Minitran
Minitran prevents chest pain. Minitran patch is applied to the skin daily. It is used to prevent angina attacks. It is not intended for stopping an attack that has already started.
Minitran Overview
Minitran is a prescription medication used to prevent episodes of angina (sudden chest pain). Minitran belongs to a group of drugs called nitrates which work by relaxing (widening) blood vessels making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
This medication comes in patch form and is applied daily.
Common side effects of Minitran include headache and skin irritation.
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Minitran Cautionary Labels
Uses of Minitran
Minitran is a prescription medicine used to prevent angina associated with coronary artery disease (CAD).
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Manufacturer
Generic
Nitroglycerin
For more information on this medication choose from the list of selections below.
Minitran Drug Class
Minitran is part of the drug class:
Side Effects of Minitran
Minitran may cause the following side effects:
- headache
- skin irritation
- lightheadedness
- low blood pressure
- chest pain
- dizziness
- faintness
- flushing
Tell your doctor if you are concerned about any side effects you experience. These are not all the possible side effects of Minitran. For a complete list, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Minitran Interactions
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- any medicines that are used to treat angina, heart failure, or an irregular heartbeat.
- any medicines that reduce blood pressure.
- any diuretics (water pills).
- medications to treat depression or psychiatric illness.
- ergotamine or similar drugs for migraine headaches.
- aspirin.
- the blood thinner medicine heparin.
- any medicines for erectile dysfunction.
Do not consume alcohol while taking Minitran, as this can lower your blood pressure.
This is not a complete list of Minitran drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Minitran Precautions
Do not use Minitran if you are allergic to organic nitrates.
You should not use Minitran if you have the following conditions:
- very recent heart attack
- severe anemia
- increased pressure in the head
Do not use Minitran with drugs for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil), or Levitra (vardenafil), as this may lead to extreme lowering of your blood pressure.
- Do not breastfeed. It is not known if Minitran will pass through your milk.
- Do not consume alcohol while taking Minitran, as this can lower your blood pressure.
- Do not start any new prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements, unless you check with your doctor first.
Minitran Food Interactions
Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Minitran, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.
Inform MD
Before using Minitran, tell your doctor if:
- your angina attacks become more severe, last longer or occur more frequently, tell your doctor immediately.
- you are taking any medicines that are used to treat angina, heart failure, or an irregular heartbeat.
- you are taking any medicines that reduce blood pressure.
- you are taking any diuretics (water pills).
- you are taking medications to treat depression or psychiatric illness.
- you are taking ergotamine or similar drugs for migraine headaches.
- you are taking aspirin.
- you are taking the blood thinner medicine heparin.
- you are taking any medicines for erectile dysfunction.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding.
Minitran and Pregnancy
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.
Minitran falls into category C. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Minitran should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Minitran and Lactation
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. It is not known if Minitran is excreted in human breast milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when Minitran is administered to a nursing woman.
Minitran Usage
Use Minitran exactly as prescribed.
Minitran is available as a patch and is applied once daily.
Apply Minitran at the same time every day.
Apply Minitran to the chest, shoulders, upper arm, or back. Do not apply Minitran to the lower arm or lower leg.
Apply the patch to a nonhairy area so that hair will not prevent direct contact of the patch with the skin. If hair is likely to interfere with adhesion of the patch, the area may be lightly shaved.
Make sure the skin area is clean, dry, and free of irritation or cuts. Use a different skin site each time you use a new Minitran patch.
Minitran sticks well to the skin and remains in place during bathing, swimming, and showering. In the unlikely event that the patch becomes loose, discard it and put a new one on a different skin site.
Do not apply Minitran immediately after showering or bathing – wait until you are sure that the skin is completely dry.
Do not reuse a Minitran patch once it has been removed from the skin.
Allow Minitran to stay in place for 12-14 hours unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
Minitran Dosage
Use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.
The recommended starting dose range of Minitran (nitroglycerin) is 0.2 mg/hr to 0.4 mg/hr.
An appropriate dosing schedule for Minitran patches would include a daily patch-on period of 12-14 hours and a daily patch-off period of 10-12 hours.
Minitran Overdose
If you apply too much Apply Minitran, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.
Other Requirements
- Store Minitran patches at room temperature.
- Keep Minitran patch and all medications out of the reach of children.