Conversion symptoms and conditions

I'm writing this at 4:50am as I am awake because of a flushing episode. I've been taking Niaspan ER 500mg to raise my good cholesterol for about 9 months. So far it's raised only from 33 to 36. Doctor wants it above 40. My bad cholesterol is fine.

This is probably the 4th time I've had one of these flushing attacks in 9 months. My skin is itchy from head to toe and my body looks like I have a sunburn. The itch is pretty intense almost burning. I never take aspirin before but I heard a low dose (81mg) is supposed to help. I actually just took an aspirin now however to see if it shortens this episode. I also noticed the first time this happened that clothing makes the itch even more intense. So needless to say I'm sitting in bed typing on my iPhone w/ out my shirt on trying to get through this.

I noticed the first couple times these seem to last only 20-30 minutes and this particular one is nowhere near as intense as the first time. Or perhaps I'm just more prepared for it because I was also thinking of going to the ER the first time. In case anyone wonders why this happens, I've read 'niacin converts to nicotinamide in the body, and this is when flushing occurs', during that conversion process. Anyhow I heard there was a flush free ' nicotinamide' form of the drug you can take if the flushing is too much or too often.

Well it's now 5:21am and it's starting to subside to a point where I might be able to sleep. I think removing clothing and trying not to move around or scratch too much certainly helps when you have one of the flushing attacks. Good luck everyone.

I have been on Levoxyl for about 9 years and have felt awful. I have had weight loss, dry hair, thinning hair,dry skin, muscle aches, migraines and the list goes on. I just got out of the hospital Monday after 4 days of testing of my heart and lungs. I was admitted for racing heart. The doctor's conclusion was anxiety! They said that Levoxyl has nothing to do with my rapid heart rate. The endocrinologist prescribed taking levoxyl .050 on day and .075 the next also a beta blocker, Xanax and Zoloft. I can not take any of these meds b/c they make it almost worse. I KNOW it is not Anxiety and it from the Levoxyl but what do I do?? I am a mess right now can not be in this condition with four young kids and a husband. None of the doctors would say it was the Levoxyl and instead prescribed more and told me to check up with blood work in 6 weeks. I took the .050 yesterday around noon and by 7:30pm my heart rate picked up again and continued until 4:30 this morning. I can not sleep more then 2 hours at a time and wakeup feeling like I am crawling out of my skin. PLEASE let me know of any solutions.

After 2 treatments of Rituxan, my uncle could barely walk into the doctor's office. It progressively worsened even after he quit the treatments, and now he has absolutely no muscle strength in his legs and has to be carried or in a wheel chair to go from one side of the house to the other. It didn't affect anything but his legs oddly enough. He went through a series of tests, x-rays, PET, Spinal Tap, even chiropracter, etc., and can't find any sign of cancer or attributing problems. The doctors think that maybe it was a symptom of the chemo treatments, more particularly the Rituxan since it began after the first and worsened with the second until he was unable to walk at all.

I have had episodes of arrythmia for the past 20 years. I had my second cardio conversion about 10 weeks ago. My doctor prescribed Toprol to control the arrythmia before (25mg) and after my cardio conversion (12.5mg). For the past six weeks I've been experiencing extreme discomfort in my chest from what I though was heartburn or some form of GERD. After reading these posts, I'm convinced it was caused by the Toprol. I've been taking it in the morning and strangely this was when the heartburn was the worst. Reading these posts allowed to put two and two together. Today I skipped the Toprol--and no more heartburn today. I've had no problems with the arrythmia since my cardio conversion. (I also take a low dose (50mg) of flecainide daily.)