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Dinitrate d'isosorbide

Isoket Retard

Isosorbide dinitrate helps to prevent angina pain.

The most common side-effect is headache. This should pass after a few days of taking your medication.

About isosorbide dinitrate

Type de médicament

A nitrate

Utilisé pour

Angina; heart failure

Aussi appelé

Isoket Retard®

Disponible sous forme de

Tablets and longer-acting tablets (called modified-release tablets)

Isosorbide dinitrate is prescribed mainly to prevent l'angine de poitrine pain from developing. Angina pain develops if part of your heart muscle does not get as much blood and oxygen as it needs. It is usually caused by narrowing of your coronary arteries due to a build-up of a fatty substance called atheroma. The narrowing makes it more difficult for blood to flow to your heart muscle.

Isosorbide dinitrate works in two ways. It relaxes blood vessels in your body (causing them to widen) and this reduces the strain on your heart, making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It also relaxes and widens blood vessels in your heart (coronary arteries), which increases the flow of blood to your heart muscle.

Some isosorbide dinitrate tablets can also be used to provide quick relief of angina pain when it happens. They are also sometimes prescribed for people with insuffisance cardiaque (where the heart does not beat as efficiently as it should).

Before taking isosorbide dinitrate

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start isosorbide dinitrate it is important that your doctor knows:

  • Si vous êtes enceinte ou si vous allaitez.

  • Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de votre foie, ou des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de vos reins.

  • Si vous avez une pression artérielle basse.

  • If you have been told by a doctor you have low levels of iron in your blood (anaemia), or low levels of oxygen in your blood (hypoxaemia).

  • Si vous avez une glande thyroïde sous-active.

  • Si vous avez une affection oculaire appelée glaucome.

  • If you have recently had a head injury or a heart attack.

  • Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

  • If you are taking other medicines, including those available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal or complementary medicines. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you are using any medicines to help treat dysfonction érectile.

How to take isosorbide dinitrate

  • Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about nitrate medicines, and it will also provide you with a full list of side-effects which you could experience from taking isosorbide dinitrate.

  • Standard tablets (sometimes called immediate-release tablets) are taken three or four times a day, with the last dose usually being taken no later than 6 pm. Longer-acting tablets (called modified-release or 'Retard' tablets) are taken twice daily, the first dose in the morning and the second dose mid-afternoon. Your doctor will tell you which type of tablets you are being supplied with, and your dose will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about how to take them. You can take isosorbide dinitrate tablets either before or after meals.

  • If you are taking modified-release tablets, you should swallow the tablet whole - do not chew, break or crush the tablet before you swallow. This is because the tablet is specially made to release the medicine in a controlled way.

  • Try to take the tablets at the same times of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. If you forget to take a dose at your usual time, take it when you remember. However, if it is nearly time to take your next dose when you remember, then leave out the forgotten dose and take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a missed dose.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

  • Modified-release isosorbide dinitrate tablets are not suitable to take to treat chest pain during an angina attack. Your doctor will prescribe you a short-acting nitrate for you to take if this happens. Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) is commonly prescribed for this.

  • Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your progress

  • The longer you take isosorbide dinitrate, the more your body can become used to it (called tolerance) and then it can have less of an effect. To avoid this, your doses may not be prescribed at equal intervals throughout the day. It is important that you follow the instructions your doctor gives you about when to take your doses.

  • It is best not to drink alcohol while you are on isosorbide dinitrate. Alcohol will increase the risk of you experiencing side-effects such as feeling dizzy and light-headed.

  • If you are having an operation or dental treatment, please remember to tell the person carrying out the treatment which medicines you are taking.

  • If you buy any medicines, please check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take with isosorbide dinitrate.

Can isosorbide dinitrate cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with isosorbide dinitrate.

Vous trouverez une liste complète dans la notice d'information du fabricant fournie avec votre médicament. Les effets indésirables s'améliorent souvent à mesure que votre corps s'adapte au nouveau médicament, mais parlez-en à votre médecin ou pharmacien si l'un des effets suivants persiste ou devient gênant.

Common isosorbide dinitrate side-effects

Que puis-je faire si je ressens cela ?

Maux de tête

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller. This side-effect usually disappears after a few days

Se sentir étourdi ou fatigué

Ne conduisez pas et n'utilisez pas d'outils ou de machines lorsque vous êtes affecté

Feeling your heart is beating quickly, flushing

Si l'un de ces éléments devient problématique, consultez votre médecin

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus au médicament, veuillez consulter votre médecin ou votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

How to store isosorbide dinitrate

  • Gardez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

  • Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur directe et de la lumière.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments

Ne prenez jamais plus que la dose prescrite. Si vous soupçonnez que vous ou quelqu'un d'autre avez pris une surdose de ce médicament, rendez-vous au service des urgences de votre hôpital local. Emportez le contenant avec vous, même s'il est vide.

Ce médicament est pour vous. Ne le donnez jamais à d'autres personnes, même si leur état semble être le même que le vôtre.

Ne conservez pas de médicaments périmés ou indésirables. Apportez-les à votre pharmacie locale qui s'en débarrassera pour vous.

Si vous avez des questions concernant ce médicament, demandez à votre pharmacien.

Signaler les effets secondaires d'un médicament ou d'un vaccin

Si vous ressentez des effets secondaires, vous pouvez les signaler en ligne via le Site web de Yellow Card.

Questions fréquemment posées

Can isosorbide dinitrate be used for immediate relief of angina pain?

Standard isosorbide dinitrate tablets can sometimes be used to provide quick relief of angina pain when it happens. However, modified-release isosorbide dinitrate tablets are not suitable for treating chest pain during an angina attack. Your doctor will prescribe a short-acting nitrate, such as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), for immediate relief.

What should I do if I am experiencing side-effects from isosorbide dinitrate?

Many common side-effects, like headache, often improve as your body adjusts to the medicine. If you experience a headache, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller. If any side-effects continue or become troublesome, for example if you feel dizzy, tired, or notice your heart beating quickly or flushing, you should speak with your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Why is it important to take isosorbide dinitrate at specific times, and not always at equal intervals?

Your body can become used to isosorbide dinitrate over time, which is called tolerance, and this can reduce its effectiveness. To prevent this, your doctor may not prescribe your doses at equal intervals throughout the day. It is important to follow your doctor's instructions precisely regarding when to take your doses to ensure the medicine remains effective.

Are there any specific types of medications I should avoid while taking isosorbide dinitrate?

It is particularly important to tell your doctor if you are using any medicines to help treat erectile dysfunction. Additionally, if you buy any other medicines, including those available without a prescription or herbal/complementary medicines, you should check with a pharmacist to ensure they are suitable to take with isosorbide dinitrate.

Lectures complémentaires et références

Historique de l'article

Les informations sur cette page sont rédigées et examinées par des cliniciens qualifiés.
  • Prochaine révision prévue : 18 oct. 2027
  • 21 oct. 2024 | Dernière version

    Dernière mise à jour par

    Michael Stewart, MRPharmS

    Revu par

    Sid Dajani

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