Has anyone had any experience using NIACIN to treat high cholesterol ?


My cholesterol has gone up since being on LC . I cannot explain it , I am loosing weight and enjoying it . Look at my previous post to see my numbers .

I dont know what to do , do I eat less animal products such as meat ,cheese, eggs ,cream or do I continue eating as I have done .

Some people believe that the cholesterol story is a myth and that people get heart attacks with low cholesterol .

I am well but there is a history of vascular disease in my family .

So , cholesterol does'nt automatically go down with this WOE !! It may do but no guarantees .

I have posted previously but have had no helpful replies

I would appreciate some advice

Rob

Hi Rob!

You may find this link helpful: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...threadid=34068.
I'd also suggest another look at Protein Power if you have the book. The Eades' do a very good job of explaining cholesterol and it's funtions in our bodies along with explaining why changes do or don't occur and what measurements we should be concerned about.

hi Rob ..

For reference, I'll copy your bloodwork from the other post:

• 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

First off, totally disregard the non-fasting results, as they've been skewed by any food or beverage consumed. Just another quick question .. do you smoke or use nicotine patch or gum?? as those things will cause the levels to appear higher as well.

While your LDL (over 4.1) and consequently the total chol (over 6.2) are high, your HDL is good, over 1.03. Also triglycerides are excellent, below 2.3

The total to HDL ratio is high (over 4.6) because of the elevated LDL. You'll find some explanations for this in the link that Lisa N gave in her post.

You have several options . One is .. do nothing, since triglycerides are now considered a greater indicator of heart risk than total cholesterol, and yours are fine. Also, your HDL is great, which can be protective against heart disease.

Or You can try to manipulate your diet and add some supplements that MAY help to lower LDL. Or, try to raise HDL ... if your LDL remains constant, but your HDL goes up, then the total to HDL ratio would go down, which is desirable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Protein Power Lifeplan (pub. 2000) the Eades devote chapter 4 to "Cholesterol: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly", including a section on using No-Flush niacin (500mg, 3 times a day). You must use specifically No-Flush type.

You might consider using psyllium husk powder (a fiber supplement) which might reduce the LDL. Don't take psyllium or any other fiber at the same time as other medications or supplements as it can prevent their absorption.

To rasie the HDL ("good" cholest), use more olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and unprocessed nut oils. Flax oil or fish oil may also be helpful.

Doreen

Thanks for your replies .


firstly, yes my triglycerides have always been very low . As you can appreciate , I got quite a fright when I saw that my tot chol has gone up since LCing . Yes my tot/HDl ratio is still < 5 which saves the day , but the raised LDL worries me . Doesnt it just mean that I am eating too much saturated fats? I have obviously thought of cutting my saturated fats . I have been eating vast amounts of eggs , regular bacon occasional cream and cheese . I dont eat enough fish !!!

FYI I do use flax oil daily 1 tbl , olive oil in salad dressing , 1 oz nuts eg : macadamia ,walnuts, pecan , avocado . I also take psyllium husk capsules daily .

I was thinking of using Niacin and building up the dose to 1g daily . I read that no flush Niacin is more liable to cause liver problems , so I bought ordinary Niacin . Havent taken any yet though .

Thanks for taking the time and showing interest

Rob

PS:I will have another look at PP

From the Protein Power website FAQ's:

Good idea to review the PP book

Doreen

Conversion of cholesterol numbers:

1 mmol/l = 38.6 mg/dl or 1 mg/dl= 0.026 mmol/l

26/10/01 Fasting
tot chol 5.75 = 222 mg/dL
LDL 3.81 = 147 mg/dL
HDL 1.65 = 64 mg/dL
Tot/HDL = 3.48 (<5)
----------------------

24/07/02 non fasting
tot chol 6.5 = 251 mg/dL
HDL 1.34 = 52 mg/dL
LDL 4.34 = 168 mg/dL
Tot/HDL = 4.85
Trig = 1.8 = 69
--------------------

30/07/02 fasting
tot chol 6.42 = 248 mg/dL
LDL 4.54 = 175 mg/dL
HDL 1.38 = 53 mg/dL
tot/HDL 4.65
trig 1.1

Okay, now I know what I'm looking at. My boyfriend's cholesterol level was 271 mg/dL (7.05 mmol/L) with HDL 35 (0.91) and LDL 171 (4.45). He has been taking no-flush niacin 500 mg at 3 times per day for 3 weeks. He is having another lipid test done this morning. I'll let you know how it turns out.

There are literally hundreds of studies on the efficacy of Niacin reducing total cholesterol and raising HDL. It has been used for over 50 years. All Niacin at high doses above 1000 mg per day has the potential to damage liver (I haven't heard anything about kidneys) because it stresses the liver. No-flush Niacin is better than regular Niacin because you won't be able to take enough to lower your cholesterol of regular Niacin due to the discomfort. The best Niacin is Niaspan a sustained-release niacin (unlike previous sustained-release Niacins) that has been shown in several studies to be safe for 1500 mg a day for 16 weeks and during that time did not cause liver damage because the dose doesn't hit all at once. Niaspan may be prescription only. You should take Folic Acid with the Niacin to prevent a rise in homocysteine levels.

After stating all of that, I'd like to say that your fasting cholesterol is still under 250 which Dr. Eades considers a range not to worry about. I wouldn't try drugs at this point. If you are worried, I would consider taking a homocysteine and C-reactive protein test. These are better determinations of cardiac risk.

