closely
  • High-dose aspirin (1,000 mg) — increases nitroglycerin levels and may strengthen its blood pressure–lowering effect
  • Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) — IV nitroglycerin lowers t-PA levels and reduces its clot-dissolving ability

This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

📋Before taking it
  • Do not take if you use PDE-5 inhibitor medications for ED or pulmonary hypertension (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil) or the drug riociguat
  • Do not take if you have severe anemia — nitroglycerin can worsen it by affecting hemoglobin
  • Do not take if you have increased intracranial (brain) pressure, such as from a head injury or brain bleed
  • Do not take in acute circulatory failure or shock
  • Tell your prescriber if you have hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy — nitroglycerin may worsen your angina
  • Tell your prescriber if you are pregnant — human data are very limited; animal studies showed no harm but human risk is not fully known
  • Tell your prescriber if you are breastfeeding — it is not known whether nitroglycerin passes into breast milk
  • Children: safety and effectiveness have not been established
  • Older adults: more sensitive to blood pressure effects; prescribers typically start at the lower end of the dose range
🚑If you take too much

Too much nitroglycerin overwhelms its blood pressure–lowering action, leading to severe low blood pressure, throbbing headache, confusion, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, fainting, and in extreme cases, seizures or loss of consciousness. There is no specific antidote; treatment focuses on raising blood pressure — often by lying down with legs elevated and, in severe cases, IV fluids. A rare but serious complication of very large doses is methemoglobinemia (a condition where hemoglobin can no longer carry oxygen properly), which is treated with methylene blue administered by a healthcare provider.

📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body

Nitroglycerin's main action is relaxing smooth muscle in blood vessel walls, with the strongest effect on veins. This widens large veins, allowing blood to pool in the limbs, which reduces the amount returning to the heart and lowers the filling pressure the heart must overcome (called preload). It also relaxes arteries, lowering the resistance the heart pumps against (afterload). Both effects reduce the heart's oxygen demand. Blood pressure — systolic, diastolic, and mean — typically falls with therapeutic doses, and heart rate may rise slightly as the body compensates. After sublingual administration, the vasodilatory effect begins within 1–3 minutes, peaks by 5 minutes, and lasts at least 25 minutes.

🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it

Nitroglycerin is absorbed very rapidly when given under the tongue, reaching peak blood levels in about 6–7 minutes. It is broken down quickly — mainly in the liver, but also in red blood cells and blood vessel walls — with a short half-life of only 2 to 3 minutes, so it clears fast. The body produces active breakdown products (dinitroglycerin metabolites) that last longer (half-lives of 32–36 minutes) and contribute to the drug's sustained effect. About 60% of nitroglycerin in the blood is bound to proteins. Because the body processes nitroglycerin so rapidly, continuous 24-hour exposure leads to tolerance; a daily drug-free period is essential for patch and capsule formulations.

📦How to store it

Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) .

📄 Written from Nitroglycerin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →

🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Nitroglycerin — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What's the difference between nitroglycerin for chest pain and the kind used for anal fissure pain?
Great question — it's actually the same active ingredient, just in very different forms for very different places. The tablets, sprays, patches, and capsules all work by widening blood vessels to reduce the heart's workload and ease chest pain. Rectiv ointment is applied rectally and works locally to relax the internal anal sphincter muscle, improving blood flow to the fissure so it can heal. They use the same mechanism but are definitely not interchangeable.
Can I use nitroglycerin if I take sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis)?
No — this is one of the most important safety warnings with nitroglycerin. Both drugs work on the same pathway, and combining them can cause a sudden, severe drop in blood pressure that can be life-threatening. This applies to all ED drugs in this class: sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil. Make sure every doctor and pharmacist you see knows you take nitroglycerin before any new medication is prescribed.
I got a terrible headache after taking nitroglycerin — is that normal?
Yes, headache is actually the most common side effect and it's directly caused by nitroglycerin widening blood vessels in your head. It can be severe, especially when you first start. The good news is it usually gets better over time as your body adjusts. Don't let the headache surprise you — it's a sign the drug is working. If headaches remain unbearable or you have other symptoms, talk to your doctor.
How do I use the sublingual tablet correctly during a chest pain attack?
At the first sign of chest pain, place one tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve — don't swallow it. Sit or lie down while it works. If the pain doesn't go away after 5 minutes, you can take another tablet. You can repeat this up to three tablets total within 15 minutes. If the pain persists after three tablets, call 911 immediately — that's a potential heart attack. You can also use a tablet 5–10 minutes before any activity you know tends to trigger your chest pain.
Why do I need to take the patch off every day? Can't I just leave it on?
You actually need that patch-free time — typically 10–12 hours, usually overnight. If you wear the patch continuously, your body builds tolerance within about 24 hours, meaning the drug completely stops working. Removing the patch gives your body time to reset so the medication stays effective. Your prescriber will tell you exactly when to put it on and when to take it off, and it's important to stick to that schedule.
Is nitroglycerin safe to use if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The honest answer is that we don't have strong human data on this. Animal studies didn't show harm to developing animals, but that doesn't always translate directly to people. There's also no information yet on whether nitroglycerin passes into breast milk. If you're pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor before using nitroglycerin so you can weigh the benefits against any unknowns together.
Is Nitroglycerin available over the counter?
Both — Nitroglycerin is sold both over the counter and by prescription, according to its FDA labeling. Lower strengths or certain forms are often available without a prescription, while higher strengths or specialized forms still require one. Ask your pharmacist which version is right for you.
When was Nitroglycerin first available?
Nitroglycerin has been available in the United States since at least 1983, based on FDA approval history (Drugs@FDA) and product marketing records.
Who makes Nitroglycerin?
Nitroglycerin is supplied by 58 manufacturers listed in the FDA NDC Directory, including HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst, Boiron, Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

💬 Answers drafted from Nitroglycerin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →

🧰 Keep exploring

💊 How Nitroglycerin comes

Nitroglycerin is available in 10 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Sublingual tablet

Under the tongue
Brands Gonitro Nitrostat
Available strengths 4 strengths
129 FDA-listed product records

Skin patch

Through the skin
Brands Nitro-dur Nitroglycerin Transdermal Infusion System Nitroglycerin Transdermal System
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Nitro-Dur and other transdermal nitroglycerin patches are used to prevent angina due to coronary artery disease
  • Transdermal patches act too slowly to stop an acute angina attack — they are for prevention only
Important instructions
  • Nitro-Dur and transdermal nitroglycerin patches are typically worn for 12–14 hours, then removed for a 10–12 hour nitrate-free period each day to prevent tolerance
  • Apply the patch to skin as directed; follow your prescriber's schedule for when to put it on and take it off
Available strengths 14 strengths
Show 8 more strengths Show fewer strengths
24 FDA-listed product records

Spray

By mouth
Brands Nitroglycerin Lingual Nitrolingual
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Nitroglycerin Lingual Spray and Nitrolingual Pumpspray are used for acute relief of angina attacks due to coronary artery disease
  • Nitroglycerin Lingual Spray and Nitrolingual Pumpspray may also be used prophylactically before activities known to trigger angina
Important instructions
  • Nitrolingual and Nitroglycerin Lingual Spray: spray one or two metered doses onto or under the tongue at the onset of an attack
  • May repeat approximately every 5 minutes — no more than three sprays in a 15-minute period
  • If chest pain continues after three sprays, seek emergency medical attention immediately
  • May be used 5–10 minutes before activities likely to trigger an attack
Available strengths 1 strength
21 FDA-listed product records

Injection

Into a vein
Brands Nitroglycerin In Dextrose
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Nitroglycerin Injection and Nitroglycerin in Dextrose are used to treat high blood pressure around the time of surgery (peri-operative hypertension)
  • Nitroglycerin Injection and Nitroglycerin in Dextrose are used to control heart failure in the setting of a heart attack
  • Used to treat angina that has not responded to sublingual nitroglycerin and beta-blockers
  • Used to produce controlled low blood pressure during surgery (intraoperative hypotension)
Important instructions
  • Nitroglycerin Injection is given intravenously in a hospital or clinical setting only, using an infusion pump
  • Nitroglycerin Injection should be given through non-PVC (low-absorbing) tubing to ensure the correct dose is delivered
  • Dose is determined individually by a healthcare provider based on patient response
Available strengths 4 strengths
16 FDA-listed product records

