Final answer:
Nitroglycerin can cause side effects such as increased heart rate, low blood pressure, agitation, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal discomfort. These are tied to its vasodilative properties which improve blood flow by releasing nitric oxide.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potential side effects of nitroglycerin include a range of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal issues. Common side effects often involve increased heart rate, low blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms. Patients may also experience neurological and digestive symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, sleep problems, nausea and vomiting, and various gastrointestinal discomforts like indigestion, heartburn, and stomach pain.
It is important for those prescribed nitroglycerin to be aware of these potential side effects, which result from the drug's mechanism of releasing nitric oxide to relax smooth muscle tissue and dilate blood vessels, thus improving blood flow. The potential side effects of nitroglycerin may include increased heart rate, hypertension, increased probability of heart attacks, indigestion, heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and weight gain or loss.