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 |
| 5 | Low HDL | started at 250, then 500, had rise from 28 to 41 for HDL, much better than studies, then 750, then 1000, now HDL 44-46, though new 1000 reading not yet in. Flushing SCARY the first time, or if you are NOT warned adequetely. Goes away quickly. | Random flushing events once a month maybe less. Once you know what to expect, no worries. First time, you might think you need to to ambulance. Started for me, as burning deep from groin area, then spreading, sometimes, tingling redness all over. Random episodes last 15-45 minutes, only occur (after 3 years now) about once every 6-12 weeks, pr about 4-8 /yr. Price for medication is HIGH considering it is B3 time release. Silver lining is that THIS medication is actually natural, VS many of the other pills. IF higher HDL helps don't be afraid to gove this a try (ha, if you have prescription coverage). IF you want to test it out (buy 100mg Niacin generic), take one..you shoul dget the flush...once you know what to expect, its minor annoyance. IF I awake, at night, I sit in chair for 30 minutes, it stops, go back to bed. Small cost a few times a year, for large benefit. Some also think B3 was good for you, BEFORE all this HDL hype. | M | 48 | 3 years | 1/4/2007 | 4 | Riase HDL & Lower Triglycerides | No side effects for first couple of weeks. Then, woke up one night feeling like my skin was on fire. That was followed by approx. 72 hours of itchy skin (mostly arms and legs) that became VERY unfortable at times and I could find no relief. Since I started the med. (now at 1000 mg) I have had the burn 3-4 times accompanied by the utching afterwards. The burn is uncomfortable. The itching pushed me to the edge a few times where I conisdered discontinuing the medication. | After 6 weeks, HDL went from 31 to 40 - big improvement. Tris down a little but LDL and overall cholesterol were unaffected.Hoping for more improvement over time and fewer side effects. | M | 40 | 3 months | 12/31/2006 | 5 | High Triglycerides, Low HDL | Head aches, flushing, rash, itching, tingles, full body "sun burn" initially and when dose is increased. 325mg tylnol & light snack 1hr befor taking helps. After 6 months at 1000mg I occasionally (1 to 3 times per month) get all but head aches , I think that is related to spicy food. Seldomly take tylnol and snack before taking Niaspan now. | Side effects seem extreme on occasion, but bearable. Just got my blood work back, LDL up about 4 pts to 44, HDL 131 ( I think that is down a bit) and Triglycerices down from 780 a year ago to 124. I did get a spike in my fasting blood sugar that put me in the diabetic range, was put on diabetic diet and fasting sugar is down. Don't know if sugar was related to Niaspan or heredity. | M | 41 | 9 months | 12/26/2006 | 5 | Lower Cholesterol | Flushing at first. Not too bad as long as I do not skip any nights. Then I might wake up in the middle of the night feeling a slight burning flush. | It took at least nine months and convincing my doctor to keep me on it, but I finally have the good colesterol to where it need to be and the bad is better than it has ever been. Triglicerides were never a problem. | F | 52 | 1 years | 12/26/2006 | 4 | Lipo Protein A and LDL | Hot flash (Pin and needles) head felt like it was going to explode. The only thing I did different is took Nyquil after taking 1,000 mg. Doctor indicated the alcohol in Nyquil will give this affect. No problems since then and I am now doing 1,500 mg | M | 44 | 4 days | 12/24/2006 | 4 | Low HDL | Absolutely none. I have a low-fat snack before taking NIASPAN, but I stopped taking aspirin or ibuprofen after the first month. | F | 51 | 3 months | 11/22/2006 | 3 | Raise HDL | Sudden Flushing of the face and an iching/stinging feeling | Inconsistent side effects. Third day taking niaspan I took it at about 11pm before bed (with only 81mg). Work up at 0517am (normal time) and felt great--then a minute later horrible flushing in face and itching everywhere. On 8th day I had 7pm dinner then 324mg asprin, then niaspan at 930pm. At 1045pm, I experienced serious flushing and itching suddenly which lasted for about 20 minutes then started to taper off. | M | 47 | 8 days | 11/19/2006 | 4 | High Cholesterol | Waking up to flushing and itching all over. Lasts about 30 minutes. Happens about twice a week. Maybe more often, but I guess I sleep through it. I have not had a blood test as yet to determine if Miaspan is doing the job. | My doctor advised that I eat an apple before taking the Niaspan. I take 1000mg a night. The drug store said to take an aspirin, but my doctor felt that an apple would do the trick. He did not approve of taking aspirin every day. I also take Vytorin. If the blood work shows a great improvement I will continue. The flushing is a small price to pay. | F | 73 | 3 days | 11/13/2006 | 1 | cholesterol | Flushing and tingling twice in about 2 weeks, but developed rash in pelvic area in last couple days. After seeing all the other people with rash problems after starting this drug, I'm discontinuing