December 20, 2007 11:30 PM I have been on Niaspan ER 500 Mgs fo...

Brenda, I have been on Niaspan since Sept. and started itching on my belly with a small red rash. I told my Dr. and he said to stay on it. I did and now Dec. and I had my blood sugar go high and my vision isn't right light headed and dizzy. I feel terrable. Now he took me off it. It will be a week on Saturday Dec.22. But I am still having effects. I dont't know what to do. I am worried this caused me perminent damage?
Karen

I talked to my pharmacist about the itching from Niaspan and she showed me a medical book which said to take one regular dose aspirin (325mg I think) 30 min. before each Niaspan dose. Has worked great for me so far. Just bruise a little easier from the thinner blood so be careful with yourself.

I was prescribed Niaspan (500 mg, I think) in early February. I took an aspirin 30 minutes before the drug. The first two weeks were fine. After two weeks, I woke up one hour after taking the drug with severe itching, heart palpitations, extreme dizziness, nausea to the point where I thought I would vomit, and faintness to such a degree that I had to lie down on the floor because I really thought I'd keel over. It happened the next night, too. I called the doctor's office. The nurse thought all the symptoms were odd, so she said I should stop it. I have had none of these problems. I looked up the sumptoms on the interent and learned that these were symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. I guess my point is that, unlike hte literature suggests, you can be taking this medication without a problem and then suddenly experience difficulties.
Good luck.

I have been making sure I eat something before I take the Niaspan 500 mgs, I have found when I don't eat, I really get a awful itch and so hot, I feel I am on fire. When I have had a reaction I took 2 benadryl and it seems to help. I have heard that taking aspirin helps, but my blood is already so thin, I bruise with just a touch, I don't take the aspirin, but the benadryl does seem to help.
Good luck,............................KB3RXQ

I have been on Niaspan for approximately 3 years. Started with 500 mg and have increased about every year to 1500 mg. Have sometimes had flushing, but has tended to be infrequent. Generally has been better, even at higher doses, when I take an 81mg aspirin a half hour before, and eat a reasonable size light snack. However, I have started to have a few episodes of moderate itching. Then last night I thought I did things properly in terms of aspirin and snack, but I woke up to terrible itching. It might be my imagination, but I feel that another snack during these events helps me get through them. So I went for the snack but suddenly felt nauseas followed by faintness. I thought I was getting ready to check out, at least for a while, but I quickly reclined in a chair and soon came back to normal. I'm a little gun shy about taking tonight's dosage!!

S30CD

When taking Niaspan make sure you eat an apple or appleauce 30 mins before. The reason is Pectin (minimizes flushing). Also non coated aspririn or advil 30 mins before, If you are having a terrible flush chew up a non coated aspirin or a non coated advil, flushing will go away within a few minutes. Just remember why you are taking Niaspan in the first place. It will help reduce having an event such as a heart attack or a stroke. 75% of stroke victims live. Think about cancer patients going through chemo therapy, they lose there hair along with other extremes but know the benefit of going through it. try to get up to 100mg/1g of Niaspan, that is where the biggest benefit is. If tolerability is still a big issue take Simcor. its a drug with Niaspan coated with simvasatin. Good luck

I have been taking niaspan along with simvastatin. I have terrible itcching and a rash, Took it for a month. Off of it now for a week.

Still have the rash but not the burning from it feeling so hot
How long was it till your rash disappeared after you stopped taking it.

Taking Benadryl I won't take it again