Converts 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.

What a wonderful site.. thanks for all of you and your stories. I too was a Lipitor user ... 20mgs/day for at least 6 years. I didn't notice any problems until last summer. I couldn't grip a golf club so I didn't play all summer. My doc told me it was arthritis. Strange, no history and never had any problems til then. As the months went on, things got worse. Burning in my upper left arm muscle, so intense it would cause me to have to sit down. Heart racing, pain in back, shoulder and jaw, I thought I was having a heart attack. Started reading about Lipitor and told doctor I wanted off. Of course he said no way and he did an MRI thinking it was skeletal. He sent me to a neurologist, who immediately told me I have statin myopathy. Cause...Lipitor!!! Amazing he admits this, also told me his own doc prescribed it for him and he will not take it because he sees too many patients with these side effects. I am liking him and his honesty. I have been off Lipitor for 2 weeks now. Hands are much better but muscle weakness and burning and sometimes tremors persist but I am optimistic that this may take time but I will recover.

I've taken Synthroid since 1969. The only time I had side affects was when the drug was reformulated (without my knowledge) and the dosage I was taking became Toxic to my liver. My hair started falling out, my leg muscles became enflamed and I didn't feel well.

Most of the symptoms I've read here indicate incorrect dosages. Today's doctors treat lab tests more than patients' symptoms and the lab tests most doctors use don't reveal whether T4 properly converts to T3. Typically, they run a TSH and if you're lucky, they might throw in a T4. There are many other drugs on the market that block T4-T3 conversion (i.e. birth control and anti depressentants type medications are two of the big ones) as well as other environmental factors. Clinical studies have proven that soy protein blocks thyroid hormone production/obsorption at the cellular level. It's hard to find food products today that aren't loaded with soy. Don't take my word for it though. Research for yourselves. Hair loss can be caused by too much, too little or Synthroid not actually working at all due to other factors.

Good Luck! At least everyone here was diagnosed as having a problem. There are millions out there that go undiagnosed who are suffering from much worse symptoms than us.