KSheffeld,

There are four kinds of Niacin. There is regular Niacin that causes the flush. There is No-Flush Niacin that is regular Niacin which has Inositol attached to it. Then there are other "sustained released", "slow release", "extended release", and "time released" Niacin that are sold over-the-counter without a prescription. Then there is the prescription kind called "Niaspan" and "Advicor" (when combined with a statin drug) which is a time-released Niacin.

Studies before 1996 showed that the over-the-counter sustained released, etc. types of Niacin as opposed to the over-the-counter regular Niacin, did indeed cause higher rates of liver damage. Then in 1996 the time-released prescription Niacin called "Niaspan" underwent extensive testing until it was found to be better than regular Niacin at NOT causing liver damage.

A couple of the studies on the prescription Niaspan showing even though it is time-release, it didn't cause liver damage are shown here:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=54396

The kind of time-release Niacin available in health food stores may or may not be the type of Niacin to cause liver damage. No studies need to be done on health food store products.

So I'm interested to know if your mother actually took No-Flush Niacin with Inositol (inositol nicotinate) which although sustained-released has been shown to be safe in four studies OR Slo-Niacin, the sustained-released, time-released kind which also says "no flush" because it releases slowly but without inositol.

Voyajer:
Thanks for the update - I wasn't aware of the various new versions of niacin. I'll definitely check out your suggested sites.

My mother's cirrhosis manifested before 1996, and I'm fairly certain she was taking a time release niacin that did not contain inositol. Unfortunately.

My husband, though, as I said before, has had steady, long-term success with regular niacin in unusually large doses (1500 milligrams three times a day). He believes that the flushing phenomenon is actually beneficial, in that it provides a mental bio-feedback mechanism - a connection between the body and the mind (however ephemeral) that might strengthen the niacin's effectivness. I know, it sounds a bit flakey - but no one can argue with his continued success.

I think for myself, I might be persuaded to try the inositol/niacin combo - or at least to give it some further research.

KSheffield, Did anyone you knew get hives from the niacin. also, to voyajer, I feel it's really important to go up to the 1000 milagrams of niacin, but not when I get hives. I wonder what in Niaspan could have caused them. do you think regualr Niacin would do the same thing? thanks chris

I've read that some people have an allergic reaction to Niacin. Actually, anyone can get an allergic reaction to anything. Hives are usually the first sign of allergic reaction to any chemical, drug or food. If you are allergic to one drug, you are generally allergic to the whole class of drugs. However, if I were you I would try the No Flush Niacin (inositol nicotinate) because it is actually considered a different chemical than Niacin (nicotinate).

There isn't much else you can do if you continue to get hives except take an anti-histamine with the Niaspan.

There is an alternative. Octacosanol works as well as Niacin in lowering cholesterol. You can get it at the health food store.

See this thread:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=56684

Chrisews:
I've been troubled by hives myself, but not in response to niacin, and no one I know has ever had that response. However, I haven't had hives in years, since I started regularly taking vitamin B (50 milligrams of all the B's) every day, as well as a couple of grams of vitamin C. Maybe if you shore up your body defenses with these nutrients, your hive response will disappear. I agree, the large doses of niacin are necessary to effect the lowering of cholesterol, so good luck!

26/10/01 Fasting
tot chol 5.75
LDL 3.81
HDL 1.65
Tot/HDL = 3.48 (<5)
----------------------

24/07/02 non fasting
tot chol 6.5
HDL 1.34
LDL 4.34
Tot/HDL = 4.85
Trig = 1.8
--------------------

30/07/02 fasting
tot chol 6.42
LDL 4.54
HDL 1.38
tot/HDL 4.65
trig 1.1

Well good news everyone,

here is my blood work from yesterday : 04/09/02

tot chol 6.11
trig 0.8
HDL 1.46
LDL 4.28
tot/HDL 4.18


as you can see there is a significant positive change just after 1 month on No Flush Niacin 500mg daily and Folate 40mcg.

I will take 1000mg No flush Niacin for the next 2 months and then re-measure


Rob

Congratulations Rob!

Total cholesterol went from 248 to 236 and your HDL went up and LDL went down. Not bad!!

I should also have said ,

that I have greatly reduced my intake of eggs , I limit them to 2 per week ( instead of 14 !! LOL LOL ) and I have not had bacon for the past month and whipping cream only once and sausage also only once .



I think its just sensible eating less saturated fats and more monounsaturated as well as more omega 3 polyunsaturated . I also have started eating oily fish more frequently .

