Having angina can not only be painful but can also be life-threatening. That’s why if you have chest pain, then you should visit the doctor as early as possible to get medical treatment. However, different angina pain is treated with different medications. Learn how many medication options are available to treat angina below. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.
Medications
Many different medications are available to treat angina:
- Antiplatelets:
This class of medicine is used to prevent blood clots from forming. It is recommended when you’re experiencing stable or unstable angina. Aspirin is one of the most common antiplatelet medicines that is used to reduce the risk of heart disease complications. These medicines make blood flow easier through narrowed heart arteries. Your provider may prescribe aspirin along with clopidogrel or other platelet inhibitors.
- Anticoagulants:
It’s also known as blood thinners which also reduce clotting and lower the risk of blood clots and future complications. The most common anticoagulants are – rivaroxaban, dabigatran, apixaban, edoxaban, etc.
- Beta-blockers:
This class of medicine is used to make your heart beat slower with less force to relieve angina. However, it also causes some side effects as well, including:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Upset stomach
This medicine is not recommended if you have vasospastic angina, because it can make angina worse.
- Calcium channel blockers:
This class of medicine is used to relax the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels, which increases the blood flow to the heart. This medicine is recommended if you can’t take beta-blockers or nitrates. If you have vasospastic angina, your healthcare provider will recommend calcium channel blockers instead of beta-blockers. Its side effects are – headache, drowsiness, upset stomach, and ankle swelling.
- Morphine:
This medicine is given to patients to relieve their pain and relax the muscles of their blood vessels. As a drug, the doctor only suggests this medicine if you’re in a lot of pain and other medicines don’t improve your angina.
- Nitrates:
This class of medicine is used to widen and relax your blood vessels. This decreases the heart’s workload and increases the blood flow to the heart muscle. If beta-blockers are not suitable for you, long-acting nitrates are recommended. Nitrate pills or sprays act quickly to relieve your pain during an angina event.
If you take nitrates before an intense activity that triggers angina, it may either delay or avoid an angina event. You can take long-acting nitrates as pills or skin patches. If you’re hospitalized for chest pain, then doctors may give intravenous (IV) nitrates to relieve your angina pain as quickly as possible.
Side effects of nitrates are headache and dizziness.
- Ranolazine:
It is used to prevent your angina symptoms from occurring often. When given with other angina medicines, ranolazine can increase the amount of physical activity you can perform without having angina.
Side effects of ranolazine are – dizziness, headache, constipation, and nausea. Sometimes, it’s also prescribed for microvascular angina or refractory angina that doesn’t respond to other treatments.
Ranolazine can be a substitute for nitrates for men who experience stable angina and take medicines for erectile dysfunction.
- Statins:
Statins are used to stop plaque from forming, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. It can also relieve blood vessel spasms or inflammation and decrease the risk of complications after emergency treatment.
It is usually prescribed to treat high cholesterol, as it later can turn into fatty deposits called plaques that clog heart arteries.
How to choose?
To choose the right treatment option for your condition, the doctor or your medical care team will discuss the pros and cons of each treatment with you before the final decision is made. For more people, the first steps include medicines and lifestyle changes. If this doesn’t work, then surgery is another option.
Angina treatment always involves medications and lifestyle changes as the first line of treatment. Medications are recommended based on your health and condition. Your healthcare provider will discuss all the pros and cons with you before prescribing that medicine. If your condition doesn’t improve, then the surgical option is recommended.
If you need help with your angina problem, visit our cardiology clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical help. Call us on +1(347) 384-5690. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Heart Specialist Brooklyn are able to greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
