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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 18:14:21
Hi
Wow..HELP !
I've currently taking :
Vitamin e 200mg
Vitamin C 1000mg
Niacin 200mg
Selenium 200mg
Calcium+vitaminD 600mg
Ginko Biloba 900mg
Zinc 15mg
Magnesium
also B vitamins
These with my prescription meds.
I had extreme hot flash..my skin red and prickly...now shivering. Searched net-nothing.
I suspect the Ginko Biloba.
Any thoughts?
Posted by Brio D Chimp on June 25, 2003, at 18:52:42
In reply to supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 18:14:21
I would suspect the niacin. It can cause horrible prickly skin flushing in high doses. I don't remember very much more than that. I found this in a quick search.
>
> Wow..HELP !
> I've currently taking :
> Vitamin e 200mg
> Vitamin C 1000mg
> Niacin 200mg
> Selenium 200mg
> Calcium+vitaminD 600mg
> Ginko Biloba 900mg
> Zinc 15mg
> Magnesium
> also B vitamins
> These with my prescription meds.
> I had extreme hot flash..my skin red and prickly...now shivering. Searched net-nothing.
> I suspect the Ginko Biloba.
> Any thoughts?
Posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 19:26:12
In reply to Re: supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction » slinky, posted by Brio D Chimp on June 25, 2003, at 18:52:42
Thanks! Seems it's the niacin.Had too much too soon. I'm relieved it's not dangerous..just weired feeling...like the physical sensations in a panic attack~ without the panic.
Posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 19:40:45
In reply to Re: supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction » slinky, posted by Brio D Chimp on June 25, 2003, at 18:52:42
Posted by McPac on June 25, 2003, at 21:45:08
In reply to supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 18:14:21
slinky, try niacinamide instead.
Also, Ace is still the "Nardil Heavyweight Champion of the WORLD"!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 22:06:22
In reply to Re: supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by McPac on June 25, 2003, at 21:45:08
> slinky, try niacinamide instead.
Thanks! I'll have a look into it..> Also, Ace is still the "Nardil Heavyweight Champion of the WORLD"!!!!!!!!!!!!
..I APPLAUSE!!!!!:-)
Posted by slinky on June 26, 2003, at 11:17:37
In reply to Re: niacin flush was my first instinct as well (nm), posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 19:40:45
Posted by samplemethod on June 27, 2003, at 5:25:57
In reply to supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 18:14:21
!!!That is so coincidental!!!
I had this reaction last night, using similar supplements as I list below:
In one hit i had, (and I usually take them as one hit together)
ALA- 120mg
A Bcomplex- 50 mg each as appropriate
vit e - 500iu
vit c - 1000mg
zinc 10mg
mag 10mg
manganese 1mg
selenium 25 mcg
2 gram fish oil100mg niacin (nicotinic acid)
I dont take any prescription meds.Now after having this last night, I started tingling all over, and got red and hot on my arms face,legs, covering everything. I also felt weird in the head.... and time seemed to move fast and I just kinda anxious and spaced out. I live near a hospital so i popped in. basically they didnt do anything expect check my blood pressure and they said it was high, but then went a bit lower.
Now the interesting thing is that I got a reaction earlier in the week but only got mild redness in my elbow fold area.I have been taking these supplements for at least 2 weeks as a set, so nothing really changed last night ... i didnt add any new ones.
I dunno if the niacin hot flush is what it was. It was pretty damn hot and tingly.... can some people who have had the hot flush attributable to niacin describe it well.
Because I have been taking niacin for 2-3 weeks i am wondering if it builds up in your system and now only a little bit puts me over the limit.
A thing about general allergic reactions is that the first allergen may cause a small reaction, the second may cause really big one cos your body is really ready for the attack and goes overboard in immune response. This was like the first reaction i descibe earlier in the week and then the one last night is the big reaction. Thankfully I didnt have trouble breathing in terms of airways being blocked.
At the moment I dont see how my supplement progression has led to this sort of reaction.
Can someone shed some light on this. I believe its quite important.
> Hi
>
> Wow..HELP !
> I've currently taking :
> Vitamin e 200mg
> Vitamin C 1000mg
> Niacin 200mg
> Selenium 200mg
> Calcium+vitaminD 600mg
> Ginko Biloba 900mg
> Zinc 15mg
> Magnesium
> also B vitamins
> These with my prescription meds.
> I had extreme hot flash..my skin red and prickly...now shivering. Searched net-nothing.
> I suspect the Ginko Biloba.
> Any thoughts?
Posted by slinky on June 27, 2003, at 6:57:34
In reply to WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » slinky, posted by samplemethod on June 27, 2003, at 5:25:57
Hi..
I had the reaction again but not so bad as I reduced niacin by 100mg.
It feels like instant sun stroke .
I take all the supplements in one hit also.
As to whether it builds up in the system like a storage soup I'd also like to know.
Posted by jrbecker on June 28, 2003, at 15:31:00
In reply to Re: WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » samplemethod, posted by slinky on June 27, 2003, at 6:57:34
Your reaction might be synergistic in nature. I get a little flushed from taking either high doses of B-vitamins or fish oil. Perhaps the niacin is to blame, as others have asserted, but maybe it's your meds and the other supplements that also exacerbate this effect.
Posted by Larry Hoover on June 29, 2003, at 8:44:25
In reply to Re: WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » samplemethod, posted by slinky on June 27, 2003, at 6:57:34
> Hi..