In a recent study on the Atkins diet, all 42 patients improved their cholesterol except one. (There's always one.) The human body is very intricate and everyone has different responses to different foods. You could try eating more fish, chicken, and seafood (scallops, clams, lobster and crab too--good sources of omega-3) and less red meat and see if this helps. Dr. Eades says some people have an allergic reaction to red meat.

Also, 2/3 of the population have no reaction whatsoever to the cholesterol in eggs. Of the one-third that do, the reaction is usually small. But there is a very small percentage of people who have a hereditary reaction to the cholesterol in eggs. (Don't get drastic, just cut them out one week before your next test and see if that helps.)

I think Niacin is a good idea. You may find you don't need to take it for very long. Also, some peoples' cholesterol levels adjust after they move on to OWL (stage 2 of Atkins).

Make sure to look at the research forum here for more information. I hope this helps.

Voyager ,

thanks for your really helpful posting .

I have decided to use niacin, at the moment I only have the regular stuff , I have read that you start at 100mg for 4 days and then increase it at 100mg /4 day intervals . I did get a flush this morning ,it wasnt totally an unpleasant feeling .

I will look around for the slow release stuff or the no flush niacin . As I am in the UK I dont know whether it is available without a prescription .

I will also look into having a CRP test . Should I ask the lab for a ?cardiac CRP and a ?fasting homocysteine .

Rob

The C-reactive protein test is a simple blood test. You can read about it here on the CNN site:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/03/22/heart.test/

The homocysteine test appears also to be a simple blood test.

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/d939a.htm

I'm not sure if fasting is necessary for these tests. Fasting is necessary on cholesterol tests because cholesterol naturally goes up after a meal. My boyfriend was fasting today for his homocysteine test but he was also taking the lipid panel, so he needed to fast.

Don't forget to take Folic Acid (Folate) with your Niacin.

ROB,
My Dr had me take 500mg of NIACIN along with METAMUCIL...sounds hokey...but it worked...he said the combo of the two pull the fat from the blood like a magnet!

GAP

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Thanks GAP on the reassurance that Niacin works even at lower dosages. Rob is already taking fiber like Metamucil in the form of Psyllium Husks. So with his recent addition of Niacin, his cholesterol should start falling.

Voyager

my question was , " is there a cardiac CRP" ? or is CRP a general marker for all inflammation ?

Also , I did read that homocysteine test should be of fasting levels .

I take a multivitamin that has 400mcg / tab is that enough for niacin

Thanks



Rob

Gap

thanks for posting . I am beginning the niacin ( day 2) ,got a flush yesterday and a bit today . It is not that unpleasant , you can feel it working its way around your system .

I take psyllium husks in capsules but I will get the powder stuff
(yuck)


Hope to see the numbers go down



Rob

Rob,

There is no specific test for CRP as it relates to the heart. The CRP blood test is for total body CRP. In a normal healthy individual the CRP would barely be readable. Only with trauma or disease is it readable so if it is high without trauma or disease, then the person is at greater risk for heart disease.

Check out this article for more information:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=53891

According to the studies I've read, you need to take 1000 mg/day of Niacin. 400 mcg is .4 mg.

1000 mcg = 1 mg. That's why you need No-Flush Niacin.

GAP says you only need one-half the recommended dose to see improvement: 500 mg.

The Psyllium Husk capsules should be fine. They are the same as the liquid.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks voyager,

you're a star .

I bought no flush niacin today 500mg tabs and folate , 400mcg tabs .

I hope to see a drop in the numbers next month and I will ask for a CRP as well as a homocysteine if thats possible .



Rob

My recent blood work turned out a lot like Rob's:

Pre Atkins Start Blood Test on May 25, 2002
HBA1C 7.2
Total Cholesterol: 269
HDL: 43
LDL: 93
Triglycerides: 676
BP: 140/92

Here are the meds I was taking at the time of the May 25, 2002 blood panel:
Metformin: 500mg breakfast/500mg dinner
Glyburide: 5mg breakfast/5mg dinner
Prinivil: 10mg bedtime
Pamelor: 80mg bedtime

As a result of the triglycerides, 1200 MG of Lopid (600mg breakfast/600mg dinner), was added to the above drugs. This was a significant change from the blood work I had done 3 months prior in triglycerides. I had been on Weight Watchers during that 3 month period and lost about 12 pounds.

Beginning June 1, the doctor added
Lopid: 600mg breakfast/600mg dinner to help lower the triglycerides.

On July 28, 2002, I had a followup blood panel to check my lipids, liver function and diabetes control. This is 2 months on Atkins plus the Lopid.

Here the results:
Total Cholesterol: 238
HDL: 44
LDL: 196
Triglycerides: 131
HBA1c: 5.8
BP: Home, Drugstore, anywhere but the doc 120/73
BP: Doctor 140/92

With these results, the doctor changed my meds to:
Metformin (my choice 1x 500mg or Breakfast/Dinner 500mg ea - I'm continuing on takin the metformin at breakfast and dinner since I've noticed a trend in my bs going up
Lopid: 600mg breakfast

She's thinking that continuing the Lopid will bring the LDL down and I will have another blood panel at the end of August.

I'm interested in trying the Niacin, but I've read that Niacin can make your bs rise. Anybody have a comment on how Niacin affects bs? I will take 500mg Non flush Niacin but am unsure of how much extra folic acid to take along with the Niacin.

JBee