I Overdosed on Niacin Yesterday

I am prescribed 2000 mg daily. The key is to purchase only coated/sustained release and best practice is to take at bed time. Although I am sensitive to the effects that you a experienced and had experienced the flushing/itching in the past, the above recommendation totally eliminated the problem immediately.

Current research has shown Niacin in any dosage has not shown to be beneficial for lowering cholesterol or protecting your heart. My cardiologist told me to stop taking it.

Although I didn't mention it, I was already taking 500 mg of a "no Flush niacin", which caused absolutely no flushing at all. What prompted me to investigate further was paying closer attention to the ingredients. It wasn't niacin at all, but something with a long name and the word "inositol" in it. Further research showed it wasn't as effective as real niacin, or nicotinic acid. So, I already had the number 500 in my mind. Still, taking that large dosage was a dumb thing to do, without first starting out slowly and gradually building up.

I was put on an 8000mg/day(that's not a misprint!) dosage of niacin by the University of San Francisco Medical Center. Niacin helps to increase HDL cholesterol. You have to build to it slowly to be able to take those quantities and have regular liver tests to check for damage. It did raise my HDL but not in sufficient quantity to justify taking that much niacin. I now take slo-niacin 750mg twice per day. I'm not suggesting anyone take anything without consulting their doctor first, I'm just saying that an accidental large dose of niacin will probably do nothing more than give you the biggest flush and itching you've ever had. Water intake helps to flush it thru your system. When you have a coronary bypass at age 26 you become a guinea pig for the doctors...I've tried it ALL!

Trackrig wrote:
I take a couple of supplements also, but only as my doctor has recommended them after by blood work comes back. Those are Slow Mag for a pain in my heart. I slowly cut it back as the pain went away and vitamin D because I always seem to have a shortage even though I eat a very good varied diet.

If your blood work and doctor don't say you need it, then I'd stick to very low dosages of the Niacin.

Bill

X2

IMHO, folks take a ton of supplements based on advertising claims rather than actual needs. Just because it's an OTC product, doesn't mean it's safe. In addition, supplements can interfere with prescribed medications you take.

Disclaimer here: I am a librarian, not a health professional. This means that I am good at looking things up. I am not responsible for what uses you make of this info.

Here is the National Library of Medicine's page on Niacin:
https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682518.html

All supplement-taking folks need to check for reputable info, not just what they heard on an RV forum or TV or wherever. There is a supplement and drug info database at https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html. Access is free, and the language is usually not too difficult to understand.

Trackrig wrote:
I take a couple of supplements also, but only as my doctor has recommended them after by blood work comes back.

x2. Be careful of self-medicating, especially with 'woo woo' treatments.

Where did you hear about niacin?

I take a couple of supplements also, but only as my doctor has recommended them after by blood work comes back. Those are Slow Mag for a pain in my heart. I slowly cut it back as the pain went away and vitamin D because I always seem to have a shortage even though I eat a very good varied diet.

If your blood work and doctor don't say you need it, then I'd stick to very low dosages of the Niacin.

Bill

Trackrig wrote:
Could you explain why you take Niacin and why you took the one time large dosage?

Bill

I take niacin for its reported benefits, too numerous to mention now. I've been taking various supplements over the years, with no apparent problems. It was just a dumb thing I did this time.There's no excuse. I should have started with a much smaller dose. I did know better, but for some reason went ahead anyway. I'm beginning to believe that my compulsiveness may be the result of a stroke I suffered almost 3 years ago. I've noticed my being compulsive in other areas of life, also.

Could you explain why you take Niacin and why you took the one time large dosage?

Bill