I didn't do well on supplements (yet) - Dr pushing Crestor

[ofonorow]

They don't sound good do they? (Makes you wonder a) where this stuff (side effect information) comes from or b) if they add something else to niaspan (Johnwen?) I guess I'll check wikipedia. In any event, odds are excellent you won't experience any of these, and they are not life threatening, compare and contrast to the real side effects of crestor! (At least "major organ threatening" and statins have increased the incidence of heart transplant by a factor of 3 since their inception.)

Here is an good wikipedia article on niaspan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niaspan

Note a more reasonable set of side effects, although I don't trust the multi-gram danger knowing the work of Hoffer and Pauling. (Someone somewhere is able to insert these supposed dangers of "mega" vitamins.)

[Johnwen]

Niaspan is nicotinic acid suspended in Hypromellose.
Hypremellose is the stuff they use in eye drops that puts a film over your eye and holds the meds in contact with the eye so they have a chance to work it then disappears after awhile.
Inside it acts as a time delay mechisim. The niacin is suspended in this and as the stuff disapates it releases the niacin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypromellose

For those who would like to try this time release without a doctor script.
It's available as SLO NIACIN made by Upsher-Smith. 250-500-750 Mg dosage strengths

http://www.slo-niacin.com/

If you recall Dr. Pauling in his recomendations he says Niacin is an immportant supplement and should be used daily.
This is the real thing and not the do nothing inositol hexanicotinate.

[Ralph Lotz]

Some of the side effects are from minor to severe, but the severe ones are a bit worrisome.

Niacin requires methylation, then reduces sulfur amino acid methionine metabolism, which can be corrected with B6.
Impaired methylation increases homocysteine.
Methylation can be improved with folic acid, B6, B12 and Trimethylglycine and helps protect DNA according to Ames.

[Johnwen]

These actions and reactions are pretty well discribed here.

http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/cont ... 92/3/H1227