My physician and the pharmacist were not kidding - niacin flushing is a nightmare. I took my 500mg pill around 9:45 p.m., knowing full well what I could expect. For about 14 minutes, I thought I was in the clear. Then suddenly I grew very, very warm and my skin began to crawl. I looked down at my arm and saw the proof. Naturally, I stripped to see if it was everywhere and oh boy was it. By 10:15 I was miserable, and by 10:30 I was inconsolable. It felt like a third degree sunburn - hot hot hot skin, burning, and chills. Fortunately, no itch. I was wide awake (another problem in itself) so I popped some Benadryl and within 45 minutes, it was finally taking the edge off. I fell asleep by 11:30, but the Benadryl still hadn't worn off when my alarm went off at 6 a.m., so I let myself go back to sleep unti 8:30.
Tonight, my plan is to some baby aspirin about 30 minutes prior to taking the niacin, but still keep the Benadryl close by. The aspirin reduces the flushing. However, the flushing means it's working, so hopefully my body starts adjusting to this new bedtime routine soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment