There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. That means treatment focuses on minimizing damage caused by the disease, improving your physical function and, if possible, achieving remission, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. This chronic disorder causes stiffness, pain, swelling and loss of joint function. It is common in the fingers and wrist but can affect any joint. It also can affect other body parts including your lungs, eyes and mouth. Niacinamide may help alleviate your joint stiffness. However, you always need to consult a doctor before trying a new supplement.
Identification
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, as opposed to osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear as you age. With an autoimmune disease, your body's tissues are attacked by your immune system. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. You are more likely to tolerate high doses of niacinamide than high doses of niacin, which is another form of B3, says "Arthritis" author Michael T. Murray.
Potential
Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is aimed at slowing or preventing joint damage, relieving pain, reducing joint swelling and improving physical function and well-being. Treatment combines a number of approaches including lifestyle changes, medicine and surgery to stop or slow joint damage and cut down on swelling and pain. Some people also turn to complementary and alternative medicine, such as meditation, acupuncture, special diets and supplements, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Supplementing with niacinamide may improve your joint flexibility and mobility, says Luke Bucci, author of "Nutrition Applied to Injury Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine."
Time Frame
Niacinamide needs to be taken in divided doses because your body does not absorb more than 250 mg at a time. That means taking larger doses, like 500 mg at a time, is less effective than taking smaller doses more often. To achieve the doses that are effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis, you may need to take niacinamide every one to three hours. About 70 percent of people who follow such a regimen see improvement in joint mobility within four weeks, with small but steady improvements occurring for up to three years, says Bucci. If your niacinamide therapy is discontinued or tapered, your joint mobility is likely to return to its original state within several weeks.
Warning
Be careful if you decide to pursue niacinamide therapy because high doses of niacinamide can cause unwanted side effects, especially if you take more than 900mg a day. These may include liver damage. That means it's especially important to have medical supervision when you take high levels of niacinamide, Murray advises. Your doctor will probably do a liver function test every three months.
History
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with high doses of niacinamide, up to 4,000 mg per day, was pioneered by Dr. William Kaufman, who began publishing books on using niacinamide to treat both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in the 1950s, says Abram Hoffer, author of "Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone." Kaufman observed some patients taking niacinamide therapy for more than 20 years, notes Bucci.
A study published in the journal "Medical Hypotheses" in 1999 put Kaufman's case studies to the test with a double-blind trial. Study authors M.F. McCarty and A.L. Russell concluded that niacinamide may be a better option for alleviating symptoms of osteoarthritis than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, though they did not address rheumatoid arthritis specifically. Only one small study -- of six patients -- had been conducted on niacinamide and rheumatoid arthritis specifically as of 1995, though the results did confirm Kaufman's findings, according to Bucci. However, a study published in the "Journal of Immunology" in 2010 by A.M. Grabiec, et al, found that nicotinamide can suppress the activation of macrophages or white blood cells, in your body that contribute to the inflammatory response associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin B3 is made up of nicotinic acid and niacinamide. Nicotinamide has virtually the same chemical structure as nicotinic acid. A different study on rats, published in 2006, found that methylnicotinamide can be used to treat inflammation as well as bone and cartilage destruction caused by rheumatoid arthritis, according to lead author L. Schopf. It was published in the journal "Arthritis and Rheumatism." Niacin and niacinamide can be used interchangeably for some, but not all, purposes. Your body is able to convert niacin into niacinamide.
References
- "Arthritis"; Michael T. Murray; 1994
- "Nutrition Applied to Injury Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine"; Luke Bucci; 1995
- "Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone"; Abram Hoffer and Andrew w. Saul; 2008
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Rheumatoid Arthritis and CAM
- The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center: Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment
