Last time I took it, I flushed so badly I looked sunburnt. And it *felt* a bit like a burn. I’ve been afraid to touch it since. Interesting about the alcohol connection. Maybe that is why I reacted. I do enjoy wine with dinner often.
First “flush” usually comes as a surprise, it’s magnified because it’s unexpected unless you have been specifically warned about the effect. Once you have experienced it and know what to expect it, it is much less “scary.”
One way to avoid the “experience” of the flush is to take niacin before going to sleep (maybe trying it instead of wine that day) or ease into it with smaller dosage. That said, there is no predictable reaction to niacin; everyone’s reaction will be different - from none to rapidly coming “sunburn” that disappears just as fast (or slowly) as it came on - usually within first hour of taking.