Rob

I had an unpleasant experience after a cardiologist placed me on niaspan and at the same time my family dr. put me on Zocor. Apparently some people react quite severly to niaspan combined with statins (sp?).

The flushing was disturbing in that it was accompanied by what felt like a high feever, but the most disturbing part is that I began to suffer from stiff and sore legs. I have always been able to walk long distances while playing golf or hunting, but after about three months on this combo, I could barely walk 100 yards. I only discovered that this mixture was harmful when I filled both prescriptions at the same time, and my pharmacist cautioned me and directed me back to my family dr., who was surprised that the cardiologist had prescribed niacin, and agreed that this was not a good idea. I ceased taking Zocor, and eventually the niacin as well. My legs have almost reached 100 percent after about 1 and 1/2 years.

I started locarb (perpetual induction) in February, and by mid may I had lost 35lbs. I am off LC now, but plan to start again when my current health crisis passes (angiogram Monday....stents or surgery to follow) or I do.

I hope those of you on niacin check to see if it is a bad combination with anything else you are doing. Good luck.

Plain Niacin is terrible .

In doses over 50g you get an awful flushing with temp . I know it happened to me and I changed to no flush niacin . This preparation has none of the flushing you get with regular niacin .

I am not on any other medication .

I am aware that high dose niacin has been assocaited with liver damage and that it can cause a raise in blood sugar although none of this is reported with INH Niacin

I will recheck my blood sugar and liver function tests when I repeat my lipid profile in 2 or 3 months time .

Rob

JClifford,

Rob is right. Try No Flush Niacin with inositol if your cholesterol is still high.

And don't blame the Niacin on the stiff and sore legs. It was the statin drug Zocor (simvastatin) that did that. Statins deteriorate your muscles. One statin drug had to be taken off the market and is being sued for causing 30 deaths from muscle deterioration disease caused by the drug. Scary stuff!

See these threads:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=56684

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=55457

The whole reason I began LC is because of that specific problem, but I'm almost grateful.

From June 2001-March 2002, my bp kept going higher and higher. Doc kept prescribing meds to get it down and NOTHING was working. Finally, in March, he told me I was doomed - not in so many words - but that I might not last more than a year or two, if I were even that lucky.

On the ride home, discussing the problem with my spouse, I decided to try the Atkins diet that a friend had tried and found successful. It was instantly successful for me and I have been following the Induction level since then - and will until I get my numbers in a better place.

Anyway, on my followup visit the next week, the doc discovered that the nurse had been using the wrong size cuff on me all that time and that my bp was actually being fairly well controlled by the meds he'd given me. Now, I always ask for the largest cuff, just in case she forgets again. This nurse is also overweight and seems actively angry that I'm losing weight - she often misreads my data for the worse, but I truly adore my doctor and will not change because of her.

Also wanted to mention that my pre-Atkins cholesterol levels, controlled by drugs and a 2-yr-old triple bypass, were not terrible - slightly over 200 total. After 2 months on Atkins, my total was down to 185, but the bad cholesterol had raised. Doc is supportive of Atkins, but worried about that aspect and my bp. I was wanting to go off of meds altogether to try the diet "perfectly" but have since resigned myself to taking things much more slowly.

I'm also diabetic, which complicates things somewhat. My mom died of the same problems at age 56. Most people consider that young, but I may be lucky to get that far.

Well ,

I've been taking folate 50mcg and no flush niacin 1000mg daily for the past 2 months . I had my bllod work done today so watch this space for the exciting news tomorrow !!!


Rob

Well here they are :


30/07/02 fasting
tot chol 6.42 247.8
LDL 4.54 175.2
HDL 1.38 53.2
tot/HDL 4.65
trig 1.1 42.5
LDL/HDL = 3.3

--------------------

04/09/02 fasting 500mg Niacin and 40mcg Folate daily

tot chol 6.11 235.8 1mmol/l (IU)= 38.6mg/dl USA
LDL 4.28 165
HDL 1.46 56.36
trig 0.8 30.88
chol/HDL 4.18 (<5)
LDL/HDL 2.9

now on 1000g Niacin daily and 40mcg folate . Next check beg November 2001

14/11/02 fasting 1g Niacin and 40mcg folate daily

tot chol 5.7 220
LDL 4.03 155.56
HDL 1.27 49.02
trig 0.88 33.97
chol/HDL 4.49 (<5)
LDL/HDL 3.17


I am really pleased with the results and will continue to take the Niacin and Folate