niacin - High Cholesterol Message Board

roosterhues · 12-18-2007, 09:45 AM

what mg of niacin should i start as a 1st time user to lower cholerteall? and what can i take to lower blood pressure safley?

Guy1_USA · 12-18-2007, 05:42 PM

I would ask your Doctor about prescription Niaspan... has way less flushing than immediate release niacin.

To give you your answer, niacin is most theriputic at 2000 mg a day. It is best taken at bedtime, for the best results.

A typical regimine is to start out at 500 mg a day for 4 weeks, and then increase the dose by 500 mg every 4 weeks.

The flushing can be pretty painful for some... but if you stick to it, the flushing will deminish over time.

The flushing is not dangerous... although some unsuspecting folks taking niacin for the first time swears it is... only because they were surprised and did not know about the flushing...

I take 3000 mg of niacin a day in the form of Niaspan... and do not have any issues with the flushing. I do get flushing sometimes, but it goes away in about 30 minutes.

Best of luck!

Guy1_USA · 12-19-2007, 04:12 PM

No... I can't ever remember seeing a uric acid test. I take HCTZ too... so I know my uric acid can go high. I think once it did... I got some terrible pain in my big toe once... looked it up thought it was gout cuase by uric acid buildup. I just increased my water intake, and seemed to help just fine. Haven't an issue since.

I will start back eating correct again after the New Years... too much good food and drink at the moment.

But my goal is to get off my high BP meds again... just takes losing weight and some exercise. I hate taking medications... they just seem to zap me of some of my energy.

Niacin above 2000 mg can increase your glucode levels... but isn't a big deal unless you are diabetic. Mine is sometime slightly elevated, and sometimes not. I don't worry too much... I like niacin... don't even mind the flushing that can occur.

Arizona77 · 12-20-2007, 12:33 PM

My Doctor advised as well that he prefers his patients to be on 2,000mg max daily. He said you can go up to 3,000mg or more on immediate release but there is a possibility that more side effects can occur when dosages are above the 2,000mg mark. My Doctor advised 2,000mg will give me pretty much the same results as 3,000mg the only difference he advised I might not have as much as a decrease with my LDL. But my Doctor advised 2,000mg is a great therapeutic dosage and if you can tolerate immediate release works best and will produce the least amount of side effects. I take 2,000mg immediate release all at once at bed time and have been on this dosage for about five months now. I am having my next lipid panel during the first week of February and will share my results with everyone.

Hope everything works about for you and hang in there with the Niacin it should help you.

All the best.

Connie122516 · 12-21-2007, 09:50 AM

My doc started me at 500 mg per day, then we increased to 1000 where I've been ever since with very good results.

My opinion is it's important to be under a doctor's supervision when taking therapeutic doses of niacin whether OTC or Rx, and to get the necessary bloodwork (liver function, etc.) on a regular schedule.