Heart failure medicine: Hydralazine and nitrates

If you cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors or ARBs, you may be prescribed hydralazine and nitrates.

When taken together, hydralazine and nitrates relax your blood vessels and decrease how hard your heart has to work to pump blood through your body.

When to call your health care provider

Taking hydralazine and nitrates together

Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following side effects when taking both hydralazine and nitrates :

• dizziness
• headaches
• nausea and vomiting

Taking hydralazine only	Taking nitrates only
Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following side effects while taking hydralazine only: dizziness severe headache that doesn't get better skin blisters joint and/or muscle pain skin rash and/or itch fever sore throat Side effects that go away after using hydralazine include: facial flushing and/or redness headache loss of appetite nausea and/or vomiting constipation	Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following side effects while taking nitrates only: dry mouth blurred vision severe headache that doesn't get better blushed folor to your lips and/or fingernails fast pulse Side effects that go away after using nitrates include: dizziness and/or lightheadedness headache nausea and/or vomiting flushing of your face and/or neck

Related Links

Heart failure: Medicine tips

Cardiovascular disease specialists

Allina Community Pharmacies

First published: 07/19/2006
Last updated: 07/19/2006

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts