Niacin...how much? & impact on liver - High Cholesterol Message Board

stophypertensio · 05-23-2009, 04:08 PM

I don't have high cholesterol, but my HDL remains low even though I jog (not a lot but I do about 3x a week), and eating right. My doctor just says keep exercising.

How much niacin do you have to take to raise your HDL levels, is 500mg 2x a day good is it better to have it 1000mg 2x a day? What's the impact on your level?

thanks

ACE28 · 05-24-2009, 05:07 PM

1000 mg a day will raise your HDL about 10 points. It's good to start low and you can work your way up. Try 1000 mg a day for about 2 months and then have your Cholesterol tested again. I'm sure you will notice a difference. My HDL has gone up about 15 points in the past few years, but my Total and LDL are not low enough. If I watched my diet more the Total and LDL would definitely be better. My HDL always remains good despite my diet. The LDL and Total are not as forgiving.

jenj770 · 05-26-2009, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACE28

Try 1000 mg a day for about 2 months . .

Ace, start with 1000 mg. of Niacin a day! Did you actually do this?! I think that is way too high a dose to start unless you are talking about non-flush Niacin. I know people who have rushed to their doctor or the ER because they didn't understand the ramp up method and took a large dose of Niacin straight away. The flushing effect can be intense and that is why the recommendation is to start with a very small dose, like 1/4 of a 150 mg. tablet, and slowly increase the dosage as the flushing decreases.

ACE28 · 05-27-2009, 07:26 AM

jen - I think it was more of a general question being asked regarding the dosage of Niacin to raise HDL. The information was not meant to be specific regarding dosage. Prescription NIASPAN is started at pretty high dosages of 500 mg a day, but this is only under medical supevision.

stophypertensio · 05-27-2009, 01:43 PM

Hey ACE, when you say about 10 points, is that 10 points a month?

Lets say my HDL is around ~30. So after 3 months, it should be around ~60?

(of course theres lots of other factors to consider but generally speaking)