Anyone Taking Non-Prescription Niacin? - High Cholesterol Message Board

mg_health · 05-13-2005, 02:19 PM

I was wondering if anyone has started taking non-prescription Niacin to help in their efforts to lower LDL and raise HDL, and, if so, has it worked?

Or, do you need a doctor's prescription to start taking it (in large doses)?

If it's worked, what kind? Immediate, delayed release? How much?

If, come my next blood test, my results aren't better, I might consider taking Niacin as I've heard nothing but good about it for lowering LDL and raising HDL.

ARIZONA73 · 05-13-2005, 05:48 PM

From my own experience I've been taking niacin for nearly 20 years, and it has raised my HDL significantly. You don't need a prescription for it unless you are taking Niaspan, which is only available by prescription. I take immediate-release niacin, 250mg four times a day, for a total of 1000mg. Immediate-release niacin is probably best used for raising HDL. If you are more concerned about lowering LDL, I've heard that time-release niacin is best used for that.

I'm not a doctor, so I really can't make any recommendations as to how much or what form of niacin will benefit you most. It would probably be better if you talk this over with your doctor. He can probably best advise you as to which form of niacin would be best for you, and how much to take.

Uff-Da! · 05-13-2005, 06:44 PM

I've been off the niacin a couple of weeks now trying to see if the pains in my thigh may be related to niacin, but being off it hasn't seemed to help at all so I think the problem is unrelated to the niacin. I'll probably wait until I see the doctor next week before going back on niacin, though.

Anyway, I lowered my LDL from 247 to 190 and increased my HDL from 62 to 72 with 750 mg Enduracin, a sustained-release OTC niacin. I've had another more recent lipid panel in which both LDL and HDL were higher, but that was after my experiment of eating two eggs a day for almost three months.

My philosophy about taking niacin was to take no more than necessary to do the job, so I started out with 250 mg a day for three months. When that didn't get numbers down enough, I tried 500 mg a day for six months. That brought LDL to 202, but my doctor suggested increasing the niacin to 750 mg daily, which resulted in the LDL of 190. This is combined with a low-saturated fat and low-trans fat diet.

If you choose to take an OTC niacin in therapeutic doses, make sure you get regular liver enzyme tests, as the niacin can be just as dangerous as the statins. The number of people who are affected is low, but just in case you are one of them, the regular tests would allow one to quit before permanent damage was done. Niacin is not recommended for anyone whose liver has been damaged from alcohol or who drink heavily.

Lenin · 05-13-2005, 07:03 PM

mgHealth,

I am working my way up SLOWLY trying to mitigate the flush. With my 10 mg. Lipitor, I can easily take 125 mg X 3 doses occasional flush, 250 x 3 with a light flush all the time and 375 mg x 2 doses (2 days now) on a full stomach with a flush that is close to my bearable limit. I've been increasing the dosage over the last 2 months and the first 125 mg. doses were MURDER but they've eased off a lot.
I would LIKE to try 375 x 3 but I'm only eating 2 full meals a day right now and I don;t DARE take this stuff on an empty stomach...the flush is crucifying with 5 minutes!
Im getting a significant increase in my HDL and a superb shift to HDL2.

I'm using an ANCIENT bottle of Pioneer Brand 500 mg. straight VERY flushing niacin from GNC...must be 15 years old or older! Since I'm taking Lipitor, I have no interest in ever going above a total of 1500 mg/day in 3 divided doses...but I have my doubts about ever getting above 1125 mg. because of the flush!

Lenin · 05-15-2005, 06:12 AM

Well,
The 375 mg. X 2 or 3 doses is proving untenable; the facial and neck stinging is just too much to bear.
I have to stay at 250 mg. for at least a month til I try higher again.
I think the 250's still give me a nice enough HDL boost that I sorely need...now if ONLY I had Stumper's Cardio-Chek!

Hmmm, I broke 200 tablets of 500 mg. niacin into 4 pieces each with MUCH WORK for a total of 800 pieces...and now I take 2 at a time

...MURPHY'S LAW STRIKES AGAIN!