[LizaJane]

No-flush niacin--does it work? I've taken 500 mg regular and felt bitten, and burned, and I'm wondering whether No-flush works.What's your opinion?

[rfinney]

LJ,

Well, I sure am not mrsd, but then who is? When I was taking regular niacin, I got a very bad episode. Then switched to no-flush, and have never had a reaction since.

Hopefully, mrsd will have an explanation of why it is not working for you.

rafi

[mrsD]

no flush works as well. I have tried it and know others who have, and it didn't work.

Merck and the company who makes Niaspan are working on a dual product now which should soon be out...that is regular Niacin with an agent added to block the flush.

In the meantime you can try an aspirin 1 hr before taking the Niacin to see if that works for you.

Then again you can read up on Cholesterol myths to decide whether you need to do anything at all. With HDLs in the 90's...I'd suggest this route first.

Soluble fiber, and plant stanols, can lower cholesterol moderately and are OTC.
http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...de_cholest_off

[LizaJane]

Sometimes I just feel there's a limited amount I can read about and absorb at any given time. I've done my cholesterol reading in the past, felt okay about the numbers, and done a protocol recommended by lef.org--lots of fiber, nuts, ?almonds?, and some chinese herb type thing. Right now I've printed out the lef stuff again, but I have a feeling I can't face it all at the moment.

Sometimes I find I just want someone wise to advise me, and when I get the energy, I can do my own work. So, right now I'm relying on you and wings. In another week or so, maybe I'l break open the books. Not today.

I'm so sorry you are going away again. Every summer I miss you so much.

When do you leave?

[mrsD]

my husband's job has a mandatory CE for a week in July.

If my son can come up and babysit me a bit, I might leave 2nd week of July..
otherwise it will be 28th or 29th. I can't stay long alone anymore..sadly

Try the aspirin block with the niacin...it might work for you. People vary genetically in flush response. I had flushing from 100mg !!!

NSAIDs (ibuprofen, etc.) and aspirin: The use of aspirin (80 to 325 milligrams), ibuprofen (200 to 400 milligrams), or other NSAIDs, taken 30 minutes to one hour before a dose of nicotinic acid, may blunt the flushing effect of high-dose nicotinic acid. Nicotinic acid induces the release of prostacyclin. Prostacyclin is thought to account for, in large part, nicotinic acid-induced flushing. Aspirin may also decrease the metabolic clearance of nicotinic acid.

from http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/n...nia_0184.shtml

It is thought that people with high histamine flush at lower doses.