Pain Reducing Drugs
In regards to the problems associated with high blood pressure, a number of drugs have successfully reduced pain and increased the time that such patients can exercise without pain. For example:
1. Nitroglycerin has been successful for years. It opens up the arteries directly and also lowers the blood pressure, so that the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. Nitroglycerin is taken under the tongue at the first sign of pain and usually works in minutes.
2. Long-acting nitrates, such as isosorbide dinitrate and isosorbide mononitrate, decrease the frequency of pain attacks. They can also be administered in a patch that’s worn during the day so that the drug is absorbed through the skin.
3. Beta Mockers, a class of drugs that include propranolol, metoprolol, and atenolol, decrease the heart’s oxygen requirements, thereby decreasing pain.
4. Calcium channel blocking agents, another class of drugs, such as verapamil and diltiazem, also reduce the heart’s oxygen needs by reducing blood pressure and heart rate.