NIASPAN Reviews (NIACIN)

Average Rating: 2.7 (694 Ratings)

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 HYPERLIPIDEMIA

 Type: Rx Drug

  

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)

  

Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest.

Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR NIASPANCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 4  high choleseterol very mild flushing when taken without food M 58 2 years
5/18/2009
 4  reducing triglycerides Weakness, fatigue excessive daytime sleepiness. Helped these symptoms when dosage reduced back to 500 mg from 1000 mg. Last night missed my dosage, feel great today. I also take 81 mg aspirin 30 minutes prior to taking Niaspan. Triglycerides down to normal range. Appreciate any recommendations on reducing these side effects. M 48 2 years
9/5/2008
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 4  high triglycerides Have taken 1500 mg for two plus years. Early on, had that Doctor very pleased with changes. Switching me to fish oil now. M 42 2 years
7/11/2005
 4  High Cholesterol Mild Acid Reflux, Iching all over and hot flashes - These only happen in the first couple of days of taking it. If you already have acid reflux - don't take it. I had a minimal case of acid reflux, got worse months after taking niaspan. It's under control at the moment - but I have episodes once in a while. F 30 2 years
5/27/2005
 4  80 mg Lipitor alone did not work. Occasional body-on-fire. Doc said to take aspirin to relieve this and it seems to work. I usually take a couple 325 mg "lite coat" aspirin tablets when I feel a reaction starting. Total Cholesterol lowered from 366 to 178; Triglycerides from 483 to 278 (3/06 to 7/06 timeframe). Not sure if it's the Niaspan (1000 mg) alone or the combination with Lipitor (80 mg). After reading others' comments I wonder why I am still taking Lipitor along with Niaspan. It appears that it is supposed to take the place of, not be in addition to. Doctor seems to get bent out of shape when I question his ideas. Oh well, it's only my liver and we need to keep big pharma in business. ;) F 60 2 years
9/28/2006
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 4  raise HDL, family history of CHD Seems if I take Niaspan w/chochlate milk, I experience vomiting the next morning, this has happened about 3 times....I take 2000 mgls....No problems otherwise, & will only take it w/traditional skim white milk from now on.... M 35 2 years
1/10/2005
 4  Low HDL Sensitivity inside my upper and lower lips which prevents eating anything spicy. Even tooth paste causes burning I have the flushing also but found that drinking water when I feel an episode coming on helps eliminate or reduce this sympton M 54 2 years
8/13/2004
 4   hot flashes M 55 2 years
12/27/2007
 4  high triglycerides / cholesterol Flushing from minor to severe. I've learned to take an aspirin 30 minutes before I take Niaspan. For me, it reduces the flushing effect. Also, I have found it to be beneficial to take it right before I go to bed. M 49 2 years
2/26/2009
 4  low HDL Standard flushing, sometimes severe. Worst when I took it at night as recommended. Ignored those instructions, now have no problems. Don't know if this will work for anyone else, but now I take it at about 6am with about 8oz of skim milk. Nothing else. I don't eat breakfast, or any other food except coffee, until lunch at 11am. If I eat, I have flushing. If I don't eat, I don't. Amazing difference, and quite reproducible. Fortunately I'm not hungry when I get up, so this regimen is easy for me. M 57 2 years
1500 1X day
8/1/2010
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 4  High LDL, could not tolerate statin Controls my cholesterol well, but I've had to learn to live with unpleasant side-effects. Taken at bedtime with aspirin, only wake up with moderate itching 2-3x per week. However, have had a couple of severe episodes; once when I took an iron supplement at the same time woke up with severe flushing like hot needles, shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea,shaking like a leaf. Had a fairly severe bout again last night, does Niaspan trigger hot flashes perhaps? F 48 2 years
1000 1X day
12/3/2010
 3  high cholesterol Insane burning, madening itch taht when you scratch it makes it worse. Shortness of breath, rapid pulse. I have been on niaspan for 2 yeras and folks, it doesn't get any better. I was awoke this morning at 6:00am skin on fire, lips and face swollen, itching like i have poison ivy and shortness of breath. I hate this drug, but it has it's benefits. I have asked my dr. to take me off of it, but he wont. Says it's a good drug. I have these attacks everynight. I've tried the aspirin, triscuit crackers, aspirin, water and a few other things but none of them work. Is there anything else out there?????? good drug, horrible side effects. M 47 2 years
500 1X day
2/8/2011
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 3  High cholesterol With 500mg, I had a moderate flushing case after a few days - called the doctor and was told can happen but to follow the directions and suggestion carefully. Was told reaction varied significantly but some level of flushing was common. From then on was fine with the occasional flushing almost always as result of not followed the suggested directions. 1000mg was quite bad with flushing every time that varied from annoying turn red & pin itchy to near naked rolling in the snow screaming, running shirtless in freezing weather, cold shower for an hour, etc. After a couple of months I told the doctor I couldn't handle it emotionally and was switched me back to 500mg. I wonder if 750mg would have been ok, but that doesn't seem to be a standard dose. M 42 2 years
