Nitrocontin 2.6 Tablet: Uses, Side Effects & FAQs

Nitrocontin 2.6 is a controlled-release tablet of glyceryl trinitrate, also called nitroglycerin. It is used to prevent angina, the chest pain you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. It is a prescription-only medicine in India, so you cannot buy it without a valid prescription. Each tablet slowly releases a nitrate that widens blood vessels, so attacks become less likely.

Nitrocontin 2.6 is a long-acting nitrate medicine in tablet form, used to prevent angina chest pain. The 2.6 is the strength in milligrams. "Controlled release" means the medicine comes out slowly over several hours, not all at once.

The 2.6 mg is the nitroglycerin the tablet delivers. A stronger 6.4 mg tablet is also made. The tablets also contain lactose.

Check the strength printed on your bottle before you take a tablet. Nitrocontin is made in India by Modi-Mundipharma.

Your body turns glyceryl trinitrate into nitric oxide, a natural gas that relaxes the muscle in blood vessel walls. The veins widen most, so less blood flows back to the heart, which then has less work to do and needs less oxygen. The arteries widen too, so more blood reaches the heart muscle, and the result is less chance of chest pain when you walk or climb stairs.

Doctors prescribe Nitrocontin 2.6 for:

• Stable angina, chest pain that comes on with walking, stairs or stress and eases with rest
• Preventing attacks through the day, taken regularly so attacks come less often
• Staying active, as one aim of your angina treatment plan
• Long-term angina care, alongside the other heart medicines your doctor has chosen

It does not treat a sudden attack of chest pain. For that you need the fast-acting nitroglycerin tablet or spray your doctor has given you. Nor does it clear blocked arteries or reverse heart disease.

Treating a heart attack as ordinary angina wastes the minutes that matter.

1. Swallow the tablet whole with water. Do not chew or crush it.
2. Take it on an empty stomach, morning and evening.
3. Keep to the same two times each day.
4. If your doctor has asked for a longer gap between the evening and morning doses, follow that.
5. Keep your fast-acting nitroglycerin with you for a sudden attack; this tablet will not help then.
6. Do not stop the tablet on your own. Stopping suddenly can bring angina back worse.

Your doctor sets the dose. The usual starting schedule is one 2.6 mg tablet in the morning and one in the evening, on an empty stomach.

If angina is not well controlled after about a week, your doctor may raise the dose. The usual next step is the 6.4 mg tablet, twice a day. Older adults take the same adult dose.

Never raise the dose on your own. A higher dose does not prevent angina better, but it does make headaches, dizziness and a sharp fall in blood pressure more likely.

Nitrocontin 2.6 is not recommended for children. It has not been studied in this age group.

If someone takes too many tablets, go to the nearest hospital emergency department at once and carry the bottle with you. Signs include vomiting, a sharp fall in blood pressure, restlessness, fainting and a bluish tinge to the skin.

Take it as soon as you remember, unless the next dose is only a few hours away. In that case, skip the missed one and carry on as usual. Never take two tablets to make up for it.

This tablet is not meant to stop pain within minutes; it works in the background through the day, so attacks become less frequent. If your angina is no better after about a week, tell your doctor.

Store the bottle at or below 30°C, in a dry place, protected from light. Keep it out of reach of children and do not use the tablets after the expiry date; the shelf life is 24 months.

Most people take Nitrocontin 2.6 without much trouble. When side effects happen, they are usually mild and ease as the body adjusts.

Common and mild:

• Headache, the most common one by far
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed
• Flushing and warmth in the face
• Feeling sick
• Feeling weak or tired

A fast heartbeat or palpitations can also happen, but are less common.

Rare but serious (stop the medicine and see a doctor right away):

• Fainting, or a sudden sharp drop in blood pressure
• Chest pain that is different from, or worse than, your usual angina
• Lips, tongue or skin turning blue or grey
• Swelling of the lips, face or throat, or trouble breathing (call 112)
• A heartbeat that becomes very fast, very slow or uneven

Most of these come from widened blood vessels. Headache is more likely when you start treatment or take a higher dose, and often settles after a few days.

• Allergy to nitrates, nitrites, lactose or any tablet ingredient
• A heart attack that is happening now
• Severe anaemia
• A head injury or bleeding in the brain
• Closed-angle glaucoma
• Sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil in the last 24 to 48 hours

Tell your doctor before taking Nitrocontin 2.6 if you have:

• Low blood pressure, or you often feel dizzy when standing
• Lost a lot of fluid through water tablets, loose motions or vomiting
• Had a heart attack, heart failure or a stroke
• A heart muscle problem called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Surgery planned, including dental surgery (the anaesthetic can worsen the drop in blood pressure)
• Pregnancy, or you are planning one
• Breastfeeding
• Just started on another blood pressure medicine

Always tell your doctor about every medicine, supplement or home remedy you use, including anything bought without a prescription. Alcohol adds to the drop in blood pressure, so keep it to a minimum while you take this tablet.

This tablet only helps prevent angina. Get medical help quickly if you have:

• Chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes or does not ease with rest
• Pain spreading to your arm, jaw or back, with sweating or breathlessness
• Angina attacks that come more often, last longer, or start at rest
• Fainting, or a feeling that you are about to faint
• Blue or grey lips or skin, or swelling of the lips, face or throat

For a suspected heart attack, call 112. For an ambulance, call 108.

Nitrocontin 2.6 is a slow-release nitrate that helps prevent angina chest pain, taken exactly as your doctor wrote it. It is not the tablet to reach for during an attack, and never mix it with erectile dysfunction medicines. Headache and dizziness are the side effects you are most likely to notice, and they usually settle. Never stop it suddenly.