Niacin Blues

Hi All - my first post here. Bitten by a tick 3 yrs ago complete with bullseye rash - did nothing about it. You can imagine the rest. Sore joints, weak leg muscles, insomnia, night sweats. Can't find or afford a LLMD.
Tried Cowden Protocol and maybe it helped a little, but can't afford to stay on it indefinitely.
Recently tried large dose niacin per some members suggestion. After 5 days, had to stop: nausea, bloating, diarrhea for 3 days now. Is this the niacin (I read overdose of it can cause these things) or is it a herx? I was taking 3000 mg daily in divided doses. Also started garlic supplements around the same time. Got scared so stopped them both. Any ideas out there?

Wow, that's a lot of info on detox, Girlie! Thanks! I am fortunate enough to have a FIR sauna, and usually sit in it for 20-30 minutes several times a week. Didn't know about not using soap afterward. The last 2 days I have been going in twice a day. Just wish I could get my Gi system back to normal after the niacin and garlic!

Thanks Denikeef! I take 1 probiotic daily - maybe not enough???

Raw or cooked garlic in large doses can give me diarrhea. I have no experience with niacin.

Good idea to back off both of them and then when you calm down you can add one in at a time slowly and at a low dose to see how you react.

That is the best way to find out which one is causing the problem.

But, neither may be causing a problem and you are just out of balance. You cannot create more toxins than you are able to eliminate. This causes a herx. So you have to up your detoxing to create a clean pathway for the toxins to get out.

Hello, cookiemagic
Our family knows a bit about niacin in large doses, as a few years ago (before my son was diagnosed with lyme) an ND felt that these, in conjunction with high dose vitamin C, would cure his brain fog and confusion.

What I learned is that you have to be very specific about the form of niacin and the intended purpose. There are three forms: niacin (nicotinic acid); niacinamide (nicotinamide) and inositol hexanicotinate. Each form will impact differently - for example, the niacin form (but NOT the niacinamide) is beneficial for lowering cholesteral. The niacin form is also the form that causes the flush.

The niacinamide form is harder to find (in Canada, Trophic Vitamins has niacinamide in its product line), doesn't cause a flush, and is the one most useful if targeting brain functioning improvement. I believe it has been found that the high dose vitamin C was needed for the intended efficacy. In my son's case, we kept with it for a good 6 months but it seemed to scramble things up more than help... of course, we didn't know what was behind it all at the time.

In scientific studies it's very clear that you need to understand the form of niacin you're using, what it's targeting, and what supports are needed with it. I learned afterwards that the ND was scripting / selling the wrong form for the intended purpose. I'd be careful of taking larger amounts without the correct context.

Welcome to the forum. Hmmm...you've got quite a mix there. Below are some things to be on the watch for. The garlic and the niacin can cause gastro issues.

Too high a dosage of either niacin or niacinamide can have moderate to severe gastrointestinal side effects. These include:

Bloating
Diarrhea
Flatulence
Nausea
Vomiting

Vital Signs Can Be Affected
One of the most harmful and dangerous side effects can be a sudden drop in blood pressure. Though a drop in blood pressure is considered a rare side effect, if it does occur, it is often just as dangerous, if not more so than high blood pressure. This is why a medical professional should closely monitor any dosage of niacin or niacinamide. It's also important to note than there have not been any documented cases of death caused by an overdose of niacin or niacinamide, however, long term side effects can damage vital organs.Other side effects may include:

Liver disorders (hepatoxicity) within as short a time-span as a few weeks (rare)
Blurred vision
Jaundice (gas)
Peptic ulcer
Dry or scaly skin
Symptoms of Niacin Overdose

There are some specific symptoms that will alert you very early of a possible overdose of niacin. If you suspect your symptoms are related to taking too much niacin, immediately stop taking the supplement and seek medical attention.

Abnormal pain
Nausea followed by vomiting and/or diarrhea
Rapid heartbeat
Severe itching
Shortness of breath
Skin flush accompanied by dizziness

Could be a herx or the supplements. Why don't you try reducing the amounts that you are taking and see how that goes? Perhaps by half and then slowly working back up...but maybe one at a time. Only begin working back up when symptoms diminish.

Also do some of the detox protocols that Girlie provided. Personally dry brushing is one of my faves. Oh and Pinella and Burbur detox herbs.

thank you for posting about the shortness of breath that can happen . I slowly have been titrating my niacin up and yesterday got to 500 mg. I was unable to breathe freely for most of the day. I am slowly starting again and maybe will stay at 300 much as I would like the benefits of brain clarity and confidence that I hope niacin will help me with...

Krimpet 🍔 said...

Symptoms of Niacin Overdose

There are some specific symptoms that will alert you very early of a possible overdose of niacin. If you suspect your symptoms are related to taking too much niacin, immediately stop taking the supplement and seek medical attention.

Abnormal pain
Nausea followed by vomiting and/or diarrhea
Rapid heartbeat
Severe itching
Shortness of breath
Skin flush accompanied by dizziness