Niacin and liver toxicity
Common Questions and Answers about Niacin and liver toxicity
niaspan
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.
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).
16 extra strength Tylenol
-little vomiting an hour later
-very unsteady
-frequent urination
Now (24 hours after last dose) I just feel a little dizzy and unsteady but otherwise completely fine. No symptoms of liver damage. I'm quite positive I will be completely fine because honestly (this is going to make me sound ridiculous...) I always tolerate high doses of meds well and I'm, like, immune to side effects. But, none the less, I wanted a second opinion. Your thoughts??
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.
I was told to avoid niacin, excess vitamin C, along with marijuana and alcohol by my liver clinic. Risk and the way liver handles excess niacin outweighed benefit though certainly getting adequate amounts by use of a NO iron multiple vitamin would be fine.
Statins have so many contraindications they will probably never pass muster for liver patients.
From this book, I learnt when the wbc and platelet count is low, it is a sign that the liver functioning is getting weak; i.e., your fibrosis is getting worse.
and that is the test my doctor has been monitoring every 3 months: wbc and platelet count. My trend is also going down: I'm at the low range right now. Hope this help.
I was told from friends that Niacin helps as well as fish oil. So, over the past 8 mths I took Niacin and fish oil and my new blood draw cam up with a perfect score in the cholesterol area but my Bilirubin total was elevated at 1.4, Iron UIBC low at 102, Iron serum high at 175 as well as Iron Saturation at 63, and my biggest concern was my TSH high at 5.08. I do not have any symptoms. I just received the second blood draw for a possible job in Antarctica.
“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.
The correct dose of niacin depends on what abnormality you and your doctor are trying to correct. To raise HDL and correct small LDL, a dose of 750-1000 mg a day usually provides full benefit.
More than 1100 drugs, herbal remedies, natural products, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, and recreational and illicit compounds are known to cause liver injury......be very carefull about what you take, their source and make blood tests while taking them to check toxicity/benefit
http://archive.mail-list.com/hbv_research/message/20101201.190417.3706e442.en.
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....
causing liver damage. It simply is not true. There are great differences between drugs and the various antivirlas have widely different toxicity and side effect profiles.
I wonder whether your doctor is over-interpreting guidelines for using the anti-HSV drugs. The official prescribing information advises stopping the drug periodically, like once a year. But that's not because of toxicity.
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.
I trust pretty much all the information I read from the Mayo Clinic site. Here is the information I was able to locate for you. I have no idea if detoxing really works. Leave it up to the professional to help you with that one :) Here is what a nutritionist from the Mayo Clinic had to say about them.....
Question
Detox diets: Do they work?
Do detox diets offer any health benefits?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Recommended
