Managing cholesterol with Niacin

I've had borderline high cholesterol for years. But after moving to Florida in January of 2004, I'd been so busy getting things going with a new job, new house, new life for our family, that I'd pretty much stopped exercising. Well, 2 months ago I tested around 300 for total cholesterol, 39 for HDL, over 400 for triglycerides. I started on Zocor (40mg/day, but have stopped that). I'm now taking niacin, but the main thing I'm doing is plenty of exercise. As of last week, the total cholesterol is around 200, but more importantly the HDL is up to 52 (so far), the triglycerides are 160, and I'm feeling more fit. I usually put personal stuff on this site and mainly tech stuff on my other blog. But since I know a lot of geeks that need to get healthier, I've posted more details about the cholesterol stuff over at joelitton.net.

Comments

[The other JL]

Yo Joe!

Tried the Niacin for the same reasons, but had a reaction to it that was almost scary. From about the mid-chest up, my skin got intensely hot, and it was extremely painful.

Ears felt like they were steaming; I began to seriously question why I had ever questioned those stories of people that spontaneously burst into flames.

On the other hand, my father, who's always had serious cholesterol problems started added flax seed to his daily cereal. It has to be the ground-up (or ground-down) variety. Without doing any exercise per se, his bad cholesterol dropped some 100 points in 8 months!!!!!

I just gotta give that a try and see...

JL

[D]

Hey Joe and JL: How long until the niacin begins to work? Walk 4 miles 5 or 6 days a week and play tennis twice a week, however, my cholesterol is still 266.. LDL is 186; HDL is 56. Started on 500 mg of niacin yesterday. Also taking flax oil and fish oil - 1000 mg a day of both.

D

[Joe Litton]

The 'burning' or flush or rush, or whatever one cares to call it is a common vasodilation that many experience when they first take niacin. I used to start each day (25+ years ago) with some brewer's yeast (VERY high in niacin) in a little warm water. I'd gulp that down and my face would flush, hands would itch, ears would get hot ...just the niacin opening up the capillaries. I'm only speaking from what I've read and experienced, but typically the niacin rush is gone within 1/2 hour or so, and typically it doesn't happen at all after a few days of taking the niacin. I've been told that taking a baby aspirin 1/2 hour before taking niacin will help prevent the niacin rush, and does not affect the cholesterol benefits. In my case, I only had a niacin rush the first time last week. Haven't had one since.

I'll be going back for a blood test after 3 months of taking niacin to see how things are going. BUT... the recommendations are to get the HDL over 60 to be considered preventative for heart issues, and the way to boost HDL is exercise. Niacin is supposed to help, but if the HDL is under 60 (mine was 52 with this last test), that tells me to up the exercise. So I'm hitting the treadmill AND lifting weights.And I'll keep boosting it until the HDL is over 60. My doc runs an hour a day on the treadmill to keep his HDL at 75. He also suggested I up my intake of Omega-3 (I now take 1200mg twice daily) to help lower the triglycerides).

I don't know how quickly niacin is supposed to show the complete desired effect. The main book I've been reading about that is "Cholesterol Control Without Diet!: The Niacin Solution". VERY interesting read.