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 |
| 1 | lower cholesterol and triglycerides | After one week of 250 mg, I began having shortness of breath when walking short distances that would otherwise not bother me. I felt like I needed to be careful about exerting myself at all. I also began having leg cramps in my calves, as well as insomnia. This was a very low dose and I did not have enough time on the med to increase it to the cholesterol lowering dose. My doctor recommended I stop the med, which I did. I hope the symptoms go away after stopping the med. | F | 49 | 7 days | 1/30/2008 | 5 | heart attack and high LDL | None. | I take 2,500 mg per day (which is above recommended maximum dosage) and have had no side effects. I take it immediately before going to bed, and have had no flushing issues. It works. | M | 42 | 3 years | 1/23/2008 | 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 | 4 | HDL | Mild flushing/redness. | I started taking Niaspan 12 weeks ago. The aspirin and apple sauce really does help. At first I really noticed the (flushing, warmth, redness, however now I occasionally feel it when I exercise. I can't believe my HDL went from 28 to 40 in 12 weeks!! It is completely genetics for me. I run 20-35 miles per week and am very physically active. I heard that low HDL is a death sentence. I have been very happy with Niaspan!! | M | 42 | 12 weeks | 1/22/2008 | 1 | High triglycerides | After taking 500mg for 5 nights with only mild flushing I woke on the sixth night like I was on fire from head to toe, my skin was bright red, I was dizzy and had an upset stomach. It took about 2 hours for this to go away and I was weak all the next day. | I have cut back to 500mg every other day with asprin, but if this happens again I will trash it all. | M | 55 | 10 days | 1/22/2008 | 4 | Extremely high triglycerides/low hd | Usually no side effects. Occasionally, mild flushing. Tonight, entire body flushed red (head to toes)--fire and itching all over. Quite unexpected. | My triglycerides have gone from 1500 to 83 (taking 1000 mg Niaspan, 80 mg Lipitor, and 2000 mg Omacor(4000 mg/day). Cholesterol is 87. HdL is still a bit low. I'm not going to stop taking it,but tonight is the worst reaction I've ever had. (Maybe it has something to do with the chili I had tonight--I didn't realize spices aggravate the flushing) | M | 46 | 3 years | 1/21/2008 | 5 | high Cholesterol | There is tingling and Burning, And Itching. I started out at 500 mg and now I am at 1000 mg. I take a 81 mg Aspirin and there is no burning sensation. I have had no bad side effects at all with this.I took this when I was a teenager I use to take 500 mg of Niacin it helped clean up the acne on my face, my skin looked really vibrant!!!! When I go to the makeup counter women tell me I have Beautiful skin. Niaspan is actually a B vitamin I beleive B-6 in megadoses. How many of you people out there know this? My HDL went from 40- 69. I need to go get Blood work done next month. I would reccomend everyone to stay on this who just suffers from flushing. | I use to be on vytorian and I suffered severe Muscle Ache and Joint Ache. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I am suffering from frozen shoulder. I will never know. | F | 46 | 2 months | 1/20/2008 | 1 | High cholesterol | I took this medication only 4 days- the 5th day my blood pressure skyrocketed. My BP is usually 110/70 and it skyrocketed to 170/120- I was afraid I was going to have a stroke! I have not taken it for 2 days now- but my heart still pounds at times & my BP is erratic- all over the place. I wish I had never tried this medication!! It is very frightening! | Anyone else have an experience similar to this?? | F | 50 | 4 days | 1/18/2008 | 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 | 4 | High triglycerides | Occasional flushing, burning, prickly feeling in the beginning. Now, itchy for days after stopping medication. | I experienced the flushing when first taking it. Started taking aspirin 30 min. before. Even with aspirin, I have been getting occasional bouts of flushing. 2 weeks ago a woke up, with not just the burning, prickly feeling but also itching. The itching occurred again today. It has lowered my triglycerides and improved my total cholesterol. I am taking tricor along with the niaspan. | M | 43 | 3 years | 1/15/2008 | 3 | Heart attacks/cholestorol | Mild flushing, aspirin half-hour before seems to help that. Quite a bit of spaciness over the past four months but this could be because of other meds I am on in particular Lovastatin. Sticker shock from the price! | Started at 500mg then up to 1000mg then up to 1500mg. I am also on Lovastatin 20mg doubled to 40mg in July last year which reduced my overall cholesterol including HDL currently 42, a year ago 34, 6 months ago 45. I would have to say at best it is mediocre, for me anyway. | M | 55 | 18 months | 1/15/2008 | 5 | needed to increase HDL | minor flushing | increased hdl fron 30 to 40. started with 500mg after 3 months went to 750mg now on 1000 mg. very satisfied with results | M | 64 | 2 days | 1/12/2008 | 2 | HIGH CHOLESTEROL | TOOK IT FOR THREE WEEKS, INCREASING 500 MG EACH WEEK. TAKING 1 BABY ASPIRIN WITH IT BEFORE BED. LAST NIGHT 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKING DOSE BEGAN TO TURN LOBSTER RED, AND ITCHY. TINGLES IN MY FACE AND THEN ALL OVER. ALMOST WENT TO ER, BUT