Niaspan

Niaspan is a prescription medication used to lower cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in the blood. It can also help raise the amount of HDL ("good") cholesterol in the blood. Niaspan should be used in conjuction with a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. Sometimes, Niaspan is taken with other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Niaspan is a B-complex vitamin, which may work by increasing the breakdown and removal of certain fats in the blood by increasing the activity of a certain enzyme.

Niaspan comes in an extended-release tablet and is usually taken once daily, at night, with a low-fat snack. Swallow Niaspan tablets whole. 

Common side effects of Niaspan include warmth and redness of the face (flushing), itching, rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and cough.

Niaspan may cause dizziness and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Niaspan affects you.

Niaspan is a prescription medicine used with diet and exercise to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and fats (triglycerides) in your blood. Niaspan can be used by itself or with other cholesterol-lowering medicines. Niaspan is also used to lower the risk of heart attack in people who have had a heart attack and have high cholesterol.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take Niaspan exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication

The recommeded dose range of Niaspan for the treatment of high cholesterol is 500 mg to 2000 mg once daily. The maximum recommended dose of Niaspan is 2000 mg daily.

Serious side effects have been reported with Niaspan, including:

• dizziness
• feeling faint
• hast heartbeat
• nausea
• vomiting
• extreme tiredness
• dark colored urine
• light colored stools
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• loss of appetite
• pain in the upper right part of the stomach
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• flu-like symptoms
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• hoarseness
• unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness

Niaspan can cause dizziness and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Niaspan affects you.

Do not take Niaspan if you:

• are allergic to Niaspan or to any of its ingredients
• have liver problems
• have a stomach ulcer
• have bleeding problems

Serious side effects have been reported with Niaspan. See the "Niaspan Precautions" section.

Common side effects of Niaspan include:

• flushing
• rash
• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting
• increased cough

Flushing is the most common side effect of Niaspan. Flushing happens when tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin (especially on the face, neck, chest and/or back) open wider. Symptoms of flushing may include any or all of the following:

• warmth
• redness
• itching
• tingling of the skin

Flushing does not always happen. If it does, it is usually within 2 to 4 hours after taking a dose of Niaspan. Flushing may last for a few hours. Flushing is more likely to happen when you first start taking Niaspan or when your dose of Niaspan is increased. Flushing may get better after several weeks.

If you wake up at night because of flushing, get up slowly, especially if you:

• feel dizzy or faint
• take blood pressure medicines

To lower your chance of flushing:

• Ask your doctor if you can take aspirin to help lower the flushing side effect from Niaspan. You can take aspirin (up to the recommended dose of 325 mg) about 30 minutes before you take Niaspan to help lower the flushing side effect.
• Do not drink hot beverages (including coffee), alcohol, or eat spicy foods around the time you take Niaspan.
• Take Niaspan with a low-fat snack to lessen upset stomach.

These are not all the possible side effects of Niaspan. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements or other nutritional supplements. 

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• supplements or medications containing niacin or nicotinamide
• other medicines to lower cholesterol or triglycerides
• aspirin
• insulin or medications for diabetes
• blood pressure medicines
• anticoagulants ("blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• bile acid-binding resins such as colestipol (Colestid) or cholestyramine (Questran)
• large amounts of alcohol

This is not a complete list of Niaspan drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Niaspan falls into category C. No reproduction studies have been done in animals and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. Niaspan should only be given to a pregnant woman if clearly needed.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Niaspan is excreted into human breast milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from this medication, a decision should be made whether to stop nursing or stop taking Niaspan, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Avoid ingestion of alcohol, hot beverages and spicy foods around the time of taking niacin to minimize flushing.

Flushing is the most common side effect of niacin. Symptoms of flushing include warmth, redness, itching, and tingling of the skin.

• If flushing happens, it is usually occurs within 2 to 4 hours after taking a dose of niacin. Flushing may last for a few hours.
• Flushing is more likely to happen when you first start taking niacin or when your dose of niacin is increased.
• Flushing may get better after several weeks.

Ask your doctor if you can take aspirin to help lower the flushing side effect from niacin. You can take aspirin (up to the recommended dose of 325 mg) about 30 minutes before you take niacin to help lower the flushing side effect.

Take niacin with a low-fat snack to lessen upset stomach.