Niacin liver toxicity
Common Questions and Answers about Niacin liver toxicity
niaspan
I'm 52 and have never have had high liver enzymes. Took 500 mg of Slo Niacin for about a month between 12/15/13 and 1/15/14 and ALT went from 36 to 60, AST from 39 to 63, and GGT from about low 30's to 110!! based on blood testing done 1/15/14. Previous normal liver bloodwork from chemistry profile was from physical back in late July of 2013. Only a social drinker (few beers on weekend).
Patients with pre-existing liver diseases and those who drink alcohol regularly are at higher risk for developing niacin toxicity. The sustained-release preparations of niacin also are more likely to cause liver toxicity than the immediate-release preparations.
So the best advice is to get lots of fruits, veggies and things high in B vitamins without trying to overdose it.
I take 65mg Iron pills 2X/day, 250mg Niacin 3X/day. I also take a few other pills where liver and kidney functions must be watched. So far everything is working good! My Iron is still a bit low but we're waiting on the next blood test in three months before we adjust that again.
I take Niacin to lower my cholesterol. In three months my HDL dropped by two points and LDL dropped like a rock to half what it was.
If you have stage 4 liver disease (cirrhosis) you should consult with your hepatologist regarding any changes to diet and and any over-the-counter drugs, vitamins or herbs before taking them. Many can be toxic to a cirrhotic liver an increase liver damage and in some individuals cause decompensation and liver failure depending on a patient's liver disease and the amount of the toxin.
Extended release niacin is arguably just as good as any drug on the market in terms of HDL and LDL effect. It can be tough on the liver but if you have normal liver function then its a legit alternative to statins (my father in law's cholesterol used to clock in at about 270 and he had the same reservations as your husband about drugs - niacin has worked very well for him - his cholesterol is now sub 150 and has been for 10+ years).
By contrast, slow-release niacin preparations reduce the hot-flush effect by releasing niacin over an extended period of 12 hours or longer. Most of these preparations are unsafe and I do not recommend them. “No-flush” niacin preparations, such as inositol hexaniacinate and nicotinamide, are widely sold as niacin alternatives that do not cause hot flushes. In my experience, however, they simply do not work. In other words, no flush, no effect.
I am bipolar and have taken niacin for years....I took 500mg of niacin the reagular kind not the no flush kind It did cause me to have a niacin flush (which is typical)...it has never caused me trouble with mainia only made me flush wich eased anxiety and caused me to be tired afterwards...It might affect others diffently though. Nician is a B vitamin and B vitmins can cause you to more energetic you shouldn't take them in excess esp if you have bipolar....
Hepatomegaly is a nonspecific medical sign having many causes. Which can be broken down into infection, direct toxicity, metabolic disorder, fatty liver itself. To tell you what precautions to take. I would say the first thing would be to stop drinking alcohol. Drinking will scar the liver more, causing worse conditions. If you are taking recreational drugs. You need to stop this too. There are some things you don't have control over.
Please get a complete hormone panel ESH, LH, estrogen, progesterone and see if there is an imbalance. Hormone replacement therapy will help. With metal toxicity, certain chelating agents are given which bind with the metal and remove them from the body. Normal detox diet will not take care of that. It basically increases the antioxidants in the body.
Hope this helps. Take care!
Elevated liver enzymes as a result of statin use does not necessarily mean there is liver damage. Stopping the drug frequently results in normalization of liver enzymes. And occasionally changing to a different statin solves the problem of elevated liver enzymes while maintaining an improved cholesterol level.
He paid, out of pocket (since he lost his health benefits) for an ultrasound on his lower abdomen. He was told he has a healthy liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Prior to losing his job, he was training vigorously for a marathon and an Ironman event. We're told that vigorous exercise can cause an elevation in ALT levels, but not that much. He is trying to restrict niacin, because he was told that might affect his ALT result if he's sensitive to niacin.
The program you are on is a very good detoxification program for someone with a healthy liver. However, I have read that large dosages of niacin can be toxic to the liver. If you have hepc, you should check with a qualified specialist as to taking the niacin. Make sure the supervisor of the program you are on knows that you have hepc. Get advice from a liver specialist! Good luck!
Mild elevations of liver enzymes AST, ALT, and GGT started sometime late 2013 or early 2014 and still are elevated. By mild, AST and ALT around 60 and GGT about 100. Never have had that problem before and hadn't had any alcohol since 1/24/14. Had full bloodwork and ultrasound from a hepatologist a month or so ago and everything was normal except the high enzymes. Note that high dose purified fish oil seems to lower the alt/ast about 10-15 pts but has little effect on GGT.
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