TRIED TO SLEEP INSTEAD. AM VERY SCARED TO TAKE IT AGAIN TONIGHT. I WILL TRY ANYWAY. THERE MUST BE A BETTER DRUG?! | M | 41 | 24 days | 1/12/2008 | 1 | HIGH CHOLESTEROL | My Pharmacy had switched to the ORANGE coated 1,000MG tablets. I experienced shortness of breath and irregular heartbeats. I had taken the WHITE non-coated 1,000MG tablets for 1 1/2 years with no serious side effects. | I much rather prefer the WHITE non-coated Niaspan 1,000MG tablets. I am now off Niaspan for good... and I am glad. | M | 29 | 1 years | 1/11/2008 | 1 | lower mildly elevated cholestrol | Serve flushing of entire body, I looked like a boiled lobster. Painful burning, tingling and needle-like feeling all over my skin. It came and went in waves at first and then stayed constant. My skin felt very tight. It started at the top of my head and continued over my entire body. I couldn't sit without pain. I couldn't stand clothing on my skin or to touch my skin anywhere. I had been having joint and muscle soreness I thought was from overwork and/or stress. I had insomnia and restless sleep. I felt anxiety and had vague headaches. I was on this drug for just 5 days short of a month and was about to increase the dosage as per my MD, when this happened. It continued for over 3 hours. All this has stopped now that I have stopped taking this drug. | I am a nurse and expected some flushing. I was not informed that anything worse could happen. It is not worth the risk of a greater reaction to continue taking niaspan. | F | 54 | 25 days | 1/9/2008 | 4 | hyperlipidemia, low HDL, coronary d | Intense burning of skin, redness – preceded by, or followed by intense itching in large areas in various parts of the body. At first, these symptoms were consistent, usually 1-3 hours after a 500mg. dose. But I put up with these side effects, because I had severe muscle weakness and pain with several statins. Started Niaspan after I stopped Lipitor in 2003. Since upping the dose to 1000mg twice a day, I get occasional flushes once or twice a week. More distressing is a new set of symptoms I have had 4 times in the last three months. It typically starts early in the day with a chill with shivering (without fever), cold hands (sometimes hands and feet), nausea and dry-heaves vomiting. On each of those occasions I had some chocolate the night before – not unusual, I am a chocoholic, have at least a taste of it every day. However, after reading this survey I'm considering giving it up. I plan to cut the dose to 1500mg. a day. | At first I thought the flushes were intolerable. But I was assured my body would adjust to it. Besides, the statin alternative has no appeal. For me, the myositis is predictable. I have had no muscle weakness or pain since starting Niaspan. Apparently individuals react differently to Niaspan. But if you drink alcohol, the flush is a certainty. I am satisfied with the effect of Niaspan on my cholesterol numbers. | M | 79 | 5 years | 1/5/2008 | 1 | to lower cholesterol | I took one 500mg before going to bed around 10pm. Awoke because of a rapid heart beat and extremely hot, sick at my stomach almost unable to make it to bathroom only about three steps from my bed. | I was warned about possible flushing but I never expected anything as severe as I had. I have never been any sicker than that. I cannot take statins so I am not sure what I am going to do now. | M | 58 | 1 days | 12/31/2007 | 3 | to raise HDL | Sudden severe rash at upper right buttock spreading from area to about 6 by 4 inches to added dots above waist and on thigh and ocasional pinpoint dots on back of forearms-suspect niaspan. Associated with occasional pins and needles feeling on back. Occurred at one month on 2000 mg after gradually approached from 500 mg started 2 months ago. My glucose also suddenly went from averaging 137 to a highest-ever at 196 repeated 15 minutes later to 188! Now taking cortico-steroid pills for 3 days and cream topical treatment which don't seem to be having much efect. Need blood tests to check current status and safety and seeking best advice. Except for this rash and occasional short periods of typical discomfort, the efects have been bearable with a warm persisting glow and a feeling of immune system reaction to healthy feeling of resistance to colds,infections, etc which go away quickly. Rash started like a mosquito bite with bump that itched. I scratched and it spread to red dots, inflamed | Having been overindulging in food,etc during this holiday season may have contributed to the current conditions. Would like to continue-to achieve higher HDL objective, since otherwise have been very healthy and active. Any professional recommendations and related experiences would be appreciated. [email protected] Thanks. | M | 76 | 63 days | 12/28/2007 | 4 | hot flashes | M | 55 | 2 years | 12/27/2007 | 2 | High cholesterol | Took Niaspan for about 3 weeks with only one previous episode of flushing/itching that lasted about 10-15 minutes. Took a 500mg dose at bedtime with shaved ham and mustard on whole wheat. Woke up @ 1:30 am with SEVERE flushing, weakness and dizziness, could barely walk and dropped to my knees trying to get back to bed. Have not taken any since then (12/18/07) Too unpredictable. Weird. | Discontinued for now until I can see my dr later this month. Currently taking Omega-3 fish oil (2000mg daily) until then. | F | 45 | 24 days | 12/23/2007 |