NIASPAN Reviews (NIACIN)

Average Rating: 2.7 (694 Ratings)

Filter Results

Compare NIASPAN with similar:
 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 Date added.

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

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


RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR NIASPANCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  help raise hdl the flushing was a nightmare,felt weak, lightheaded,dizzy sometimes. do not recommend taking this drug. now i am suffering from muscle weakness and aches and pains all over my body. THIS SUCKS!! thought i was taking something to help me but it has made me feel worse than ever & caused more problems to deal with. F 41 2 years
2000mg 1X day
8/31/2010
 4  High bad cholesterol Hives, skin flushing and burning - but it only happens when I eat NUTS. The first time it happened, I had eaten Nutella spread, which is loaded with hazlenuts, and today I had peanuts, and I'm burning again, but not as bad. Something about the Niaspan and NUTS...they don't mix! Both times I've taken Benadryl to counteract the effects. F 57 60 days
500mg 1X day
8/29/2010
 1  get Bad LDH lower, Good LDH Higher I took 500 for 2 weeks, no problem at all, I then had to up the dose to 1000. I took that does with no problem for 4 days, on day 5, I was in a store and felt like I was going to pass out, I became SO WEAK!!! I went back to 500 [to see if it was the Niaspan] next day was not too bad, took 2 that evening. I woke up with the worse itch I have ever had in my life, I felt as if things were crawling on the inside of my skin. I also again felt very weak and dizzy if I attempted to do anything physical. Here I was a woman that works over 40 hrs a week [because she LUVS it] goes to the gym every night, is TOTALLY INDEPENDENT - I AM NOW HOUSE BOUND for a week because of this PILL !!! I am SO SORRY I tried this medicine, I have been unable to go to work, to the basement to do laundry, food shopping, I feel like I am disabled!!! I live alone! I was SO afraid of the weakness and dizziness, I went to the emergency room to make sure I was OK. I would NOT recommend this nasty Pill to anyone, I would not want to see anyone feel as I do! Last week I felt 30 - This week I feel 200 =( I have STOPPED taking the Pills, NOW, the question is, WHEN WILL I FEEL NORMAL AGAIN ??? F 59 24 days
500, 1000 1X day
8/28/2010
Email
 1  high col Burning skin and extreme itching that lasted for 4 hour's. I chewed 14 325mg asprin that may have helped. I could not sleep my heart raced. I had to itch and inter my pool for releif. I will NOT take any more, I'd rather have a heart attack. M 50 2 days
500 1X day
8/27/2010
 4  high LDL and low HDL I started out at a daily dose of 500 mg, then a few months later was upped to 1000 mg, with another increase a couple months after that to a total daily dose of 2000 mg. Initially, the 500 mg dose caused flushing, especially if I had hot food along with it. That lasted only long enough for me to research what NOT to take it with on the internet. I was fine. When I was raised to 1000 mg a day, I started flushing again, but it only occasionally occurred. Again, when I went to the twice a day 1000 mg dose, I seldom had flushing in the morning, when I took my tablet with juice, followed by a bowl of cereal. On weekends, if I couldn't wait to have coffee, the half hour I had learned was the safe waiting period, I would flush again. The second dose, in the early evening, if I took it with my dinner, not with hot food, but after dinner if having hot food, I would not have a problem. But if I forgot and had to take it later in the evening, it seemed I would experience flushing occasionally. I I like the idea of a more natural Rx, such as Niaspan, than a synthetic compound that may have other side effects. From what I have learned, the flushing is a harmless, but sometimes embarressing side effect that is worth the benefit of the drug. F 57 1 years
1000 mg 2X day
8/25/2010
 1  to increase good something? unexpected and unbearable Hot Flashes and general discomfort I tried! Took in morning then tried at night. Man what an experience. Tried to take and had read the flashes would decrease. Wrong. Then I read where a lady said stopping was worst then taking. Boy was she right. I fell out of a tree when I was young and landed flat on my back knocking the air out of me. My tips of my lungs hurt for days. Pain was terrible and I forgot about this until I stopped Niaspan and that same pain started and lasted for about ten days in my lungs. Feel OK now. Didn't know if I was ever going to have my strength back. M 73 40 days
