Nitroglycerin ointment is a nitrate that relaxes blood vessels. The vasodilator is typically used to treat moderate to severe pain caused by chronic anal fissures, but it can also be prescribed to scleroderma patients to help heal skin ulcers caused by Raynaud’s phenomenon.
A study testing nitroglycerin ointment against diltiazem gel  (NCT02801305) as a way of healing digital ulcers in scleroderma is currently recruiting participants. Digital ulcers  are a common complication for scleroderma patients, and the study aims to evaluate the effects of the two treatments on scleroderma digital ulcers over a 10-month course.
Some of the most common side effects of nitroglycerin ointment are dizziness, faintness on standing, headache, and light-headedness.
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- https://www.drugs.com/cdi/nitroglycerin-ointment.html
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/raynauds-disease/basics/treatment/con-20022916
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02801305