Rectal topical

Rectal
Brands Rectiv
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Rectiv is used to treat moderate to severe pain from chronic anal fissure
  • Nitroglycerin rectal ointment 0.4% is used to treat moderate to severe pain from chronic anal fissure
Important instructions
  • Rectiv is applied intra-anally every 12 hours for up to 3 weeks using a finger covering (such as a finger cot, glove, or plastic wrap)
  • Apply the ointment no further than the first finger joint inside the anal canal; if pain prevents this, apply to the outside of the anus
Available strengths 1 strength
11 FDA-listed product records

Capsule

By mouth
Brands Nitro-Time
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Nitro-Time is used to prevent angina due to coronary artery disease
  • Nitro-Time is not fast enough to stop an angina attack already in progress
Important instructions
  • Nitro-Time is taken orally on a schedule that includes a daily nitrate-free interval (typically 10–12 hours) to prevent tolerance
  • Follow your prescriber's schedule carefully — do not take Nitro-Time around the clock
Available strengths 3 strengths
7 FDA-listed product records

Topical cream, ointment or gel

On the skin
Brands Nitro-bid
Available strengths 1 strength
6 FDA-listed product records

Inhaler

Under the tongue
Brands NitroMist
Available strengths 1 strength
1 FDA-listed product record

📊 Nitroglycerin across the U.S. market

How Nitroglycerin appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.

10
Dose forms
58
Manufacturers
16
Brand names
238
FDA-listed product records
1983
First marketed

FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst9%
Boiron7%
Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC5%
A-S Medication Solutions5%
Remedyrepack Inc.4%
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA4%
Other makers66%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

📈 How widely Nitroglycerin is used

A general measure of how commonly Nitroglycerin is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.

Think of this as a proxy for how widely Nitroglycerin is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.

340,741
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$8.8M gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Nitroglycerin prescribed? Of the 1,594 medications we measure, Nitroglycerin ranks #308 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 81% of them.

Where Nitroglycerin ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5

Utilization by Nitroglycerin product

Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.

The 0.4 mg sublingual tablet is the most-dispensed Nitroglycerin product — about 86% of these Medicaid prescriptions.

nitroglycerin 0.4 MG Sublingual Tablet Most dispensed

294,171 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 86% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $3.8M gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $13 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 17 of 95 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198039

nitroglycerin 0.3 MG Sublingual Tablet

9,237 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 3% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $154,856 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $17 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 8 of 16 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198038

nitroglycerin 0.02 MG/MG Topical Ointment

8,740 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 3% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $354,948 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $41 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 7 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 242946

nitroglycerin 0.004 MG/MG Rectal Ointment

6,115 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 2% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $2.7M gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $438 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 4 of 7 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1114466

24 HR nitroglycerin 0.2 MG/HR Transdermal System

4,809 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $132,098 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $27 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 11 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 486148

250 ML nitroglycerin 0.2 MG/ML Injection

4,444 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $418,189 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $94 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 2 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 312004

250 ML nitroglycerin 0.1 MG/ML Injection

3,767 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $691,682 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $184 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 2 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1868562

24 HR nitroglycerin 0.1 MG/HR Transdermal System

3,583 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $84,376 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $24 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 8 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 861657

24 HR nitroglycerin 0.4 MG/HR Transdermal System

3,478 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $109,635 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $32 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 14 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 486152

10 ML nitroglycerin 5 MG/ML Injection

1,239 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $351,029 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $283 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 8 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 237205

nitroglycerin 0.4 MG/ACTUAT Mucosal Spray

680 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $98,359 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $145 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 5 of 20 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 705129

250 ML nitroglycerin 0.4 MG/ML Injection

274 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $1,628 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $5.94 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 1 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1868494

24 HR nitroglycerin 0.6 MG/HR Transdermal System

137 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $4,013 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $29 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 1 of 9 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 486146

nitroglycerin 0.6 MG Sublingual Tablet

67 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Nitroglycerin prescriptions shown $1,291 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $19 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 15 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198040

Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.

Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Nitroglycerin, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 48 of 215 listed Nitroglycerin NDCs with Medicaid activity.

🔍 Compare Nitroglycerin products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Nitroglycerin — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)

Showing 200 of 238 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 238 Nitroglycerin NDCs →

RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength

This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.

Ingredient (IN) Nitroglycerin RxCUI 4917 12 dose forms · 33 strengths
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Buccal Tablet RxCUI 542230 No current FDA listing
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 2 MG RxCUI 542239 3 MG RxCUI 542266 5 MG RxCUI 542269
  2. Dose form (SCDF) Extended Release Oral Capsule RxCUI 373105 No current FDA listing
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 2.5 MG RxCUI 312013 6.5 MG RxCUI 312018 9 MG RxCUI 312020
  3. Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 377109 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 1 MG/ML RxCUI 245276
  4. Dose form (SCDF) Mucosal Spray RxCUI 705128 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.4 MG/ACTUAT RxCUI 705129
  5. Dose form (SCDF) Oral Capsule RxCUI 379729 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 6.5 MG RxCUI 392173 9 MG RxCUI 392174
  6. Dose form (SCDF) Rectal Ointment RxCUI 393438 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.002 MG/MG RxCUI 389177 0.004 MG/MG RxCUI 1114466
  7. Dose form (SCDF) Sublingual Powder RxCUI 1810782 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.4 MG RxCUI 1799428
  8. Dose form (SCDF) Sublingual Tablet RxCUI 373106 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.3 MG RxCUI 198038 0.4 MG RxCUI 198039 0.5 MG RxCUI 249767 0.6 MG RxCUI 198040
  9. Dose form (SCDF) Sustained Release Buccal Tablet RxCUI 373104 No current FDA listing
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 1 MG RxCUI 314121 1.5 MG RxCUI 312010 2 MG RxCUI 312016 3 MG RxCUI 312017 5 MG RxCUI 314122
  10. Dose form (SCDF) Topical Ointment RxCUI 374405 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.02 MG/MG RxCUI 242946

Look up RxCUI 4917 in the RxCUI Atlas →

RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.

🏷️ Sold under these brand names

Rectiv Gonitro Nitro-bid Nitrostat NitroMist Nitro-dur Nitrolingual Glonoinum Nitroglycerin Lingual Nitro-Time Nitroglycerin In Dextrose Nitroglycerin Transdermal Infusion System Nitroglycerin Transdermal System Glonoinum Kit Refill Headache

🏭 Manufacturers & labelers

HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst 19 Boiron 16 Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC 12 A-S Medication Solutions 10 Remedyrepack Inc. 9 Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA 9 Medical Purchasing Solutions, LLC 8 Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. 7 Parke-Davis Div of Pfizer Inc 6 NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc. 6 Lifestar Pharma LLC 6 Henry Schein, Inc. 6 Greenstone LLC 6 Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. 6 Dr. Reddys Laboratories Inc 6 Advagen Pharma Ltd 6 Time Cap Laboratories, Inc 6 Baxter Healthcare Company 6 Allegis Pharmaceuticals, LLC 5 Bryant Ranch Prepack 5 Proficient Rx LP 5 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc. 4 Padagis Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd 4 Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. 4

…and 16 more on the FDA NDC directory.

RxNorm drug class

Nitroglycerin belongs to the Nitrate Vasodilator class.

Pharmacologic class Nitrate Vasodilator
Drug family (ATC) Organic nitrates, Muscle relaxants

Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.

🔬 Where this comes from

Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Oct 15, 2024
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Nitroglycerin.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Nitroglycerin after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
35
NDC products indexed
238
Distinct labelers/manufacturers represented
58
Linked representative label
Greenstone LLC
Linked label effective
Oct 15, 2024
Composite sections available
21
Linked SPL Set ID
041f127e-5166-4484-bc1a-0a373d1187ae
Linked SPL Document ID
2ac009f2-257f-4603-a1e8-c50aa9e31f4b
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

How we combine label and product data

HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 35 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.

For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Greenstone LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.

This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.