500mg 1X day
8/25/2010
 5  high LDL and triglycerides Some flushing within an hour if I am still awake, because I take it at bedtime. Only a little uncomfortable. Important to get brand name Niaspan (Rx) because OTC time-release niacin causes unbearable waves of heat. DO NOT take with alcohol. I had wine with first dose of regular niacin (only 500mg) and it felt like I had a sunburn, with heat coming off my arms. Did not try that with 1500mg Niaspan. Has improved my HDL where Crestor and Zetia did not. Lowered triglycerides and LDL enough to make my doctor satisfied. I have very high total cholesterol normally (over 400) due to familial hypercholesteremia. F 59 8 months
1500mg 1X day
8/18/2010
 5  High LP(a) Flushing commences 1 hour after taking. Not a problem. Occasionally I get a major itching attack 3-5 hours after taking. It lasts 30-60 minutes during which I cannot do anything but scratch all over my body - not fun. It seems to be worse if I eat a late dinner or a snack before bed. I therefore take Niaspan on an empty stomach, contrary to advice. I am very satisfied with Niaspan: the occasional mad attack of itching is worth the benefits as LP(a) is very bad and difficult to reduce. I haven't yet tried the suggestions on the site (apple/pectin, Vitamin C, cold water), but I definitely find an empty stomach helps. I'd be interested if anyone knows why you are advised against this. M 50 5 years
1000mg 1X day
8/15/2010
 1  Lower Colesterol, etc Human torch guy describes it perfectly. Took 500mg last night along with the aspirin 30min and light snack before bed. I woke up about 2 hours later with a burning sensation in my stomach and tingling down my left arm. As everyone else described I went into the bathroom and was red as a lobster. Then the burning sensation got worse. I felt like my body was literally on fire. Eight hours later and my eye lids are still burning and am feeling sleep deprived. I'm nervous about continuing but considering some of the other methods others have mentioned. I have an awful burning sensation in my large intestine. All these side affects are not listed on the freak'n box it came in. Just says - Mild Flushing. I don't think they did enough testing before putting it on the market. M 32 1 days
500 mg 1X day
8/13/2010
 5  raise HDL some cramping in legs Raised my HDL from 40 to 58 M 77 6 months
750 1X day
8/11/2010
 5  High Triglycerides, High VLDL-3 One night of Flushing enough to wake me. After 2 weeks of taking, I developed the worst itch covering most of my body. This almost caused me to quit taking. Itch is nearly gone now; I'm hoping it was worth the effort. Doctor suggested taking 325mg Aspirin 30 minutes before taking Niaspan and eating AppleSauce with the Niaspan. F 50 6 weeks
2000 MG 1X day
8/10/2010
 1  Change my LDL & HDL levels I started with the flushing which went away but after 6 months I had gout in my finger really bad. When the doctor sent me for blood work he discovered my sugar levels were at the point of making me pre-diabetic. I stopped taking Niaspan and my sugar levels dropped back to normal. I WILL NEVER take Niaspan again, I would rather have bad LDL levels. Also I still have problems with my finger which the doctor says I will always have, it will never return to normal. Thanks Guys. M 50 6 months
1000 mg 2X day
8/10/2010
Email
 2  lower cholesteral numbers Slight flushing. Nothing to severe. A few nights i will wake up finding myself scratching my lower neck area very hard. Now i have an ear infection in the left ear, sore throat on the left side, and my skin is very sensative on the left side of my skull. I'm calling the Dr. This medicine is forcing me to take further (more intense)action concerning exercise and weight. I have changed my lefestyle but now I'm really going to change it - Ive seen the light. M 42 15 days
1000 1X day
8/9/2010
 1  High Itching hives and red rash on eyelids and cheeks so severe I stopped taking Niaspan. It took a month for the initial rash to clear up, but I now react the same way to certain cereals and anything containing Vitamin B. I take mega doses of C and daily anti-histamines but need to see an allergist. F 73
