One approach is to start immediate-release niacin at 100 mg twice daily after a meal for the first week, then double the daily dose each week until you are taking what the doctor has prescribed.Īspirin will also help to reduce the flushing. Taking it with food also helps reduce the intensity of the reaction. The key to reducing the intensity of niacin flushing is to start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose over a period of weeks. Q: If I continue to take the regular niacin tablets, are there any tips to minimize the flushing? Of course, this also means that no-flush niacin does not have any of the beneficial effects on cholesterol. This is probably the reason it does not produce any flushing. However, there is evidence that it does not actually provide the body with much niacin. No-flush niacin contains something called inositol nicotinate, which the body is supposed to slowly convert to niacin. However, it is more expensive than regular niacin tablets. This type of niacin has been shown to have positive effects on cholesterol with reduced flushing. This gives the liver a "break" from processing the niacin making liver damage less likely. This reduces the intensity of the flushing but this type of niacin causes liver damage in some people.Ī prescription extended-release niacin product called Niaspan® releases niacin in a slower way but over a shorter period of time compared to the sustained-release tablets. Sustained-release niacin tablets deliver the vitamin to the body in a slower fashion over many hours. With this type of niacin the vitamin is delivered to the body in a short burst and the flushing reaction is more intense. The flushing occurs with over-the-counter immediate-release niacin tablets. Q: Are there different types of niacin that might reduce the flushing? Symptoms are most intense after the first dose and typically diminish over days or weeks with continued use of niacin. Other than causing discomfort the flushing is harmless and usually subsides within 1 or 2 hours. This flushing is experienced by almost everyone and, while it might feel like an allergy, it is not a true allergic reaction. These higher doses of niacin cause an intense flushing or "prickly heat" sensation to the face and upper body, usually 15-30 minutes after taking a relatively large dose (e.g. At much higher doses (1000 to 2000 mg per day) niacin is used as a treatment for high cholesterol. Adults require a daily dietary intake of about 15 mg. Niacin ( nicotinic acid vitam in), or vitamin B 3, is an essential vitamin. I thought I was having an allergic reaction. The first time I took it I experienced a hot flushing sensation on my skin that took an hour to go away. Q: I recently started taking niacin for high cholesterol. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers about flushing from niacin: Usually, they are quite concerned about an "allergic" reaction to the vitamin. Typically patients are taking the drug for the first time in higher doses for hypercholesterolemia or other indications. The BC Drug & Poison Information Centre commonly receives calls from patients who are experiencing an adverse reaction to over-the-counter niacin.
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