Posted by dj on August 28, 2000, at 18:00:49
In reply to Re: Niacin?, etc. - Shar, posted by dj on August 28, 2000, at 17:53:29
More from Dr. W...http://www.pathfinder.com/drweil/database/display/0,1412,118,00.html
Niacin (nicotinic acid, vitamin B-3) produces a dramatic reaction, called the "niacin flush," when you take a sufficient dose (usually 100 200 milligrams). About ten minutes after you swallow it, a sensation of prickly heat begins on the top of the head. This quickly develops into a wave of heat and redness that spreads down the whole body from the head to the feet. I imagine it feels like the "hot flash" that women experience in menopause. After another ten minutes the skin becomes blotchy instead of solid red, and the sensation becomes more itchy and crawly. All effects disappear thirty to forty-five minutes after taking the vitamin. Some people find this reaction interesting and pleasant; others can't stand it.
The niacin flush is the result of dilation of blood vessels in the skin due to the vitamin's effect on arteries and the nerves that regulate them. It is a harmless reaction and may even be of benefit in some people with problems of blood circulation. I recommend supplemental niacin for people with Raynaud's disease (episodes of painful, blanched fingers and hands, usually on exposure to cold), smokers with leg cramps at night, and people with cold extremities. The usual dose I suggest is 100 milligrams twice a day, taken with food to moderate the flushing.
In much higher doses, niacin lowers serum cholesterol, but it can also disturb liver function. People taking 1,000 milligrams two or three times a day have had dramatic drops in cholesterol within a few weeks, but some of them have developed nausea, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes, a toxic picture mimicking hepatitis. These symptoms go away when they stop taking niacin. A new, much safer form of vitamin B-3 is now available in health-food stores. Called "flush-free" or "inositol-bound" niacin (or inositol hexanicotinate), it does not cause flushing, nausea, or liver disturbances. It is the only form I recommend for use as a cholesterol-lowering agent, and I believe it to be safer than pharmaceutical drugs used for this purpose. If you are going to try niacin to bring your cholesterol down, observe these precautions: (1) never use ordinary niacin; use only the inositol-bound form; (2) never use time-release forms of niacin; they are more likely to be toxic; (3) do not exceed 1000 milligrams three times a day; (4) have liver function tests done before the start of therapy and at intervals during it, and stop the therapy if test results are abnormal; (5) discontinue niacin if nausea or any other gastrointestinal symptoms appear; (6) monitor serum cholesterol at monthly intervals, and reduce the dose of niacin to the lowest possible level to maintain improvement.
Do not take high doses of niacin if you are pregnant or if you have ulcers, gout, diabetes, gallbladder disease, liver disease, or have had a recent heart attack.
You will often see niacinamide, a closely related substance, on shelves next to niacin. Niacinamide has the same vitamin activity but does not cause flushing. However, it is ineffective for the treatment of circulatory problems or elevated cholesterol. Do not use it.Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) has a number of interesting effects in addition to its actions as a vitamin. High doses (100 milligrams two or three times a day) help relieve nerve compression injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and some cases of depression andarthritis. Pyridoxine also helps protect immunity and increases the incidence of remembered dreams.
Although water-soluble vitamins are not thought of as having any toxicity, a few cases of nerve damage have occurred in people taking more than 300 milligrams of pyridoxine a day. I recommend staying below this dose and discontinuing the vitamin if any unusual numbness appears.
poster:dj
thread:259
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20000813/msgs/278.html