HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Niacin supplements cause return oc PC???

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/5/2016 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Just looking for thoughts on supplements, I waited 2 1/2 years after successful prostatectomy and started taking high doses of niacin to detox and try and get my health back,, I've had all zero's so far and I'm afraid to take anything. I've read a couple of negatives on niacin (which is really helping me) so now I'm thinking of waiting for my 3 year PSA before I take anything. any thoughts?????
Posted 5/5/2016 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
What are you taking high dose niacin for, what condition is it helping? As for niacin and PC, I have no idea.
Posted 5/5/2016 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I have been taking 2000 mg of Niacin daily for years now to control cholesterol which went from 220 down to 125, it is a great supplement for that if you can handle the flushing it causes….

I am 5 years out now from my RP and doing fine so far.

Cheers,

Curt
Posted 5/5/2016 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Billy, I read a article written by some doctors that got involved with first responders years after 9/11. They found that these guys had tons of toxins and were starting to have different health problems. What they say is take niacin wait 20 min exercise for 20 and get in a sauna for up to a hour, I definitely feel better and my face that had gotten a gray tint to it that I didn't notice until it started to clear and look healthy again, also those old man little brown spots on my forearms are dissapeRing, I guess my concern comes from, I have bad knees and use to take glucosamine with chondrodin and since read a link to prostate cancer with chondrodin, you just don't know what to think sometimes
Posted 5/5/2016 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
I have read also, that Chondroitin is to be avoided. However, I've never seen anything on Niacin. If you have a link, could you provide it? I doubt its something to be concerned about.

I am taking prescription strength Niacin for high triglycerides, and i beleive it is also good for raising HDL-c.
My Dr is pretty good at these things, i'm guessing if it was anything proven he would have not prescribed it.
Posted 5/5/2016 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, niacin lowers LDL to some extent and raises HDL. All good. But these days, cardiologists usually recommend statins to lower LDL, combined with proper nutrition (very important).
Interestingly, there is evidence that statins (like Lipitor/atorvastatin) have a positive effect on prostate cancer. There are some threads on this forum that mention this. Statins do have side effects and one should be watching for those when starting this drug.

Whether niacin can be used to detox (whatever that is) appears questionable to me. Yes, there is much talk about detoxification on 'Natural Healing' forums, but I haven't found much of anything in the published medical literature.

Finally, the use of chondroitin + glucosamine to help with osteoarthritis remains controversial:
www.semarthritisrheumatism.com/article/S0049-0172%2815%2900289-9/fulltext

Post Edited (Sr Sailor) : 5/5/2016 3:02:57 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/5/2016 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Sailer, I've been climbing ladders for 35yrs (roofer) and around 12 yrs ago my knees started going and I took glucosamine for 7 years and I can't prove it but it's almost like it gradually rebuilt cartilage in my knees cause I stopped taking it round 5 yrs ago my knees were fine till round 6 months ago when My dumb ass decided to run up steps everyday in a effort to lose weight. I didn't lose weight but I messed my knees up lol
Posted 5/5/2016 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Perhaps you are one of the 'lucky' ones for whom glucosamine does work.
It really is a complex issue (osteoarthritis and chondroitin/glucosamine) and more will be written about it.
Glad to read though that it helped your knees.
Posted 5/5/2016 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
I used Niaspan for 10 years. Doc said I could go off it as studies showed that while it lowered LDL it provided no change in mortality.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/niacin-may-be-too-risky-heart-drug-reports-find-n157676
Posted 5/6/2016 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Whitebird is correct. Recent literature has shown that niacin does not lower the risk of heart disease though it does lower LDL and increase HDL. That is why I have mentioned before in another thread that the numbers may not really be the predictor of cholesterol drug efficacy. Statins have a pleotropic effect that decrease inflammation. This effect MAY explain potential efficacy of these drugs for prostate cancer (I'm not sure the effect is worth it for PC but certainly is for heart disease).

Niacin, in addition to flushing, may increase blood sugar and be liver toxic. Rare side effects, but since the drug has limited benefit....I'd maybe not use.

Thanks
Paul
Posted 5/6/2016 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
I had been taking Niaspan (pharmacological niacin) at its max dose of 2000 mg. and 75 mg of Plavix for 10 years prior to being diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was taking them because I had 3 coronary stents installed in 2 different procedures to repair my myocardial infarction in 2003.
10 years later, In the midst of several procedures during a two week period to find out "what was wrong with me" I had a cystoscopy performed to figure out the surce of extreme amounts of blood in my urine. The Urologist told me while he was doing his scope that either Niacin or Plavix (I can't remember which) probably caused me to be there. I haven't taken either since. He also said "that shouldn't be there" about the spots on the inside of my bladder. He probably knew, but I didn't at the time, that the spots were prostate cancer.
My cardiologist didn't agree with the statements and I never followed up on them.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply