Hey Everybody!
Doc has me on Niacin to try to raise HDL and I’ve had several flushes over the past month. I’d like to know two things. First, what experiences has everyone here had with niacin related flushing? Second, did you see any reduction of these flushing episodes over time?
Does the niacin help raise HDL or lower LDL or both is the effect appreciable? Thanks
Dear Glucoholic:
I had a TERRIBLE experience with too much Vitamin B (Niacin being one of them). It was in the middle of a Wisconsin winter and I was sitting in a bus shelter waiting for the bus. All of a sudden, my face got so hot and then I felt warm all over. I actually had to shed my coat … in the middle of winter! When the bus got to me and I got on, the driver asked if I was OK. My face was beet red. I said I felt funny and then he called the paramedics. This happened three days running. We decided that it was because I was on a new antibiotic (I have numerous drug allergies) and I was reacting. They changed my antibiotic each time.
It took a visit to the allergist to discover what was happening. I was on Multivitamins with B’s, B Complex Stress vitamins AND Niacin. I WAS OVERDOSING!!! Well, I was taken off of them all for a while and then gradually reintroduced just the B Complex.
I don’t know personally if it can be harmful if continued, but…isn’t the experience stressful enough to make everyone back down? Talk to a nutritionist if your DR can’t answer.
Hope all goes well. Good Luck. Lois La Rose, Milwaukee, WI
Take the long acting Niacin. No flushing.