Fladdict - Niacin/B3 Reaction??

I know that Naicin can cause flushing and I guess that's what I experienced last night, but man....

Yesterday was my 3rd day taking the B vitamins.  I have taken them with no problem until last night and I had a terrible reaction.  We had gone out for a seafood meal - I had eaten shrimp, crab, oysters and lobster.  I took my vitamins, like I always do, after I've eaten as it says to take them with food to avoid stomach upset and flushing.  We were going to have dessert and so I ordered coffee, also - something I'd not done when taking the vitamins before.  After we left the restaurant we headed to Downtown Disney to do some shopping and nightclubbing.  

We had just gotten there and were walking around and I felt like my eyelids were kind of itchy and burning.  Within minutes my whole body felt like it was on fire...then it started internally.  I felt like I was about to combust!  My face got totally numb and I was breaking out in a pinpoint rash all over.  I looked like the Lobster we had just eaten.  My chest was tight and my tongue was even itchy.  We were quite a way from our vehicle at that point and weren't sure what to do.  Tim kept me calmed and walked me slowly back to a point where he could get the vehicle and was about to take me to the ER.  I told him we should wait and see what happens and he agreed.  

I have a congenital heart problem that causes arrhythamias and conduction problems, so having an allergic reaction is scary for me because I can't have epinephrine if it gets severe enough to cause breathing problems.  I wasn't sure if what I was experiencing was the "naicin flush" or an allergic reaction to the seafood.  I've eaten seafood my whole life (I grew up in Louisiana/Mississippi) and have never had even a hint of a problem, but I know allergies can develop and sometimes you can have an allergic reaction based on what's going on with your body chemisty at the time (and I know mine's kind of messed up right now.)  

Do you think this was a "niacin flush" incident?  Have you ever had one?  It was just so much more severe than the posted warning about it that it made me uncertain if that was what was really going on.  It got better overnight and I'm fine this morning, by the way.  

Thanks, Stephanie.  I know you're at work today, but hope you see this when you get home.

xoxoxo
Rosie

[GA Guy]

Know you didn't ask me..but here's my 2 cents worth. From what I know, the flush is caused by dilation of the blood vessels. Now, the question is..could that have caused your symptoms? To be honest, I have no idea. But, I can tell you, from having a very close friend with seafood allergies, that it sounds like classic anaphylaxis. Type anaphylaxis into wikipedia and look at the symptoms. Let me know what you think after seeing the wiki article. Glad our Rosie is OK now, though!!

[dng]

i agree im allergic to salmon the same thing happened to me call your doctor

[VOsRose]

Thanks for the input...I don't know what to think.  I did have some of the symptoms listed for anaphylaxis so it could be.  I read online that it is almost unheard of to have an allergic reaction to the Niacin itself, as it is necessary for life and an allergy would be counter to that.  I hate to think that I have developed a seafood allergy!  That would be a tragedy, as I would eat seafood every single day if given the choice.

The symptoms subsided after a couple of hours without doing anything but drinking some cold water and laying down and making myself stay calm.  That makes me question what was really going on.  I've had a true anaphylactic reaction to antibiotics twice in my life...once as an infant to penicillin and once as an adult to another antibiotic.  It was the second time that we discovered I couldn't have epi.  My doctor had me meet him at his office, observed my symptoms, gave me an IM injection of epi, and almost immediately I crashed.  His office was next door to the hospital and he ran me over there in his arms.  It was pretty scary stuff.

