No-flush Niacin - High Cholesterol Message Board

starship · 08-10-2006, 10:55 PM

Does No-Flush niacin work as well as regular niacin? Have read several conflicting articles. Was wondering if someone on this board knows the correct answer. Thanks.

Lenin · 08-11-2006, 05:50 AM

I am beginning to think it does, in spite of some ancient literature to the contrary.
What must be considered though for higher doses is the length of time the liver is exposed with these slow formulations.
Thus while one might safely take a daily 2,000 mg. of fast niacin, taking the same 2,000 mg of any slow release formulation might be more problemmatic.

I get a very nice response from 500 mg. SLO-NIACIN that, from what I read, I might not expect from so low a dose of quick-hit instant niacin.

ARIZONA73 · 08-11-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenin

Thus while one might safely take a daily 2,000 mg. of fast niacin, taking the same 2,000 mg of any slow release formulation might be more problemmatic.

I disagree, particularly in respect to no-flush niacin (inositol hexanicotinate). With this form of niacin, higher doses may be required. Just my opinion. Of course, if you are taking a time-release form of nicotinic acid, then I see your point, and would tend to agree with you.

Lenin · 08-12-2006, 07:30 AM

AZ,

I see slow release niacin as exposing the liver to steady long term exposure to nicotinic acid and whether the niacin is slowly released by a slow dissolving microencapsulation or by the slowly dispersing large inositol-niacin complex, I'm sure the liver perceives the blood's constant delivery of niacin in precisely the same way. I see the same for Niaspan in spite of the company's tortured differentiation between "extended" release, sustained release, long-acting or whatever terms are used.
Nicotinic acid is a weak liver toxin, not unlike statins in that regard, and the toxic effect is enhanced by both doseage and exposure time and the exposure time may be even more important than the dose. People have died from high dose niacin. I read about people who were on a dose of niacin with no problems and switched to the SAME doseage in time release and developed liver damage after the switch.

All that said, after bleary eyed research into the continuing horrors of Lp(a), I am going to double my niacin dosage to 1000 mg. slow release taken once, at night. It's either that or high dose ESTROGEN and I think at my age, a change in secondary sex characteristics would look a bit silly.

Anyone on ANY form of niacin in excess of 500 mg./day should have their liver functions, ALT and AST, checked after the first month and then annually!

ARIZONA73 · 08-12-2006, 08:03 AM

Lenin,

I'm not an expert on inositol hexanicotinate, nor do I claim to understand the chemistry as to why it would be much easier on the liver and tend not to raise blood sugar levels in diabetics. All I know is what I've read about it, both from Atkins as well as other sources I've come across.