I was told a few months ago that my LDL cholesterol was too high (I'm only 30!), but I think I'm allergic to niacin. I've took niacin as a supplement a few years ago, and it caused my face to flush and I felt feverish for an hour or so.
Flushing is a common side effect, and not reflective of an allergic reaction.
It gets better. I just took about 500 Mg., and it's not as bad as it used to be. I'm getting ready for bed now- when I was taking it before and had the most alarming effects, I was doing it in the morning before a brisk walk to the Metro station, about a mile away.
Seems not to be so bad when you're relaxed and not exerting yourself.
Try the timed-release formula. It works for some people -- they don't have the flushing. However, a couple of people I know said that the flush lasts a longer time, although not as severe.
My doctor recommended that I start at a low dose and build up my dosage very slowly.
Her specific suggestion for me was to start at just 100 mg/day, double it after a week, and keep increasing by 200 mg/day each following week until I got up to 1000 mg/day.
I just started taking a relatively new form of Niacin that I had read about in one of Dr. Atkins books. It's inositol hexanicotinate, found some in Walgreens.
It's not supposed to cause flushing in most people. And it breaks down into 5 parts niacin and 1 part inositol.
One side effect of Niacin is it makes you drowsy. I take this at night and sleep like a baby. I wake up and cry all night because of the flushing. Just kidding... I sleep well after taking this.
make sure to get time-released. Start with 100 mg, and build up slowly enough to acclimate. Flushes are only occasional for me. You will have to consult with your doctor, because you should have your liver function tests checked, as well as your lipid (fats) profile, to show it's doing some good.
Don't buy into too much fat...it's simple carbs...like sugar that creates the problem.......flaxseed oil in cottage cheese will correct the problem over time.
The first time you take niacin your body will flush ... you will feel hot. In time that completely disappears.
That is the problem with Niacin. Most patients will stop taking it. I know. Very few of my patients will take it for very long.
Sounds like a typical response to niacin.
Get the flush free time release type and be sure to take it with a meal. My boyfriend's doc put him on it. You might also want to up your oatmeal intake and look at the Cholestoff that is being advertized by one of the vitamin companies.
PS, don't take it when you've eaten greasy foods, it makes the flushing worse.
Great news. It's about time the DBM gave us stories like this.
Try a different suppliment, I highly doubt you are alergic to Niacin, its one of the fundamental building blocks... most likely you were allergic to one of the ingredients used as filler in the pills.
My husband's doctor put him on Niacin before trying Lipator (sp?). What you are describing are symptoms his doctor told him to watch for (you may not be allergic to it afterall), he advised him to take an aspirin to counter attack those symptoms. My husband said the aspirin helped some, but he ended up going on a statin drug anyway.