Anyway...I'm better today so, hopefully, it was a fluke.  I've got to say...I'm a little wary of eating seafood again today and don't think I'll take the Niacin, either...particularly not together!  LOL

How are you doing??  I haven't "chatted" with you in while...we seem to catch each other in passing.  Hope you're feeling good.  Is your arm out of that cast??

xoxoxo
Rosie

[anotherfinemess]

I'm glad you're OK.  As you know with anaphylaxis the throat swells up,  that is the danger of it.  Did you take a B-complex, or niacin by itself?   To avoid the flushing affect, you could take niacinamide.  This is niacin without the flushing factor.  Take Care,
Lisa

[VOsRose]

I was taking a multi-vitamin, a B-complex, 500 mg. of Niacin, 500 mg. of Vit. B5, 99 mg. of Potassium and a C1000.  I thought about getting the "no flush" Niacin, but read online that you don't get the benefit of the Niacin when you do that...basically, it says you may as well not take it.  

I am okay, and if my throat was swelling, it never got to the critical point...it was scary for a little while, though.  

Thanks for the concern.

Rosie

[GA Guy]

Hello dear, glad you're feeling better. I'm doing OK. You know how the one day you feel like gang busters and the next it's wipeout city. The cast has one more week. Never had too much pain. I took one percacet two times because it was killing me. So, I've basically had 2 percs in 60+ days now. I'm officially on day 11 now. I keep starting over just because it makes me feel like I'm being honest to myself. I'm glad you're feeling better, but I hate how you keep having these little health setbacks. I sometimes think it's just the mind trying to get us to use again. I think of you often and pray for you a lot. God bless you, dear.

[VOsRose]

Thanks so much.  It's a little disheartening to me, also, these little health setbacks.  I actually had one of those cravings today.  I was thinking about how I was NEVER sick when I was taking the pills...of course, I immediately reminded myself that I WAS sick...and, most likely, killing myself.  The drugs just masked any "unwell" feelings and signals my body may have been trying to send.

Then I also reminded myself that this is just a window in time...my body is trying to get back to a normal chemical balance and I'm very lucky and grateful that none of these little health inconveniences happened before the wedding...they waited to hit me until a week into the honeymoon.  I'm blessed!

I think of you and pray for you, also.

xoxoxo
Rosie

[FLaddict]

Rosie darling... I have never had that happen personally.. I have only read about it.. and it doesn't sound the way it was discribed... I would call your doc to be sure... you may have had some kind of allergic reaction to something you can into contact with yesterday.. I will also look to see if I can find any more info on the Niacin

[VOsRose]

Thanks!  Have you taken the Niacin?  It was weird and I was afraid to take any more yesterday until I learn more about it.  Tim found something that said taking it with hot beverages could induce the "flush" thing.  Also, he suggested to me that perhaps I was so low on it that I didn't have a reaction for the first few days and then, when the levels in my body starting getting back to normal, the dose just saturated my system.  I don't know if he found something online that led him to think that if it was just supposistion on his part.  I was kind of out of it when he was reading.  It was like, in addition to the physical reaction, I had a huge adrenaline rush and when it started subsiding I was totally wiped out.

I hope you're feeling okay, Stephanie.  I read your post about working without your floor mat and it making you hurt all over.  I think about you alot and say a prayer for you often.

xoxoxo
Rosie

[LTaddict]

long time whats up steph?

[hip_jon]

Try going in a sauna. That's where you get its full effect, as when you sweat it removes all the toxins. without the sauna the toxins stay in your body. try taking less they say it's not good to take too much 500 mgs sounds like a lot what I heard was 100mg.
Good luck man!

[mel1965]

I have been taking slow release niacin for 6 months to help with chlolestorol today i also took potasium and magnesium and zinc which i had never done within 20 minutes my face started burning and then my arms neck and stomach and bright red with small welps   i took benedryl real quick and called doc  said not to ever mix potassium and niacin    Iwas scared to death  the intense fire feeling and swelling in face and crazy redness  now im wiped out from the benedryl  so it might be a vitamin you are taking also

[IBKleen]

mel1965, this post was started some 3-1/2 years ago. The members you are talking to are no longer active, or at least not at this time. Also, this is an addiction substance abuse community and it does not seem that is your issue. If you go to the top of this page you will find a list of all of the communities here at MH and you can choose the one that best suits your need/question. I wish you the best.