Niacin

[Jeepers]

I got some niacin to take to help lower my cholesterol and promote a healthy heart. Holy smokes. I took one dose last night and about scratched my skin off. It was awful. When I looked it up on the net it said it can make you feel itchy.

 

I'm going to try it one more time tonight (glutton for punishment) to see if I have the same reaction. If it does I guess I'll have to stick with the lipitor.

[Lois]

Niacin is one of the B vitamins, if you want to use it you will need to start out with small doses and gradually increase it.

[Momo]

This is a common problem. I think they make a variety that is called "flush free" which alleviates some of the symptoms. It costs a bit more. It is all alot cheaper than statin drugs though!

[Mother]

Niacinimide is the normal form of niacin in most multi-vitamins as that doesn't cause that effect. Unfortunately, from what I've read it doesn't have the health benefits for lowering cholesterol that plain Niacin does. Mom is correct, they make a 'flush free' alternative. My MIL took niacin for years and it really helped her but she had to start out on very tiny doses and work up to a bigger one.

 

Niacin usually only causes flushing of the face but in some sensitive people it can cause all over itching.

 

Be sure to research other means of lowering cholesterol, like OATMEAL. My DH lowered his a lot in only three months by just eating oatmeal several times a week. (blood tests proved it) Apples are another food medicine for cholesterol. Garlic is used with good effect but it needs to be fresh and not cooked. You can find capsules and even ones that are deodorized but they are not nearly as effective as fresh is. Remember that ADDING the good omega 3's to your diet will help reduce the cholesterol levels also.

 

Many people would rather not goof with trying to modify their lifestyle or diet as it's easier to just pop a pill but those pills might not always be there and then what? I haven't researched Lipitor but new research shows that many of the cholesterol lowering drugs have been found to be no more affective for lowering it than a placebo and even when they DO lower cholesterol they have found that the medications do not lower the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Now THAT'S scary.

 

I am not suggesting that you stop your lipitor. Only you should decide in your high cholesterol is from what you eat, genetics, lifestyle (yup, stress can raise cholesterol) or from a faulty feedback system within your body and would benefit from a change. It sure doesn't hurt to have a lot of options though.

 

((( )))

 

[Jeepers]

Thanks for all the feedback. I didn't get a flush, just intense itching. It happened again last night too. I can't cut the pills in half because they are capsules with little beads in them.

 

The polycosanol made me break out in a rash. I'm so sensitive to drugs etc. I can't take any antibiotics without a reaction either.

 

I eat oatmeal usually every day. According to my blood work, the lipitor did lower my cholesterol a lot. I'd just rather go OTC or natural if I could.

 

My diet isn't great and I need to exercise so hopefully this summer I can get on that routine.

[Mother]

I am just like you, Jeepers. I react to most medicines and most OVC products, even some of the herbs I grow myself.

 

That hyper-sensitivity in itself is telling us that our body is in need of overhauling but, at least in my case, that has not been easy to do. I live in farming country and last year they aerial sprayed fields with chemicals three out of seven days for weeks in our area alone. I fought chemical reactions all fall.

 

I hope you get a handle on your cholesterol naturally. Remember thre is usually something that will help but it might be several somethings in combination.

 

(((( Jeepers ))))

[Jeepers]

Thanks Mother.

 

I'm not giving up. I'll buy a treadmill if worse comes to worse!