I came home from work and opened my new bottle of Niaspan er 5...

I had a similar effect to thid medication, I felt as if my body was burning from the inside out & little needles were poking me all across my chest, arms & back.I got disoriented and I too felt as if my heart was going to explode.I got into a cold shower, but the only relief was staying in there and laying on the floor. I have since stopped using the product. Vera in Vegas

What you are experiencing is a reaction to your body getting used to the medicine. Unfortunately doctors do not do a great job of educating patients on how to take niaspan. It's very important to take a 325 aspirin or advil 30 minutes before taking the med.eating applesauce with the med helps too. If you still experience flushing you can take a Benadryl. The side effect will go away as your body gets used to the med after a few weeks. This is the only med that can reduce plaque in your arteries. If you want to live to see your grandchildren it may be worth trying to stick with it to see if it gets any better.

I have been taking Niaspan ER for 4 nights now and tonight at midnight I woke up feeling like I was on fire! I was absolutely burning but no visible symptoms. This is a very scary side effect of this medication! I am surprised to read that this will subside - it hadn't occurred to me to continue the medication with this side effect.

I am currently going through what you have described. I am on my sixth day of using Niaspan er 500mg. It is around midnight and my entire body is on FIRE, I itch, red blotches and my hair feels like needles pinching my skin when I move. My face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and legs was literally RED hot to touch, not to mention my heart started to race and felt like I needed some fresh air or cold shower to calm down. From what I read on (http://www.niaspan.com/About_Niaspan/Niaspan_Side_Effects.asp) it sounds like I was flushing and had a reaction to the medicine. I am 33 years old and in good health. It seems like you should take Niaspan at bedtime and take with ibuprofen to reduce side effect. The funny thing is I have been taking ibuprofen all week since my low back is aching…Go figure. Not sure if I will continue. Plan to check with doctor tomorrow.

I am currently going through what you have described. I am on my sixth day of using Niaspan er 500mg. It is around midnight and my entire body is on FIRE, I itch, red blotches and my hair feels like needles pinching my skin when I move. My face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and legs was literally RED hot to touch, not to mention my heart started to race and felt like I needed some fresh air or cold shower to calm down. From what I read on (http://www.niaspan.com/About_Niaspan/Niaspan_Side_Effects.asp) it sounds like I was flushing and had a reaction to the medicine. I am 33 years old and in good health. It seems like you should take Niaspan at bedtime and take with ibuprofen to reduce side effect. The funny thing is I have been taking ibuprofen all week since my low back is aching…Go figure. Not sure if I will continue. Plan to check with doctor tomorrow.