NIASPAN Reviews (NIACIN)Average Rating: 2.7 (694 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare NIASPAN with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Age from youngest to oldest (reviews with no age reported listed first). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 |
More on NIASPAN: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR NIASPAN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | high cholesterol | none..a couple of times I experienced very slight itching. | I have tried statins and they have all effected my memory and kidneys. Niaspan has worked great with no ill effects. | M | 2 months | 7/1/2005 | 5 | Ichy feet and ankles | Taking 1500 mg/day for 7 weeks now. Good cholestrol changed from 25 to 45. Bad cholestrol changed from 185 to 150. Doctor impressed with results. | M | 7 weeks | 5/9/2009 | 4 | hot flashes or flushing of the skin | Asprin before seems to help and lots of water | M | 4 years | 11/17/2003 | 4 | | 12/28/2008 | 2 | High Trg. | Wow! Thank God for this site -- saved me a trip to the ER. Finished reading a chapter and turned off the light to go to bed -- I noticed a little itching. 15 minutes later, I was downstairs and looking in the mirror at LobsterMan. Got dizzy enough to sit on the floor. Pins and needles everywhere. Things calmed down enough to go to sleep in about an hour, though I was a little cold and shaky when I did. Not a pleasant experience -- but now that I know more dos and don'ts from this site, I'll keep trying... | Only been on for less than a week -- we'll keep trying... Wish me luck. | M | 4 days | 11/20/2007 | 1 | to get cholestrol levels down | Was rushed to ER last nite with severe chills, bright red rash on all estremities and blood pressure soaring. Took 2 shots and oral medication to make it go away. Stayed in ER for 2 hours. I had had previous heart racing , intense itching spells, bad hot flashes after taking this and during sleep at nite. | After reading all of your comments, I am wondering if the niaspan has caused all my problems. My ER physician suspected nuts i had eaten, but i think after reading all the comments, and my previous problems, it could have been the niaspan. I am calling my dr. tomorrow. | F | 5 months | 3/27/2007 | 1 | raise HDL | Starter dose, 500mg. Followed all directions and suggestions to minimize side effects. SEVERE reaction transported to ER!! My wife says I lost consciousness. | Not for everyone | 1 days | 9/26/2006 | 1 | high cholesterol | have been on niaspan for only a week, hadnt seen any side effects until today. I worked out for about an hour and roughly 45 min after, i very quickly broke out into serious rashing and burning of the skin from the waist up, dizziness, shakes, itchiness, and pressure behind the ears and eye sockets. and this all within about 3 minutes! talk about unpredictable! its been about an hour and it still has not subsided, i can barely type from the shakes! i dont think this is worth the minor benefits | not a fan! | M | 20 | 1 weeks | 1/16/2008 | 3 | high cholesterol, VERY low (3) good | not even 15 minutes after taking it i was covered in what i thought was hives. It looked and felt like a really bad sunburn ALL over my body. I guess this is the "hot flash" my doctor was warning me about. This is not at all what I expected. About 30 minutes after the side effects started, they began to taper off. Not so much itching, but severe burning of my skin. My side effects arent enough (yet) to stop taking the medication, after all, Im taking it to prolong my life! | F | 21 | 3 days 500 1X day | 5/15/2010 | 2 | To increase good cholesterol | gained 15 lbs, have had burning sensations, i was crying in pain bc i felt as though i was on fire, i have had hot flashes, broken out in hives, increased heart rate and adrenile at times, other times i feel light headed as though i am going to pass out, sleeping a lot and it never seems enough, i hate not being able to eat spicy food or hot food with the medicine, (it causes more hot flashes if u do) | i only take this at night, i found that taking this in the morning made the day unbarrable. when i did break out in those hot burning flashes, i took benedril. that helpped me a lot. within 10 minutes it was over. | F | 22 | 3 months 500-1000 1X day | 7/21/2010 | 3 | high triglycerides | I started taking Niaspan on Thursday (today's sat)The nurse to my Dr. nor the pharmacy told me about the flushing. So much to my surprise 3 hrs after taking it I started freaking out when I was flushed all over like a lobster! My heart rate was fast, and felt like I was stuck with pins all over! I called my Dr office since it was 10:30 at night they contacted some on call Dr. That Dr. didn't mention it was a normal side effect either! Told me to take benedryl or go to ec!!!! It went away after about 2 hrs. I talked to my Dr. the next day and she then told me it was normal and blah blah blah. So I took it last night with Tylenol and benedryl 30 min before and only had mild flushing and some itching that barely woke me up. uh! | F | 25 | 2 days | 2/28/2009 | 4 | High Cholesterol | Oh boy! This drug is something else... The first few days I have not noticed any side effects. After about a week or so I started getting the burning, stinging, warm feeling from my head down to my legs. I also had diarrhea for about two weeks. The side effects were much worse when I was on 2000MG's a day. I was down graded to 1000MG's daily and the side effects have calmed down some. I also could not sleep at night, while I was on 2000MG's a day, the burning would wake me up. The burning usually lasts 2-3 hours for me. | My Dr. never told me I could take a baby aspiren or ibuprofen half hour before taking Niaspan. I now, after 1.2 months, take 1 200MG tablet of Ibuprofen half hour before I take Niaspan it has taken about 90-95% of the burning, stinging, warm feeling away. I wish I had known about this before! My Cholesterol has come down from 393 to 304 in just a month! | M | 27 | 2 months | 6/26/2006 | 3 | Low HDL High Tri | Exreme Redness on upper portin of body. Tingling and I feel like I'm burning hot. Increased heart rate. | M | 27 | 1 days | 5/3/2005 | 1 | HIGH TRIGLYCERIDIES | I HAVE BEEN TAKING NIASPAN FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW AND EVERY OTHER DOSE I HAVE THE BURNING OF THE SKIN, SO BAD I GET PANIC ATTACKS. DR SAID THAT MY BODY SHOULD GET USED TO IT. BUT WHAT'S WEIRD IS THAT IT DOESNT HAPPEN EVERY TIME. | IT MAKES ME FEEL BAD | F | 27 | 1 months | 1/7/2009 | 1 | Burning skin, extreme flushing in face, extreme itchiness that wouldn't go away even with intense scratching that caused my skin to slightly break, dizziness, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, chest tightness, weakness in my body, numbness in my body, chills, | I would not recommend this medication, it took 8 weeks to fully feel the symptoms and realize what was going on but when they came on it was intense enough to land me in the ER with extreme shaking from the chills and then weakness and numbness and I felt like I had no control of my body. They gave me an IV with Benadryl, another allergy medication, as well as a steroid and prescribed Benadryl and a steroid to take for the next three days when hopefully the medication leaves my body. | F | 27 | 8 weeks 500 MG 1X day | 3/26/2011 | 5 | Plaque Regression & low HDL | Flushing- typical, a minor nusance at best. | RESPONSE TO PREVIOUS POST: "Why would anyone take this medication when there are so many others out there that can help HDL without these drastic side effects. These side effects cannot be good for other organs in the body." Answer: Because it's the only drug on the market that has been proven by the FDA to actually regress the plaque in your ateries, i.e., remove it, while boosting your HDL. (Carries LDL-rich plaque stuck to your artiers back to the liver for removal) Statins don't do this nor does any other medication! OTC (aka immeadiate release Niacin is not nearly as effective, you would have to take the equivalent of 9 grams a day, and the flushing is more severe.) They have proved this with many major studies (FATS and Arbiter 2, just to name a few) of patients who had experienced heart attacks, with ateriograms taken before treatment and after treatment with amazing results, and the best part is its all natural. So yes, miss lady...you can take a statin or fibrate to slightly raise your HDL, but what are you going to do about the unstable LDL that's already stuck to your arteries that may break off and cause a stroke, a stent perhaps?? I have been on this med for months, and yes you will turn beat red, warm and tingly for around 30 mins, but is not taking it worth years off your life? You would be surprised how many doctors are truly not 'up to snuff' on disease state knowledge and effective prescribing, so choose wisely! | F | 29 | 13 months | 4/4/2009 | 4 | lower cholestrol | Before taking this medicing i real many comments having flushing side efects. almost got scared by not taking. ask doctor to change to some other medicine. doctor told me every medicine has side effects. niaspan only with flushing. 2 of days felt like i on heat. but later now i am not getting flushing. taking over 20 days. doctor said this medicine benefits are greater then side efects. | M | 29 | 20 days | 7/11/2008 | 2 | to lower my ldl and increase hdl | Started with very slightly flashing. After 3 months, I have been getting very sever rash which i have to take the medication for it. It is becoming very painful to take it | It did increase the hdl and lower my ldl but i have been getting very annoyed by take other medication to take care of the side effect | M | 29 | 120 days | 10/2/2007 | 1 | high cholesterol | flushing, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, elevated heart rate. | I took 1/2 dose one night with aspirin and was resigned to my couch for the next three days with nausea, diarrhea, weakness, anxiety - pharmacist stated this might last for up to two weeks. Avoid! | M | 29 | 1 days | 7/11/2006 | 1 | Total Cholestrol 236 HDL 26 LDL 134 | Fainted - passed out , Increased heart beat, Rashes on skin - Elevated bumps on the skin on boths hands and legs , Itching -needles running on legs and hands, | I was on 1500mg Niaspan at bed time. I woke up at around 5.00AM and went to restroom due to high itching and rashes over my hands and feet. I fainted in the restroom with few injuries....went to the doctor in the morning and they advised to stop Niaspan....NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICINE IF YOU EXPERIENCE ALLERGIC CONDITIONS LIKE DIZZINESS, FAINTING,HIGH HEART BEAT and rashes on skin. | M | 29 | 6 months | 10/16/2008 |
NIASPAN (NIACIN): Niacin is used with a proper diet and exercise program to help lower "bad" cholesterol and fats (LDL, triglycerides) and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. It is generally used after non-drug treatments have not been fully successful at lowering cholesterol. Niacin is also known as vitamin B-3 (nicotinic acid), one of the B-complex vitamins. It may be used with or without other medications. Lowering "bad" cholesterol/triglycerides and raising "good" cholesterol helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. Lowering fats may also help reduce the risk of pancreas problems (pancreatitis) in people at risk. In addition to eating a proper diet (such as a low-cholesterol/low-fat diet), other lifestyle changes that may help this medication work better include exercising, losing weight if overweight, and stopping smoking. Consult your doctor for more details. FDA Approval Date: 1997-07-28 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)