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 Date added. 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 |
| 3 | High LDL | One occurence of minor facial flushing during the daytime after about 3 days of taking a 500mg dose before bedtime. Flushing lasted about 20 minutes. The only other side effect I have noticed is the tendency for the skin on my neck to be slightly red and irritated at times. Moisturizing lotion helps. | I took 500mg for one month and have been on 1000mg for about a month. I have not been retested for my cholesterol levels yet. I have been very pleased with the side effect profile of this drug. It may be coincidental, but since beginning this drug, I seem to have more vivid, memorable dreams. I am a runner and found that statin drugs(vytorin) affected my leg muscles and overall stamina. I will NEVER take another statin. I am hoping that Niaspan works. | M | 41 | 2 months | 3/26/2008 | 3 | To lower cholesterol | I have not had any | I did as instructed. I took the medication with an aspirin a half hour before the medication at bedtime. So far no side effects. I also take Zocor and Norvasc and am watching for possible reactions. | F | 55 | 3 days | 3/25/2008 | 1 | To increase HDL (good) | Was on it for three months and then one night I woke up with a feeling like I was on fire. I actually thought some one had lit me on fire. My face turned red and felt as if it was swelling. My skin felt like it was melting and my clothes touching my skin was extremely painful. Ended up in the ER, when they found out I was on Niaspan they gave me asprin and water. My doctor never told me about the possibility of flushing. I was scared to take this medicine after that but my doctor convinced me I really needed it. So, I started taking it again and last night (after a week of taking it this time) I took asprin and still had severe flushing. I don't like the feeling of burning alive and the pain seemed to be worse this time. I sat outside at 1 a.m. in my pajamas with no shoes or socks on for a half hour, it was 30 degrees out. After that I laid on my kitchen floor with the back door open for two hours. Flushing seems to last at least three hours for and the next day I still feel | F | 29 | 1 weeks | 3/25/2008 | 4 | HIGH Tri's | Have had some mild gastro effects (gas/ constipation) slight irritatability and sleepiness problems (get sleepy at my desk in the afternoon). Had one mild flushing episode due to not following the directions for taking the dose (had a whiskey after dinner). | I notice that most people complaining are not honest about following directions. One guy admitted that he ate chili for dinner. The instructions tell you to stay away from spicy foods. My doctor recommeded a handful of Triscuits, a cup of yougurt and the asprin to slow the absorption of the drug and limit the side effects. WORKS GREAT!!!!! | M | 41 | | 3/21/2008 | 1 | to lower cholesterol | severe nausea, chills, spasms | The last few weeks nausea was constant. Chills became so severe I ended up living the past couple of weeks under a pile of blankets, praying for sleep so I would not feel the nausea. A few days ago my hands and arms started moving and jerking as did my jaw, I had no control. I stopped the Niaspan 1000 mg. By the next morning the nausea was gone, no more chills or transient headaches. If the doctor told me I would die if I did not continue with Niaspan, my response would be that I felt I was dying by taking it. | F | 71 | 2 months | 3/21/2008 | 4 | lower ldl | First night on medication...took it in the afternoon, slight flushing at dinner. I am type 2 diabetic trying to maintain good control. Anyone have any problems with elevated sugars while on Niaspan? | F | 42 | 1 days | 3/16/2008 | 1 | hdl/ldl not in normal range | Severe headache and vertigo (more so when in car - visual stimilus exacebrates) ... woke up last night "on fire" as described by others... called Doctor earlier in week and he said the side effects would dissapate with higher dose aspirin (1/2 hour before taking) and apple sauce when taking... not only did not help - symptoms exploded last night! No more for me... this is poison - though I note it may help others who have not had severe side effects. | Read this site only after flushing pills down toilet - great information - now I know I am not the only one to experience a problem with this product. | F | 57 | 18 days | 3/9/2008 | 1 | lower triglycerides | Two hours after taking medication, woke up with the inside of my upper legs burning, when I got out of the bed the burning went all over my body and it felt like my skin was going to pop open. My heart was racing and I was dizzy. My husband called the doctor, while waiting for a returned call from the answering service, he called poison control. We were told side effects were normal and to take an asprin and drink lots of water. The next morning I had severe diarrhea. | I will not take anymore. The side effects, although normal, were in my opinion severe. I will try to find another method to help reduce my triglycerides. I am already taking vytorin and fish oil supplements, but levels are still at 250. | F | 42 | 1 days | 3/2/2008 | 1 | raise HDL cureently at 11 | First night on the med no problems at all. Had taken it with milk and asprin. 2nd night, NIGHT FROM HELL! Layed down at 9:30 about 30 min later face felt hot and flushed then itchy. this moved to my whole body. The tingly felt like needles all over my body, and the heat. I became very nervious, heart rate was very high, this lasted for over 3 hours. The only relif I felt was walking in the cool night air in very lose PJ, which at midnight I bet look pretty strage. I had to keep moving to help either control the itchy pain or make me forget about it. I must have walked 2 miles. Could not stand still, very irritable. It is 3:00am and I am still up, I have done a lot of things in my life but the last 5 hours were nothing but torture. | Will discontinue taking the Niaspan. Especially after reading the experience that people are having on this drug that have been taking it for years. I am sure it works but to unpredictable. Boy the drug company saw us coming. | M | 49 | 2 days | 3/1/2008 | 1 | Supposedly to lower cholesterol | NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE! RASH, BLISTERS, REDNESS, FELT THE DOOM OF DEATH. | Waste of time and effort trying to "Take it correctly", and living through the hell of flushing every night. | M | 60 | 3 months | 2/26/2008 | 3 | lower triglycerides & increase HDL | I take 1000 mg of Niaspan at bedtime and 81 mg of Aspirin 15 - 30 minutes before taking Niaspan. Lowered triglycerides and increased HDL. Disturbs sleep at night and feel drowsy and lightheaded during the day. | M | 47 | 14 months | 2/25/2008 | 1 | To lower LDL | Took 500mg twice a day with no problem for 14 days. On day 15 while sitting at work at my desk my entire head suddenly became burning hot and prickly throughout. I thought I was having a stroke. A co-worker saw me and said I must have been using a sun lamp too long. I walked into the bathroom and saw that my head, face and chest were BEET color. I drove directly to the ER, about 5 minutes away. They took me back into a room immediately - no waiting. By this time I was beet-colored all over, except the palms and my hands and soles of my feet. They assumed it was a severe allergic reaction to something I inhaled (perfume, paint???) and gave me a shot of prednisone and one of benadryl. The beet color subsided over the next hour. I did not suspect the Naispan because I had been on it for 2 weeks without reaction. Today, Sunday, I did not go go work. A few hours after taking my morning dose of Niaspan I noticed that my neck and upper chest were red. I then researched the plasma | USERS BEWARE: The insert pamphlet for Niaspan says "Take this medication by mouth with a low-fat meal or snack, usually at bedtime or as directed by your doctor. Taking niacin on an empty stomach increases its side effects (eg., flushing, upset stomach.)" Take it with a low-fat meal at bedtime??? Who eats a meal at bedtime? Nevertheless, it seems that the dual objects here are to take it at bedtime so that the flushing occurs while you are asleep, and take it with a meal to slow absorption so as to reduce flushing and upset stomach. The obvious problem is that very few people will eat the meal at bedtime, so the dual objective will not be obtained, and some people, like me, will have therefore have adverse reactions. The fact that the adverse reaction can occur at any time, regardless of how long you've taken the drug, indicates to me that a variety of other factors in your life can directly influence whether you will suddenly have a severe adverse reaction. This unpre | M | 57 | 16 days | 2/24/2008 | 1 | Dr. recommended | Woke up at 4 a.m. on fire, from within. I feel stressed and agitated. I had noticed increased indigestion and aching in my upper body after taking 500MG, plus an 81 mg of aspirin. I am more tired than usual. | Stopping dosage immediately, calling doctor to advise. This really could not be good for you with all these side effects. I have taken Vytorin 10/20 for several years with no problems. I am going to do better with my diet and exercise more! | F | 61 | 21 days | 2/20/2008 | 1 | To balance go and bad cholesterol | Woke up this morning feeling as though I was on fire. As a firefighter in my town I have never felt this hot. Woke my wife up and before I could tell her what was wrong I was on the floor, I tried to