Niacin?

[unipolarbear]

So My doctor just prescribed niacin for my high triglycerides. Anyone else take this as a supplement? I haven't heard anything about it and any input you could give would be fabulous. All I know is that I 'might not tolerate it,' but I have no idea what that means or what an intoleration might look like.

Thanks,

Andrew

[Silver]

It can make you turn bright red and sweat.

It's really not intended to give you insight into some of the experience of menopause, but it will, if it happens. Yay, hot flashes!

Doesn't happen to everyone, but you'll know if it does.

That's probably what she means by 'tolerate' it. Hot flashes are survivable...

[Silver]

I should add: not everyone gets this, and there's a TON of information on it out there. But I'm late for work...

It's interesting, how it works. It's somewhat preventable.

There is a lot of information out there and a lot of nonsense out there. Check sources carefully. Lots of ppl who want to sell you stuff.

You can scroll down and read about dosing on this page.

I'm hoping someone comes to this with credible info today, I'm not back til late tonight or tomorrow... OK, I need to go put on clothes for work or they'll fire me.

[olga]

I've always thought that eating whole grains and enriched cereals would give me enough niacin. Plus, it's present in chicken, eggs, milk, fish, nuts and several vegetables.

My doctor told me to eat salmon and the other oily fish for the Omega oils, and he also suggested flax seed and flax seed oil. Even though I have high cholesterol overall, my triglycerides are always at a good level. (around 100)

I'm not opposed to supplements, and I take a few, but if you can lower your triglycerides with diet, wouldn't that be preferable?

olga

ETA: I just came across this on about.com: http://cholesterol.about.com/od/nicotinica...otinictypes.htm

It appears that the niacin supplements which release it immediately into your blood can cause the hot flashes and itching. The extended release ones, not so much. Be sure you also read about the liver toxicity.

I learn something every day at CrazyBoards!

[Rabbit37]

It can also cause flare-ups of gout, if you're predisposed to them. My husband had that problem, and had to quit taking it. And yes, he turned bright red in the mornings!

[Nebulous Nurse]

Niacin comes in many forms. I did tons of research on it when my father went to the doctor for the first time in ten years and his labs came back with a cholesterol of 499 and triglycerides of 4,999. I think he topped the machine out. It couldn't even determine his HDL and LDL. He tried the Crestor and the two days he was on it he felt like he had the flu. My research showed Niacin to be the most effective cholesterol lowering substance I could find, and the long term health implications seemed very good.

My father took 3500 mg a day of regular Niacin, and endured the flushing, though it got much better with time, and if he took it with a large meal, it usually was mild to nonexistant. He didn't take it all at once but something more like 1500 mg at breakfast and lunch and 500 mg at dinner. I think the severity of his labs, made him feel he had little choice if he valued his life. Aspirin has traditionally been known to decrease the intensity of flush if taken half an hour before Niacin. A pharmacist I know recommended taking 4 baby aspirin instead of a regular 325 mg tablet so that the aspirin gets absorbed more quickly. I've also heard large doses of Vitamin C taken 20 -30 minutes before can have the same effect, but my dad generally did not bother with either of those options.

His labs were rechecked 3-4 months later and his cholesterol came down to something like 234 and his triglycerides were totally normal. His liver enzymes were great, and he felt a lot healthier.

He now takes Inositol Hexaniacinate which is flush free Niacin that does have an effect on lowering cholesterol. Niacinimide is a flush free Niacin that does not have cholesterol lowering effects. Extended release Niacin appears to be fairly safe with less flushing, but apparently there have been four cases of proven liver damage from it. 4 people is statistically insignificant out of thousands to millions of people who've used it, but I could find no confirmed cases of damage from the other forms, that wasn't caused

I know then physicians prescribe Niacin they recommend it at night, when most naturopathic sources say to take it during the day with meals. Niacin is known to be an energizer, and not only can it cause flushing, but if you don't take it with food, it can make your stomach upset as well. My dad found out one of his buddies was taking it as his doctor recommended at night, and he was having troubles sleeping. He said there was no way you could get him to take it at night without a meal.

There are some very old studies I read about that followed a group of people who took niacin for cholesterol lowering for a year as part of a study, and then stopped taking it. Ten years later, they seemed to be in much better shape than the placebo group.

Since you are on Lamictal, I would ask about making sure they check your liver enzymes every so often. It's not at all likely that Niacin, Lamictal, or any of the cholesterol lowering drugs will harm your liver, but I would say it is probably the greatest risk, so checking is peace of mind even if you aren't at high risk.

Hope that helps

[null0trooper]

Since you are on Lamictal, I would ask about making sure they check your liver enzymes every so often. It's not at all likely that Niacin, Lamictal, or any of the cholesterol lowering drugs will harm your liver, but I would say it is probably the greatest risk, so checking is peace of mind even if you aren't at high risk.

The Mayo Clinic has also done a bit of literature searching, and here is what they have to say (regarding statin side effects)

Liver damage

Occasionally, statin use could cause your liver to increase its production of enzymes. If the increase is only mild, you can continue to take the drug. If the increase is severe, you may need to stop taking the drug, which usually reverses the problem. Your doctor might suggest a different statin. If left unchecked, increased liver enzymes may lead to permanent liver damage. Certain other cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) and niacin, increase the risk of liver problems even more in people who take statins. Because liver problems may develop without symptoms, people who take statins should have their liver function tested about six weeks after they start taking a statin, and then again every three to six months for the first year of treatment, particularly if their statin dose is increased.

It's not the most likely outcome, but it is enough of a possibility that liver enzyme testing is recommended. Even with niacin alone, liver damage is possible.

[unipolarbear]

Liver damage

Certain other cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) and niacin, increase the risk of liver problems even more in people who take statins.

I'm also on gemfibrozil. I suggested that we go onto a statin and she said that it would damage my liver. (It's already leaking because of my alcohol consumption.) Thanks for the great info!!

[Twinkie]

i got niacin once at our herb shop. it's supposed to help with metabolism. i know it's supposed to make you sweaty and flushed, but the owner said this certain kind shouldn't do that to me. i dont know if he was just talking to talk or if it could be true. i would go to your local health food store/herb shop and ask them if there is such a form of it that will help with that, if you are going to get some.. the brand name i have is "nature's sunshine" and i haven't experienced any negative side effects, but then again i never tried any other form/brand of niacin.

edit: also (and you probably already know this but i just felt the need to post it anyway, lol!) if you drink a lot and have/fear liver problems, eat a lot of beets.. they're supposed to help detoxify your liver.. i always eat a healthy does when i overindulge lol (: