I started Niaspan at a 500mg dosage. I'm taking it before I go to...

I started Niaspan at a 500mg dosage. I'm taking it before I go to sleep, with a baby aspirin at the same time (not before), and a bit of water. The first night, within 1-2 hours of taking it, I got a flush that lasted about 30min. It started at the head, and went down to my toes gradually. It felt as if my skin was on fire. Moving even slightly in bed was making me itch. I stayed, still, in bed, bedsheets and blanket off, breathing slowly, trying to relax, until it went away. I was a bit scared, but since I had read beforehand that flushing is a side effect, I did not worry. For the first 2-3 months, I had a couple more flushing episodes, but only in the upper part of my body (head, shoulder, not down to stomach). My dosage was increased to 1000mg (2 pills of 500mg). This did not really trigger worse or more frequent flushes. I did not flush (or I did not feel it) the first night with increased dosage. I still get one flushing episode maybe once a month, but only at the head and shoulders. I have changed my diet to remove beef, butter, eggs, and I switched to skim milk, nonfat yogourt, low-fat cheese if any. I cook with olive oil. I eat oatmeal or breakfast cereal with as much fiber as I can get. I've been on Niaspan for less than 1 year, and I think I get flushes when I eat fatty foods. Another person mentioned this in this discussion. I'm actually pretty certain my flushes are triggered by fatty foods. Last night I ate Indian food ("butter" chicken) which had a creamy sauce. Very yummy, so probably very fatty. I also had dessert (something I rarely have), a pecan pie with chocolate filling. Gorgeous. But I got serious flushing at 4am (almost 8 hours after taking Niaspan!), although it only went down to my stomach, not lower than that. I got up at 5h30 to get ready for work, I was still slightly itchy and my skin was a bit red (like a mild sunburn). I took a hot shower, which did not make it worse. I really think that fatty foods trigger flushes: I make a conscious effort to keep my fat intake low, and I have few flushing episodes, but when I break that habit, I get flushes...