Mrs D, Glenntaj--Do you think the Vit D is not high enough given the high blood level of Vit D 1,25? Will get better magnesium.

Wings: I've begun niacin today, at a lower dose than you. I took a 500 mg tablets. I felt fine for about an hour, and then I felt as if my skin was being attacked by biting gnats or crabs. It burned, itched, hurt, and had a million little points of pain feeling like bites. It was damned awful. It's not even totally gone hours later. The worst of it lasted about an hour. Is this what you went through at the beginning?

Cycleops: Yes, my HDL is high. It always has been, which is why doctors have not been eager to put me on statins, even with cholesterols running over 250. But I do think it's time to get the numbers down, and I don't believe that just having high HDL can protect against the damage done by the ldl.

The niacin flush was uncomfortable for about an hour the first week or so, but almost never as bad as you describe. To reduce flushing, take the niacin immediately after a meal to slow absorption. The flushing should mostly go away in about a week, but some will remain as you progressively up the dose to 1000 mg twice a day. Niacin flush isn't an issue at all for me anymore, even if taken on an empty stomach.

If the flushing is intolerable even if taken with meals, you might try cutting back to 250 mg. twice a day. Here's a schedule similar to why my cardiologist had me do (I started at 500 mg. twice a day).

- 250 mg. twice a day for two weeks, then
- 250 mg in the AM and 500 in the PM for two weeks
- 500 mg in the AM and 500 in the PM for two weeks
- 500 mg in the AM and 1000 in the PM for two weeks
- 1000 mg in the AM and 1000 in the PM for the duration.

Be sure to get a lipid panel after a month or so at 2 gm. a day to see how the niacin is helping. My cardiologist has added red rice yeast to my regimen, but I haven't tested since starting it.

It goes without saying, but is worth repeating and keeping in mind that if you take niacin or any other cholesterol controlling supplement, but eat a low-fiber, high carb and high fat diet, have a lot of stress in your life, and don't exercise enough, the rest of your life will overwhelm what niacin can do to help your cardiac health.

My cardiac heredity is so bad that it's tough to get the HDL levels up no matter what. I have a lot of motivation to do all I can to prevent my wife from becoming a widow or full-time caretaker anytime soon.

why not no flush niacin. i take 2,000mg a day with no problem and have never had a flush.

Wings has found evidence that no-flush is not nearly as good as pure niacin for doing the job. Perhaps Mrs Doubtfyre has something to add on this?

I'm going to try 250mg tonight, and see how long the "flush" lasts, although again, it was more like being bitten by thousands of fleas than a hot flash, which was what I was expecting.

How often each of us get a 'complete metabolic panel'?
I'm betting each of us get standard and regular CBP [Complete Blood Panels, sometimes with extra tests tagged on] But the Metabolic panel is less regularly done.
I'll pose the questions under a separate thread as well about Vitamin D and calciums tomorrow. Due to the #'s of my last my CMP, I just wonder about the differences of what's 'swimming' around in my blood and what's really be absorbed? There is the nub of the issue! - j

The cardiology clinic at Scripps Clinics specifies pure crystalline niacin. They're adamant that no-flush niacin has almost no effect on cholesterol and lipids and provides no protection against cardiovascular disease, and that recent studies have not supported earlier results.

I'll be seeing Erminia M. Guarneri, M.D ( http://www.scripps.org/News.asp?ID=326 and http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-...Review&page=13 and http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Speaks-C...1531183&sr=1-1 ) toward the end of the month, and will ask her for references.

nothing is ever easy

LizaJane:

I took Niacin about 5 years ago and had the same reaction. I also turned red all over. I got my daughter to take it and she had the same thing happen. It was not pleasant. I thought it felt more like burning... All over burning of the skin...

Then my husband tried it, with no effect on him whatsoever.

I would suspect that sensory nerve involvement in PN, which is present in both my daughter and I, plays a part in this burning reaction, but am not sure.

I will be watching your posting to see if this diminishes, as I have been afraid to continue it. Doctors I described this to, never seemed to have heard of this before.

God luck,
Cathie

Well I certainly understood what Liza Jane was saying. I went thru a high cholesterol period. I was very overweight at the time and not watching my diet. Niacin made me itch terribly. It took hours for it to stop. I told the doctor to just forget it and I'd start watching my diet.

For years now I've watched my vitamins to be sure they have the niacinamide version of niacin in them. I seem to be able to take that o.k.

Liza Jane, how are things going now?

Billye

It was pretty miserable, again, like being bitten by ants. However, it was definitely milder than the 500. I think I can tolerate this twice a day.

I've not yet gotten myself to read about the differnces between no flush and regular in any scientific literature. At some point I'll put myself onto it, but for now, I'm just believing the most conservative of you guys abuot this: Wings.

Joe, you are lucky that no flush works.

One more day.