Nitroglycerin for heart problems due to Cocaine use?

[blondiee]

i just learned that people take nitroglycerin pills because they have weak hearts (mainly old people). Nitroglycerin helps relieve heart problems due to vasoconstriction and not enough oxygen to the heart; since cocaine is a vasoconstrictor, wouldn't nitroglycerin help since it's a vasodilator? Has anyone heard of using this to help relieve heart problems when using coke?

>>>FROM WIKIPEDIA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroglycerin#Medical_use

Main article: Glyceryl trinitrate (pharmacology) In medicine, nitroglycerin (sometimes called Glyceryl trinitrate, presumably to avoid alarming people) is used as a heart medication (under the trade names Nitrospan® and Nitrostat®). It is used as a medicine for angina pectoris (ischaemic heart disease) in tablets, ointment, solution for intravenous use, transdermal patches (Transderm Nitro®, Nitro-Dur®), or sprays administered under the tongue (Nitrolingual Pump Spray®). A recent medical development will include a small amount of nitroglycerin in the tip of a new Durex condom to stimulate erection during intercourse. "The CSD500 condom contains a chemical in its teat, called glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which is absorbed by the skin and causes blood vessels to dilate."

The principal action of nitroglycerin is vasodilation -- that is, widening of the blood vessels. The main effects of nitroglycerin in episodes of angina pectoris are
--subsiding of chest pain
--decrease of blood pressure
--increase of heart rate.

These effects arise because nitroglycerin is converted to nitric oxide in the body (by a mechanism that is not completely understood), and nitric oxide is a natural vasodilator. Recently, it has also become popular in an off-label use at reduced (0.2%) concentration in ointment form as an effective treatment for anal fissure.

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>>>FROM http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Uses/0,3915,7364|NitroQuick,00.html:

NITROGLYCERIN (Nitrostat®) is a type of vasodilator. It relaxes blood vessels, increasing the blood and oxygen supply to your heart. Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are used to relieve chest pain (angina). They can be used to prevent chest pain before activities that can cause an angina attack (such as climbing stairs, going outdoors in cold weather, or having sex). Generic nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are available.


You can take nitroglycerin sublingual tablets as needed. At the first sign of an angina attack (chest pain or tightness) place one tablet under your tongue. You can also use a nitroglycerin sublingual tablet 5 to 10 minutes before an event likely to produce chest pain. (AKA SNORTING COCAINE?)
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Excessive use of cocaine is likely to lead to Tachycardia (abnormally rapid beating of the heart) which then leads to Ischemia (restriction of blood supply usually in the blood vessels) and Nitroquick tablets help to dilate the blood vessels.

Doesn't anyone else see how this could be somewhat of a holy grail of a cocaine comedown paranoia reliever for people who freak out about heart problems on coke??

 

[ellua]

Doesn't anyone else see how this could be somewhat of a holy grail of a cocaine comedown paranoia reliever for people who freak out about heart problems on coke??

i'm assuming you're worried about heart attacks caused by coke, in which case nitroglycerin has no effect. it's used to treat the pain caused by angina, which even though it may feel like a heart attack isn't nearly as dangerous (when properly diagnosed & treated). if someone does have an angina attack, the nitroglycerin will dilate the blood vessles to alleviate the pain; in no way can an angina attack turn into a fatal heart attack. however if you do have angina and the pain isn't alleviated by the nitroglycerin, it's a sign that it *could* be a more serious problem or heart attack and you should probably get yer ass to a hospital...

i doubt a doctor would prescribe it to alleviate your paranoia; you'd have to be diagnosed with angina or show that you're high-risk for heart problems- cocaine addiction probably wouldn't cut it, though, with the doc but if it did, hypothetically, you could possibly get the sublingual form to take as-needed if pain comes on... if you take tablets daily just as a preventative measure you run the risk of eventually deteriorating your blood vessle walls. also, you'll build up tolerance to it, so why fix what ain't broken?

i get some anxiety over heart problems from amphets too though, so i understand where you're coming from... here's some things to keep in mind that might help:
-i wait a minimum of 4 hours after taking any amphetamines before any exercise or strenuous activity
-niacin (b3) is a natural blood vessle dilator, get it in foods, supplements, or your body can convert tryptophan into niacin (good to make sure you're getting tryptophan anyway, it can treat depression also)
-drink plenty of water
-breathe deeply, from the diaphram, in thru the nose, out thru the mouth, blah blah blah ;-)
-other natural vasodilators: vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, korean ginsing, nitric oxide (i personally don't take any except vitamin e)

 

[BilZ0r]

interesting idea...

I don't know enough about the cardiovascular system to know... the thing is, the nitrates wont dilate the blood vessles in your heart, just in your body, so they drop your blood pressure, but whether they will slow your heart is another story.

 

[Intoxo]

Forgive the question if its dumb, but I've always wondered if you smashed a nitroglycerine pill with a hammer, would it pop or anything?

 

[ellua]

Forgive the question if its dumb, but I've always wondered if you smashed a nitroglycerine pill with a hammer, would it pop or anything?

hehe good question, but as a drug it's inert.

 

[GABAlover]

If you get chest pain from snorting, it's time to stop.

 

[hussness]

Would aspirin do anything for this? I've heard it thins the blood, but at this point I don't know what that really means.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Forgive the question if its dumb, but I've always wondered if you smashed a nitroglycerine pill with a hammer, would it pop or anything?

Well considering the dose is a milligram or under (if I remember correctly), you're not going to get much of a bang!

 

[ellua]

Would aspirin do anything for this? I've heard it thins the blood, but at this point I don't know what that really means.

nope... aspirin *can* save your life in the event of a heart attack, but cocaine-induced heart trouble would be cardiac arrest, where aspirin wouldn't do a damn thing.

here's the difference between the two:
Heart attacks - Think of arteries as the "plumbing" of the heart. When an artery that delivers blood to the heart is blocked, the oxygen in the blood can't get to the heart and the muscle is damaged. It may be very mild; some people have had heart attacks and not even known. Of course heart attacks can be fatal, too. So keep your saturated fat intake under 20mg/day!!! It's just as important as cholesterol, IMO, to heart health.

Cardiac arrest - the heart develops a fast & irregular rythem which impairs the lower ventricles (chambers in the heart) ability to fully contract. Without contraction, the blood ain't moving. The heart is no longer an effective pump and can't get oxygen to the body or brain.

i guess instead of nitroglycerin, get a defibrillator!
they're only a couple thousand dollars... 8)

 

[johnnyb420]

if you are haveing chest pains while doing coke it is probably time to lay of the coke ,seriously the heart does not dig coke binges you could drop dead at any moment chest discomfort is a good sign that your body has had enough

 

[blondiee]

I guess my main question is: sometimes anxiety and paranoia and panic attacks cause chest tightness/pain not really the coke itself. Is it dangerous to take a nitroglycerin tablet to get rid of that?