Does anybody here take Isosorbide?

[zanne]

It's like a long-lasting type of nitroglycerin. I've been taking it for four days and I've had a headache for four days. I'm beginning to think the angina is easier to deal with than this stuff. I've read that the headache side effect goes away, but don't they say that about every drug with side effects? Can anybody who's had experience with this stuff fill me in on how long the headaches last? (Also, I still have some chest pain. Normal?)

[Warpy]

1. The chest pain can kill you. You'll live through the headache.

Tylenol generally does a good job on nitrate headaches. I know what those feel like, we used nitro paste at work, and if we got any on our hands, ouch!

However, if you're still having chest pain, you need to call your doctor. It sounds like you need your meds adjusted. "Just a little chest pain" isn't adequate. They want NO chest pain.

[zanne]

2. Update; I just had a no-exercise stress test.

So far, it's looking good. The cardiologist said it looked fine, so I'll just wait for a follow-up call from his office. Instead of having me get on a treadmill, they injected me with something called Adenosine. The nurse said it would make me feel "flushed". Yikes! I jumped straight out of my chair! It was like having a four-alarm panic attack. Later, the tech told me that everybody responds to it differently. Anybody here ever had this chemical from hell?

[Warpy]

3. No, but I've had to give it

and yes, I've always warned the poor patient.