Differbetween
NIASPAN is pharmaceutical grade niacin. Niacin (nicotinic acid) is a B vitamin that your body uses to help turn food into energy. NIASPAN is a prescription medication that, when used along with diet and exercise, has been shown to provide cholesterol benefits.
- Is there an over the counter Niaspan?
- What is the generic name for Niaspan?
- What is the best form of niacin?
- Why is niacin not recommended?
- Why would a doctor prescribe niacin?
- Is over-the-counter niacin safe?
- Is it safe to take 500mg of niacin a day?
- What type of niacin is best for lowering cholesterol?
- What is the most common side effect of niacin?
- What is the best time to take niacin?
- Does niacin help you lose weight?
- How fast does niacin lower cholesterol?
Is there an over the counter Niaspan?
Nicotinic acid, also known as vitamin B3 and more commonly known as niacin, is available in several formulations that include immediate-release (IR), sustained-release (SR), and extended-release (ER) products such as Niaspan (AbbVie). Only the IR and SR niacin formulations are available OTC in the United States.
What is the generic name for Niaspan?
The popular extended-release cholesterol medication, Niaspan is now available as generic niacin ER. What is niacin ER? Niaspan (Niacin ER) is used to treat high cholesterol, along with diet and exercise. Niacin decreases triglyceride levels, lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL).
What is the best form of niacin?
Nicotinic acid: As a supplement, nicotinic acid is a form of niacin used to reduce cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease ( 1 ). Niacinamide or nicotinamide: Unlike nicotinic acid, niacinamide doesn't lower cholesterol.
Why is niacin not recommended?
CHICAGO --- After 50 years of being a mainstay cholesterol therapy, niacin should no longer be prescribed for most patients due to potential increased risk of death, dangerous side effects and no benefit in reducing heart attacks and strokes, writes Northwestern Medicine® preventive cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, ...
Why would a doctor prescribe niacin?
Prescription niacin is used to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol that helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, from your bloodstream.
Is over-the-counter niacin safe?
However, niacin is only effective as a cholesterol treatment at fairly high doses. These doses could pose risks, such as liver damage, gastrointestinal problems, or glucose intolerance. So don't treat yourself with over-the-counter niacin supplements.
Is it safe to take 500mg of niacin a day?
Niacin in the form of nicotinamide has fewer side effects than nicotinic acid. However, at high doses of 500 mg/day or more, nicotinamide can cause diarrhea, easy bruising, and can increase bleeding from wounds. Even higher doses of 3,000 mg/day or more can cause nausea, vomiting, and liver damage.
What type of niacin is best for lowering cholesterol?
Nicotinic acid or niacin, one of the water-soluble B vitamins, improves all lipoproteins when given in doses well above the vitamin requirement. Nicotinic acid lowers the total cholesterol, "bad" LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, while raising the "good" HDL-cholesterol level.
What is the most common side effect of niacin?
Niacin-containing foods or niacin supplements are safe when taken in doses lower than 35 mcg daily. A common side effect of niacin is a flushing reaction. This might cause burning, tingling, itching, and redness of the face, arms, and chest, as well as headaches.
What is the best time to take niacin?
General. Niacin should be taken with food. The extended-release form of niacin should be taken at bedtime.
Does niacin help you lose weight?
The vitamin niacin (B3, or nicotinic acid), already known for its cholesterol-lowering effects, may also reduce central or abdominal fat accumulation in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, according to the results of a small 16 person study reported today at the Ninth Annual Retroviruses Conference in Seattle.
How fast does niacin lower cholesterol?
The problem is that sometimes high cholesterol can't be lowered through healthy habits alone. Choosing between statins and niacin depends greatly on where your own levels stand, as well as the methods you have tried thus far. You should see changes within two to four weeks of taking statins or niacin.
