Niacin flush last night - was hot, red, and itchy

[ArkRescue]

Ark -have you looked into natural/organic alternatives? I do not have high cholesterol or high BP so I'm not familiar with any organic alternatives for this but would think it would be worth it to look into it. I went organic/GMO free a few months ago and life has changed quite a bit! All of my food shopping is at MOM's Organic Market in Waldorf. They have an extensive wellness section that has a large selection of natural alternatives and people there to help point you in the right direction. There's nothing wrong with some research online too. I am taking Ginger, Rhodolia, Tumeric and several other supplements now. I also am working to get my doctor to prescribe a natural thyroid replacement medication for me called NatureThroid to replace the synthetic replacement I am on now. Getting the chemicals out of the food you are eating should be the first step in the direction to get your levels down. I would use drugs like Crestor as a last resort but who am I to say? I don't have the issue to worry about but my husband does and he is on Crestor. He believes in eating organic/GMO free but he doesn't buy into the supplements and stuff I have heard that you have to be careful with Niacin and clearly you need to be extra careful! Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties and I am sure other natural supplements do as well but I am not that well versed yet.... I hope you are able to find something that helps soon.

I went to Mom's once and I can't afford to shop there. I have been researching supplements for different symptoms for years, so it's laziness on my part that I don't have my body in better shape internally.

 

[Idunno]

The bad thing about niacin is that you never get immune to the side effects, you just learn to live with them. If you find you can't deal with them, ask your doctor about Lovaza if you are not already taking it. Some insurance companies won't cover it, or you have to pay a higher price for it than you do for other prescriptions. Worked like a charm for my friend.

 

[ArkRescue]

The bad thing about niacin is that you never get immune to the side effects, you just learn to live with them. If you find you can't deal with them, ask your doctor about Lovaza if you are not already taking it. Some insurance companies won't cover it, or you have to pay a higher price for it than you do for other prescriptions. Worked like a charm for my friend.

The thing about these medications is they are meant to be temporary to reduce the prior cholesterol while you change your diet to not be so much at risk. I think many of us fail to address the diet part of it as severely as we need to in order to stop our levels from rising. Myself included, although I am much better about what I eat until I have a craving for ice cream.

 

[aps45819]

There is a slow release niacin that doesn't cause the flush

 

[FancyBelle]

I take Niaspan. That stuff is wicked with hot, itchy, flushes. I take a baby aspirin about an hr before I take it and I don't get the flushed hot itchy skin. I am supposed to take two, but can only handle one. I stopped taking it all together for a while but my cholesterol went over 400 so I had to start taking it again.

 

[ArkRescue]

I take Niaspan. That stuff is wicked with hot, itchy, flushes. I take a baby aspirin about an hr before I take it and I don't get the flushed hot itchy skin. I am supposed to take two, but can only handle one. I stopped taking it all together for a while but my cholesterol went over 400 so I had to start taking it again.

I have an aspirin allergy. I never took more than 1 either (was told to take 2) as 1 was bad enough.

 

[Idunno]

The thing about these medications is they are meant to be temporary to reduce the prior cholesterol while you change your diet to not be so much at risk. I think many of us fail to address the diet part of it as severely as we need to in order to stop our levels from rising. Myself included, although I am much better about what I eat until I have a craving for ice cream.

Lovaza is concentrated fish oil by prescription. Some insurance companies consider it a dietary supplement and won't cover it. You start out with a higher dose, but as your numbers go down you reduce the amount you take. Once you get your numbers under control through diet you can discontinue use, or take a much reduced amount for maintenance. That would be your doctors call. The only side effect my friend had was a few days of the "trots" at the start.

 

[ArkRescue]

Lovaza is concentrated fish oil by prescription. Some insurance companies consider it a dietary supplement and won't cover it. You start out with a higher dose, but as your numbers go down you reduce the amount you take. Once you get your numbers under control through diet you can discontinue use, or take a much reduced amount for maintenance. That would be your doctors call. The only side effect my friend had was a few days of the "trots" at the start.

Sounds interesting. I am due back for blood work again, I just keep putting it off. I loathe needles. I am realizing that I also really need to give up sugar, and it won't be easy at all.