use & will just continue with my Zocor. | I have never had an adverse reaction to any drug before. | M | 50 | 2 weeks | 10/28/2006 | 1 | Good Cholesterol Low | I started taking this medication at the beginning of the week. By Wednesday, I felt like I was on fire and my whole body itches so badly I tried taking an over the counter allergy med but it is not helping. I stopped taking this drug last night. I have welts on my arms and legs and I itch so badly I can not stand it. I woke up last night literally digging into my skin. I also feel lightheaded. I am hoping since I stopped this stuff goes away. I'll ask for something else. | M | 52 | 3 days | 10/20/2006 | 1 | Low HDL | Please someone tell me when the itching, redness, and hives are going to go away. It has been nearly 48 hours since I quit this crap and I flushed the rest of the bottle. My whole body is burning, red, and I am going nuts trying to get relief. | Piece of crap medicine and I hope I did not damage my body for the few days I took this stuff. I'll take my friggin chances without it. | M | 51 | 3 days | 10/20/2006 | 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 | 5 | cholesterol | occassional mild flushing, hot about 3-4 times per month. | Much better than statins. Statins gave me muscle cramps over most of my body and felt bad mentally; just generally felt horrible with statins. Niaspan is almost symptom-free and gives excellent results in blood tests. | M | 49 | 1 years | 9/27/2006 | 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 | 4 | Cholesterol | Burning, itching, all the typical descriptions supplied by others. One of the best descriptions was waking up thinking you have been dropped into Hell. Of course, after the first time, response is better. | The bedtime snack and aspirin did not make a significant difference. Taking a benedryl over the past 2 weeks seems to have made the drug more tolerable. I agree with others, too, that highly spiced foods at the evening meal, especially if the meal is within 3 hours of the niaspan, does increase the side effect. | M | 59 | 6 months | 9/21/2006 | 2 | Bad Lipid Profile | Flushing, rash, especially in the upper body and constant itch, even during the day. INSOMNIA, in fact, I'm writing this at 4:26am. I have been on this stuff for 3 months but the side effects are so bad that I'm thinking of talking to my doctor to tke me off it. I'm taking it along with Zetia and my lipid profiles had improved greatly at the last time of testing but I don't know if I can go on with the lack of sleep. I seem to be having anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, which make me wake up with a start even when I'm in a deep sleep. I have been on low dose aspirin therapy for years and I have to take it with meals so, taking it at night, one half hour before I take the Niaspan causes terrible stomach problems for me also so I wonder if this is all worth it! | There's no doubt that, in my case it has improved the results as far as controlling cholesterol but the side effects are almost as bad as the muscle problems I had when taking 80mg of a statin! | F | 67 | 3 months | 9/3/2006 | 3 | High Cholesterol and Triglycerides | After taking it for about five months and getting through the initial flushing sensation within the first weeks, I am suddenly now exepriencing stronger symptoms: shortness fo breath, stomach pain, sensation of losing consciousness, numbness in hands and feet, sweats. But it is sporadic so I'll see how it progresses. The niaspan has helped significantly with the cholesterol and triglycerides. | M | 49 | 5 months | 8/15/2006 | 5 | High total-C, High LDL, High Trigli | Current dose is 1,000 mg Niaspan for past 7 weeks. Occational flushing at first... hot with feeling of pins and needles, but only 3 or 4 times in 7 weeks. Lasts 20 minutes. No big deal. Beats the joint and muscle ache I received from statins, hands down. Doctor gave me the go today to move up to 2,000 mg a day. Have not heard of, or would need, trying asprin. | During this 7 weeks, have reduced Total-C from 328 to 231, LDL from 222 to 135, Tri-G from 304 to 286. Will go back to lo-carbing to reduce Tri-G further. Carbs seems to set high Tri-G off in me. My 1,000 mg dose of Niaspan gave me about the same results as any of the statins I have taken over the last 15 years, without all the nasty side effects of statins. Looking forward to even better results from the 2,000 mg dose. | M | 47 | 7 weeks | 7/17/2006 | 4 | to lower overall cholesterol | flushing for first month, once that lasted into the next day, that went away until my dosage was increased recently, but it has gone away again | I was nervous about taking it at first because it irritated my father terribly to the point where he went off it. However, my first test after taking just 500 mg for 3 months was very encouraging, and my flushing went away after a month. My doc recently increased my dosage to 1 gram and I had the flushing again for just 3 nights before it went away. | F | 32 | 4 months | 7/11/2006 | 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 |