According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 98.6 percent of adult men and women have cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dl, the level considered to be a risk factor for heart disease. Measuring the total patient's total cholesterol level is one good indicator regarding heart disease, but it's not the only one. More important are the individual cholesterol components: low density lipoproteins (LDL), high density lipoproteins (HDL) and triglycerides. To minimize the risk for having a heart attack, one should have low LDL and triglycerides and high HDL. The traditional approach for treating low levels of HDL are diet and exercise. If those fail to bring levels up to 45 mg/dl (55 mg/dl for women), medications such as niacin are usually indicated, but not without unwanted side effects.
Flushing
Patients who take niacin commonly complain of flushing and tingling under the skin and redness, especially if they drink alcohol. Those who take more than 1,000 mg often complain of skin that's warm to the touch and very sensitive. If this happens to you, you may want to try taking aspirin before your niacin, but check with your doctor first.
Nausea and Gastritis
Nicotinic acid is also commonly referred to as niacin or vitamin B3 and is used by your body to turn carbohydrates in energy. It can produce side effects like nausea and gastritis if the patient has a history of stomach ulcers or severe liver disease. The manufacturers suggest avoiding taking colestipol or cholestyramine at the same time as taking nicotinic acid. If you must, wait 4 to 6 hours in between doses.
Dizziness and Othostatic Hypotension
Another form of niacin, Niaspan ER, is a prolonged release form and carries all of the same side effects such along with headaches, dizziness and orthostatic hypotension (lightheadedness) when quickly changing postures. Niaspan ER can also cause liver damage over time. It may also be contraindicated if the patient has heart disease, kidney disease, severe low blood pressure gout, glaucoma, diabetes, gallbladder disease, muscle pain or a history of jaundice.
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