get back up and fell again, I had no control of myself. Paramedics took my blood pressure as soon as they entered the door, BP was 80/40, w/A.L.C. I had taken this drug before at 250mg and only had some flu like symptoms, Moved up to 500mg 5 days ago. At this time I would rather suffer from unstable cholesterol levels than ever take this pill again. Good luck to those that this has helped or are still taking it, but be very careful. | M | 41 | 5 days | 2/19/2008 | 3 | Lower elevated triglycerides | I had been taking 1000 mg doses per night of niaspan last year. Dropped it for a month or so and just began again. (Ramped up with 500 mg doses first.) Main side-effect that I have experienced immediately after taking niaspan is some flushing and upset stomach at night. Also noticed that I am experiencing major anxiety and racing heart during the day, just after starting to take niaspan again. I had the same problem the last time I restarted niaspan. When I tried to do some treadmill work yesterday, I found that I was tired and had chest pressure so didn't do sustained jogging, only brisk walking. | Unfortunately, I have not seen any decrease in my triglycerides when I took niaspan last year. Am going to try it for a 3 month period again to see if any change. | M | 43 | 4 days | 2/13/2008 | 1 | to raise HDL | Side effects were it made my all my food taste terrible. Everything I ate I forced it down. I took this medicine for 6 months. Because I had trouble eating, I lost 15 lbs. | Just had a blood test and after being on Niaspan for 6 months, it did absolutely nothing. My HDL was exactly the same as it was before I began taking it. My doctor has taken me off this medicine. Now I have to drink Ensure to gain some weight back. | M | 77 | 6 months | 2/11/2008 | 1 | to raise my good cholesterol | Woke up feeling like my skin was literally ON FIRE. Felt completely out of control and more sick than ever before in my life. Passed out 3 times trying to get help, hit head. Absolutely terrified to take it ever again. | Considering my overall cholesterol isn't even high, just had a low good cholesterol reading-I don't feel it's at all worth ever risking feeling like that again. Like that one other person said-if you plan to take Niaspan, prepare to experience FEAR-because Niaspan may have you on the floor writhing! | F | 35 | 2 days | 2/6/2008 | 1 | raise HDL | Maculopapular rash reduced to scabs with reddish base and hot area persisting 37 days after stopping niaspan and all multivitamin and B-complex supplements.Had 3 day treatment with prednisone tablets and corticosteroid cream for 2 weeks, with occasional cream use thereafter. Seeking further dermatologist help scheduling appointments,etc. This is a followup of 12/28/07 report below. | Side effects last too long. Disappointed. Is there a cure? Had previously used it for about 30 days followed by over the counter niacin for another 60 days with no HDL benefit, although cholesterols were lowered, I thought I would give it another full try, but this rash stopped that.Has anyone had a successful cure for this rash? | M | 76 | 63 days | 2/3/2008 | 5 | To raise HDL | When I first started taking 500mg's of Niaspan I experienced minor to moderate flushing about once a week. Now I'm taking 2500mg's of Niaspan and get only minor flushing about once every two weeks. I'm not taking medication to stop the flushing. | Started taking 500mg's of Niaspan about 3.5 years ago. My HDL was 38, my LDL was 124, and my Triglycerides were 73(before taking Niaspan). I've been taking 2500mg's of Niaspan for the last two years and my HDL is now 48, my LDL is 47, and my Triglycerides are 52. I've also been using "Benecol light" for the past six months, and the last two LDL reading went down from 76 to 47! I also exercise on the tredmill for 30 minutes every day, which i've been doing for the past two years. | M | 52 | 3.5 years | 1/31/2008 | 3 | Very low HDL readings. | No side effects for about 3 months taking 500 mg every night, then I had a couple episodes of burning sensation in my shoulders and chest in the middle of the night, which is a known side effect, even though I am taking 81 mg of aspirin before taking the Niaspan. More worrisome is I am also now experiencing some numbness in my hands and some sensitivity to pressure on the bottom of my feet when walking or jogging, so I am going to discontinue usage of this medication for a while and see if these symptoms are caused by the Niaspan. My blood pressure has also dropped about 20 points, which may explain the other symptoms. | Niaspan doubled my HDL reading from 20 to 40 in 3 months, and lowered my total cholesteral from about 200 to 170, though my triglycerides actually went up from about 170 to 200. | M | 55 | 4 months | 1/30/2008 |