NIACIN (NICOTINIC ACID)

(NYE a sin (NIK oh TIN ik AS id)) Brand: B-3-50, B3-500-Gr, Niacin SR, Niacor, Niaspan ER, Slo-Niacin

What is the most significant information I must know about niacin?

• You must not take this medicine if you are allergic to niacin, or if you have severe liver malady, a stomach ulcer, or active bleeding.

• Niacin can reason determined side effects, such as flushing (warmth, itching, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin). These effects can be made worse if you drink alcohol or hot beverages shortly after you take niacin. These effects must disappear over time as you hold taking the medication.

• Avoid getting up too quick from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

• Avoid taking colestipol (Colestid) or cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran) at the same time you take niacin. If you take either of these another medications, take them at least 4 to 6 hours till or after you take niacin.

• Niacin is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include diet, exercice, weight control, and another medications. Follow your diet, medicine, and exercice routines very closely.

What is niacin?

• Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a B vitamin (vitamin B3). It occurs naturally in plants and animals, and is also added to much foods as a vitamin supplement. Niacin is also gift in much multiple vitamins and nutritional supplements.

• Niacin is used to treat and prevent a lack of natural niacin in the body, and to lower cholesterol and triglycerides (types of fat) in the blood. It is also used to lower the risk of heart onslaught in people with tall cholesterol who have already had a heart onslaught. Niacin is sometimes used to treat coronary artery malady (also called atherosclerosis).

• Niacin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking niacin ?

• You must not take this medicine if you are allergic to niacin, or if you have severe liver malady, a stomach ulcer, or active bleeding.

• To create certain you can safely take niacin, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:

· liver or kidney disease;

· heart malady or uncontrolled angina (chest pain);

· a stomach ulcer;

· diabetes;

· gout; or

· a muscle mess such as myasthenia gravis.

• FDA pregnancy category C. Niacin may be deleterious to an unborn child when the medicine is taken at doses to treat tall cholesterol or another conditions. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

• Niacin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take niacin ?

• Use exactly as directed on the label, or as predesigned by your doctor. Do not use in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• Niacin is sometimes taken at bedtime with a low-fat snack. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• Take niacin with a full glass of cool or cold water. Taking the medicine with a hot drink may magnify your risk of side effects such as flushing.

• Do not crush, chew, interrupt, or open an extended-release tablet or capsule. Swallow it intact. Breaking or opening the pill may reason too many of the drug to be released at one time.

• Niacin extended-release tablets and capsules contain higher strengths of the medication than the regular niacin tablets. Take only the doze that is correct for the type of niacin tablet or capsule you are using.

• Niacin can reason you to have unusual results with determined medical trials (urine tests). Speak any doctor who treats you that you are using niacin.

• If you stop taking niacin for any length of time, conversation with your doctor till starting the medicine again. You may need to restart the medicine at a lower dose.

• While using niacin, you may need blood trials at your doctor's office. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be checked. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Be certain to take the missed doze with food if you normally take your niacin doze with a meal or snack.

• Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, itching, vomiting, upset stomach, and flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

What must I avoid while taking niacin ?

• Avoid drinking hot beverages shortly after taking niacin. Hot drinks can worsen niacin's flushing effect (warmth, itching, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin).

• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking niacin. Alcohol may magnify your risk of liver hurt, and can also worsen the flushing effects of niacin.

• Avoid getting up too quick from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

What are the possible side effects of niacin ?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

· feeling like you might pass out;

· quick, pounding, or uneven heart beats;

· feeling short of breath;

· swelling;

· jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes); or

· muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine.

• If you are diabetic, speak your doctor about any changes in your blood sugar levels.

• Smaller serious side effects of niacin include:

· mild dizziness;

· warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin;

· itching, dry skin;

· sweating or chills;

· nausea, diarrhea, belching, gas;

· muscle pain, leg cramps; or

· sleep problems (insomnia).

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect niacin?

• Speak your doctor about all another cholesterol-lowering drugs you are taking with niacin, especially atorvastatin (Lipitor, Caduet), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev, Advicor), pravastatin (Pravachol), or simvastatin (Zocor, Simcor, Vytorin, Juvisync).

• Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safety for you to use niacin if you are also using any of the next drugs:

· a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);

· multivitamins or mineral supplements that contain niacin;

· blood pressure or heart medications such as amlodipine (Norvasc, Caduet, Exforge, Lotrel, Tekamlo, Tribenzor, Twynsta, Amturnide), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Dilacor, Diltia, Diltzac, Taztia, Tiazac), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or

· heart medications such as doxazosin (Cardura), isosorbide (Dilatrate, Imdur, Isordil, Monoket, Sorbitrate), nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid, Nitro-Dur, Nitrostat), prazosin (Minipress), or terazosin (Hytrin).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with niacin. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about niacin.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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