>
> I had the reaction again but not so bad as I reduced niacin by 100mg.
> It feels like instant sun stroke .
> I take all the supplements in one hit also.
> As to whether it builds up in the system like a storage soup I'd also like to know.
>
>Others have mentioned it already, but niacin flush is the most obvious explanation for your symptoms. Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, causes a chemical reaction in the skin and blood vessels which releases histamine. The vessels leak, the skin flushes, your blood pressure drops.... yuck! What you experience is actually a mild form of anaphylaxis, the extreme allergic reaction which can be fatal. I'm not saying you're allergic to niacin, but allergic reactions dump histamine, and niacin dumps histamine.
Stop using niacin, and use niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide). It doesn't cause you to flush. In fact, it *blocks* histamine release.
Lar
Posted by medlib on June 29, 2003, at 13:30:41
In reply to supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by slinky on June 25, 2003, at 18:14:21
Hi slinky aka dreamer--
I'm delighted to hear that your supplements seem to be helping some; it sounds like they just need some fine tuning. A few thoughts:
--I agree with others re the "niacin flush". Some people even get a flush from niacinamide. Niacin is available in timed-release form; it's just more expensive.
--If you're taking a Vit B complex tab, look on the ingredient list and you'll see niacin; it's a B vitamin. Taking niacin (or niacinamide) a few hours earlier or later than your Vit B complex should help some. I find that taking an extra B complex in the afternoon gives me a little extra energy at a time when I normally tire.
--You might also check ingredients on your Vit C bottle; some Vit C is derived from nicotinic ascorbate, which may be exacerbating your problem.
--Calcium supplementation without Vit D is money wasted; Vit D is the "carrier" enzyme that transports calcium from the gut to the blood stream. Calcium is *much* better absorbed in the form of calcium citrate than the cheaper calcium carbonate (CitraCal is a good source).
--To answer your question about "storage soup": Vitamins B and C are water soluble--you can take as much as you want without harm; taking more than you need just produces expensive urine. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble and can build up in the body. I've never heard of a toxic Vit E overload, but it's probably best to limit daily intake of Vit D to 600 IU and Vit A to 25K IU.
--Ginkgo biloba helps reduce side effects of many psych meds (most SSRIs), but it can interact adversely with others (trazodone, for example). It would be a good idea to find out if it plays well with the specific rx meds you're on.It's never easy, is it? Don't know if I've ever told you how much I've enjoyed your artwork and posts over the years on Babble. No one here deserves a break more than you do.---medlib
Posted by slinky on July 2, 2003, at 4:15:59
In reply to Re: WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » slinky, posted by Larry Hoover on June 29, 2003, at 8:44:25
>
> Stop using niacin, and use niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide). It doesn't cause you to flush. In fact, it *blocks* histamine release.
>
Thanks Lar..I'm going to see if I can get niacinamide.
Posted by slinky on July 2, 2003, at 4:24:32
In reply to Re: supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic reaction, posted by medlib on June 29, 2003, at 13:30:41
> Hi slinky aka dreamer--
>
> I'm delighted to hear that your supplements seem to be helping some; it sounds like they just need some fine tuning. A few thoughts:
> --I agree with others re the "niacin flush". Some people even get a flush from niacinamide. Niacin is available in timed-release form; it's just more expensive.
> --If you're taking a Vit B complex tab, look on the ingredient list and you'll see niacin; it's a B vitamin. Taking niacin (or niacinamide) a few hours earlier or later than your Vit B complex should help some. I find that taking an extra B complex in the afternoon gives me a little extra energy at a time when I normally tire.
> --You might also check ingredients on your Vit C bottle; some Vit C is derived from nicotinic ascorbate, which may be exacerbating your problem.
> --Calcium supplementation without Vit D is money wasted; Vit D is the "carrier" enzyme that transports calcium from the gut to the blood stream. Calcium is *much* better absorbed in the form of calcium citrate than the cheaper calcium carbonate (CitraCal is a good source).
> --To answer your question about "storage soup": Vitamins B and C are water soluble--you can take as much as you want without harm; taking more than you need just produces expensive urine. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble and can build up in the body. I've never heard of a toxic Vit E overload, but it's probably best to limit daily intake of Vit D to 600 IU and Vit A to 25K IU.
> --Ginkgo biloba helps reduce side effects of many psych meds (most SSRIs), but it can interact adversely with others (trazodone, for example). It would be a good idea to find out if it plays well with the specific rx meds you're on.
>
> It's never easy, is it? Don't know if I've ever told you how much I've enjoyed your artwork and posts over the years on Babble. No one here deserves a break more than you do.---medlibthanks for the info..
Lately, I'm too tired to post..but I've kept the info and will tinker with dosages. Thanks for liking my stuff :-)
Posted by gingersnap on July 2, 2003, at 10:55:30
In reply to Re: WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » Larry Hoover, posted by slinky on July 2, 2003, at 4:15:59
check out http://www.oralchelation.com/faq/answers24.htm
it contains a lot of information about niacin flush (I experienced my first reaction last night) - too much too early - wish I found this thread two days ago!
-gs
Posted by SuzieWong on June 16, 2004, at 4:02:37
In reply to WOW !! supplements causing hot flashes/ allergic » slinky, posted by samplemethod on June 27, 2003, at 5:25:57
I've just had something very similar to this from just taking one dose of Folic Acid. Were you taking this?
This is the end of the thread.
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