Life-Changing or Nightmare? My Experience with Niacin 500mg ER Tablets for Cholesterol
I've been taking Niacin 500mg ER Tablets for about a month now, and I'm not sure if I should continue. I was prescribed this by my doctor to lower my cholesterol, but I've been experiencing some side effects. I've always had high cholesterol, and my doctor was not sure if i should have been put on statins. I've heard both good and bad things about taking Niacin. With all these new drug interactions, I got worried about side effects and interactions with the other medications I take.
You should talk to your doctor about this. Niacin can be life-changing, but it has some serious side effects. I've tried Niacin before, and I got rheumatoid arthritis from it. I was happy to see it work on my cholesterol, but the joint pain was a deal-breaker. The doctor said my risk of rheumatoid arthritis from niacin was a one-in-a-million chance.
You should not compare the extended-release and immediate release. The extended release is different. If you are having the flushing, you can take an aspirin 30 mins before. I have never experienced flushing when I take my niacin with aspirin.
I stopped taking it because my blood sugar was out of control. I was dizzy, hungry and thirsty all the time. My GP said niacin can cause high blood sugar in some people. I had to stop.
I'm skeptical about this. I've tried Niacin before and I got muscle pain that was so bad I quit. Niacin is not for everyone. I had to take fish oil to bring down the triglycerides. Now I'm on a statin and I'm fine.
I've been taking it for a few weeks and I'm not sure it's working. My LDL was 150 and my HDL was 45. I've had no side effects yet. That are a few incidences where I felt nauseous, but not sure if it was related to the niacin. My cholesterol levels have not changed much. I'm thinking of stopping.