3/15/2009
 3  low HDL In the 2 years that I've been taking the drug I've only had maybe 3 flushing episodes. They only lasted about 15 minutes or so. They helped raise my HDL just slightly. I usually take 500-MGs just before bedtime. I do take a 325-MG aspirin in the morning but none before bed. M 60 2 years
4/28/2008
 3  HIGH Cholestrol Flushing within 30 minutes to 1 hr after taking. Taking in combination with Lipitor, Asprin, and Folgard. 1000 mg Niaspan. M 55 2 years
12/8/2004
 3  cholestrol is high I sometimes wake up with a burning feeling all over, dry mouth, and can't get back to sleep. I started taking 1000mg of this drug at bedtime per my doctor along with lipitor and a baby aspirin at bedtime. I ate some japanese food right before bedtime last night,not a good idea. I have since I've been on these drugs been told that I now have to see a cartelogist and a urologist as my EKG has changed and I now have cysts on my left kidney. I'm not blaming the drugs, but I've been told by a former Navy medic, that an over the counter SLO-Niacin is what he takes and he has been getting good reports on his cholestrol and blood pressure. I've had the episodes of hot flashes about four times now.I will be asking if I could be taking the less intrusive over the counter niasin. M 59 2 years
7/14/2009
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 3  Low "good " high "bad "cholesterol HOLY BENIHANA!! I went from bored office worker to the Human Torch after attempting to go back on Niaspan. The thing that really yanks me about this stuff is that there is no rhyme to when the flushing is going to kick in. I've taken it for a couple of years; sometimes for months with no side effects, then on to having the full body sunburn set in out of nowhere. I'm on my third day of taking it after having been off of it for a few months, figuring I'd see my doctor in a couple of weeks to have blood drawn (which at this point has really just turned into an on-going lie detector test). I bummed a couple of Advil from a co-worker a half-hour ago and the flushing has subsided (I took a baby aspirin a half-hour before taking Niaspan today -didn't help). When the flushing started I went outside to stand in the cool breeze, then the sun came out and OH MY GOD!!!!! I was tanned to begin with, so I was turning burgundy. I'll try to stick it out with this stuff but there has to be a Keep ibuprofan handy when taking this drug. M 46 2 years
9/30/2009
 2  High cholesterol It was 1 a.m. when I awoke with acute flushing and burning, all over my body. At 9 p.m., last night, I took my usual dosage of 500mg, a reduced Rx, down from 1000mg that I had taken up until two months ago. The reduction was because of mild flushing I has experienced. Tonight's reaction is much more severe that any I had previously experienced. As I write this, my entire body is burning and covered with the "pin prick" syndrome. My skin is bright red and my heart is throbbing although the rate is not accelerated. It is now one hour since the symptoms woke me out of a deep sleep and there is no reduction of the symptoms. I am experiencing a chill and I'm shaking all the while my skin is burning. I even submerged myself in my swimming pool in an effort to find comfort. It didn't help. Hopefully, the "attack" will subside soon so I can get back to sleep. Before retiring, last evening, I had a late dessert ... cherry pie ala mode with chocolate ice cream. In reading at least one other report from this site, I suspect that chocolate may be the culprit. I am going to discontinue taking this Rx until I can consult with my physician. M 76 2 years
8/3/2009
 2  slightly low HDL, slightly high LDL I experience "flushing" 2-3 times per week even though I take a full size aspirin with it every night before bed. Sometimes it's HORRIBLE, sometimes it's minor, sometimes I even feel it during the day. I have been taking Niaspan for nearly two years: the first year at 500mg, the second year at 1000 mg. The flushing episodes decreased after I had my thyroid removed, but that's relative. I went from almost nightly to a few times per week. Still really nasty! My sleep is badly interrupted. I have had NO improvement in my HDL or LDL, in fact, they even got worse once. This might work for some people, but when I see my doctor next we will talk about stopping it. I certainly don't want to increase the dosage. F 52 2 years
10/9/2008
 2  increase HDL Burning, itching, pins & needles feeling over my whole body but worse on my neck, arms & legs. Unable to sleep due to these effects. Experienced these side effects even though I had taken 325 ASA and had low fat snack (no spicy foods, no hot drinks, no alcohol). Never occurred before & hit suddenly, 3 hours after taking niaspan. Had been on niaspan in excess of 2 years. I will seriously consider discontinuing medication. My HDL is low but my total cholesterol & LDL are not bad. I had never experienced a reaction like this prior, even though I have been taking long term. I'm not sure I like what my body is telling me regarding taking the niaspan. F 54 2 years
1/23/2008

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