Niacin experience?

[waldorfmom]

So I saw my doctor yesterday and she wanted me to go on a cholesterol lowering medication. She gave me the choice of lipitor or niacin. I chose niacin since I really want to avoid taking meds if possible. Has anyone taken niacin and had good results?
I was hoping that I could just be on Atkins a while longer and experience a lowering of cholesterol that way, but my doctor felt told me there was too much controversy about this WOE especially when a person includes alot of animal fat (I do) and that it was safer to get on something to help lower the levels.
I look forward to hearing about others' experiences!
Thanks!



:rheart: Waldorfmom

[Boondox]

I was on it for less than a year. The flush (hot, dry skin with an incredible sensation of heat and a very red face) was so severe at the dosage I needed that I switched to Zocor. That dropped my total from 284 to 163. Can't wait till I repeat the bloodwork in a few months to see what Atkins has done to them! Pete

[waldorfmom]

Thanks, Pete for your reply. Was there any change in cholesterol when you were on the niacin?
With regards to the flushing, my doctor has me take an aspirin before I take the slow release niacin so I haven't had any trouble so far. I'm mostly wondering if the niacin has worked for others in getting their cholesterol down.
I'll look forward to hearing about your blood tests after being on Atkins for awhile!

Good luck!



:rheart: Waldorfmom

[Boondox]

At nearly toxic levels of Niacin my cholesterol dropped a couple of points. Not significant enough to put up with the side effects. But if Niacin works for you, it's the best way to go. It's just a water-soluble B-vitamin afterall. Pete

[TarHeel]

I was on Niastatin (a form of niacin which is supposed to be "safer") for 6 months. Didn't help at all. Started taking Lipitor in January 2003, and went on Atkins in February 2003. When I had my blood lipid testing done in June, the results were pretty darn incredible. Total cholesterol went from 263 to 150, and good went way, way up---bad went way down as did triglycerides (sp?). My doctor was delighted, said it could not have been the Lipitor alone. He credits the Atkins diet as well as my having lost 11 pounds at that point. He told me to go from 10mg lipitor to 5.

But if the niacin gets yours down, that's great. On the other hand, I wish your doc was not so discouraging about your WOE.

Just my 2 cents,
Kay

[Homesar]

Here's my good experience with niacin:

1. Had a heart attack in '96, went on zocor afterwards.

2. Sometime around 2000, our office bookkeeper mentioned that her husband's doctor had prescribed niacin for her husband, to treat arterial plaque buildup in his femoral arteries. That started me looking at niacin as a possible replacement for zocor.

3. Results of my research indicated that (a) niacin was an excellent drug to control triglycerides IF one could tolerate its side effects, (b) that timed-release niacin == for reasons no one has figured out yet -- frequently leads to liver damage while the same doses of niacin in unregulated blasts does not, and (c) that therapeutic doses of niacin for these purposes peak at 3,000 mg daily. In other words anything beyond 3,000 mg daily is not doing any good.

As to the flushing, I found that (a) some people do not experience any flushing at all, (b) others experience some flushing but tolerate it, (c) still others experience flushing at first but it goes away, and (d) some have such severe flushing that they cannot tolerate doses of niacin in the range of 50 mg at a whack, much less 1000 mg at a whack.

The doctor of my bookkeeper's husband recommended he begin niacin at 10 mg, 3 times a day, bumping it up 10 mg each dose each week, and following this until he was up to 1000 mg a dose, three doses daily. This took some time, as you might expect. But, he does not have flushing side effects.

On the above information, I took myself off zocor, and replaced it with niacin. Initially, I tried ramping up slowy, but I got irritated with keeping up how much I was supposed to take and when, so I ramped up rather more rapidly than this doctor had recommended. I think, after all's said and done, I'm one of the lucky ones for whom niacin has minimal side effects. Within two months I was up to 3,000 mg daily. The only "flushing" I ever experience is a slight tingling on the tops of my ears which lasts about 30 seconds.

After I had been at therapeutic levels of niacin for six months, I went back to my doctor and said "surprise!" He had a fresh workup on my cholesterol. He said:

1. "Good for you! Your HDL is way up, though your LDL is about the same. Niacin is a wonderful drug for this purpose, but so many people don't tolerate it, I usually never recommend it."

2. He also said, "Guess what? There are even greater suppression of LDL and elevation of HDL when you combine a statin drug with niacin. Wanna try this and see what happens."

I said "sure," and have been on 10 mg of lipitor and 3000 mg of niacin for about a year now. Cholesterol levels were definately better on the combo.

I began Atkins on May 25. I've lost 10 pounds and seem to be stalled right now, but my plan is to remain on Atkins through the fall and go back for another lipid profile just before the Christmas Holidays descend upon us.

Homesar