300 - 500M 1X day
8/8/2010
 4  high cholesterol I posted a few days ago after taking my first pill and feeling like my head was under a heat lamp. The next two days I was fine. I have to believe it was the chocolate ? After researching this extensively on the internet I found a site where a doctor posted a fail-safe cure - DRINK COLD WATER 6-8 OZ IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE SIDE EFFECT BEGIN. I have to say that I did this and it worked ! I felt my head getting hot, got an ice cold glass of water and drank it all down. Within 3 minutes the flush was gone. TRY IT ! Be sure to take with a meal. Any meal is fine. My flush always occurs about 3 hrs after taking the pill, if I get a flush, which is not all the time. Also, I read (and you can check out YouTube for some funny niacin flush videos) that the flush is HARMLESS, and a very common side effect. It's healthy. Don't be alarmed by it. The flushing is opening up your capillaries, doing its job ridding your body of the toxins. If you can tolerate it, stay with it. The prescription NIASPAN is the safest, over the niacin you buy over the counter. F 57 7 days
500 mg 1X day
8/7/2010
 4  High LDL Low HDL I was started on Niaspan and Crestor about five months ago after eight years on Lipitor. My numbers are now excellent. For the first four and a half months I had no side effects at all but for the last week or so I have been experiencing flushing about 20 minutes after taking Niaspan. It lasts for about an hour or so then decreases but I have also noticed a mild itching of my entire body that seems to last most of the day. I thought the side effects were supposed to decrease over time but mine seem to be getting worse as time goes on. M 54
500mg 1X day
8/6/2010
Email
 1  High cholesterol For 2 nights I had such severe leg cramps I thought I'd never walk again; also my bp bottomed out; scary. No drug is worth this. As I sit here now, my calf muscles are still sore. I'm sticking with diet and exercise - cheap and effective. F 67 2 days
500 mg 1X day
8/6/2010
Email
 1  Raise HDLs, Lower Triglycerides Took pill 8th day around 9:30pm by 12:30am I woke up feeling like I was burning alive from the inside out. I went into the bathroom and I looked like a lobster and face was swollen. I wanted to take a cool shower was about to get in looked at my wife and passed out. She said I went white in the face and eyes rolled and fell. She thought I was dead. Couldn't find a heart rate and was ghost white. While on the phone with 911 she said I started to snore really loud, then started to make a weird throat noise and started foaming at the mouth and lost control of my bladder (like a seizure). When EMT arrived my blood pressure and heart rate were very low. I had diarrhea once I was responsive (my wife said I was out for a good 15min and took 40min to even know something was wrong and respond to any questions asked) I spent two days in hospital recovering, had a CAT scan done, MRI, and a lot of blood work. Everything came back normal. Going to see doctor in a few days. I will NOT use this medication again! M 46 8 days
500mg 1X day
8/6/2010
 1  high cholesterol I took my first pill with dinner (potato soup and a salad). I had a glass of juice as well. I then had a piece of birthday cake (chocolate frosting). About 3 hours later the top of my head started to get really hot and I felt like I was standing under a heat lamp. Well within 10 minutes my arms turned bright red and my face was blotchy red. My ears were bright red and the redness started to travel down my body to my toes. I didn't itch, except for some very mild itchiness on my stomach and back which were also a little red. I knew from reading about Niaspan what was happening and raced to get an aspirin - 325 mg. I took it and waited. The whole episode lasted about 45 minutes. My skin finally returned to normal and I felt fine. I am also taking 100 mg of a BP med as well. I am wondering after reading all over the internet about this drug if the chocolate had something to do with the flushing? Anyway I called my doctor this morning and am waiting to hear back from her as t F 57 1 days
500 mg 1X day
8/4/2010
 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
Email

Previous Page       Next Page

BACK TO TOP