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Asthma and Allergy (Expert Forum)
Insect stings and Niaspan
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This forum is for questions and support regarding: Allergies, Asthma, Chronic Cough, Sinusitis, and other Respiratory Disorders.
Insect stings and Niaspan
by oinkpuaa, Jan 19, 2008 09:23PM
I take Niaspan for cholesterol. I have never had allergies, other than hay fever types. Bee stings etc. have never been an issue for me. My reactions to the stings was normally intense but very short and gone within an hour or so. I have been stung a fair number of times during my life. (55 YOA)Sometimes after taking the Niaspan I get very hot and flushed, depending on when I take it in relation to my meal and aspirin. On this particular day, I was having a very intense reaction to the Niaspan and I felt like I was on fire and my skin was visibly flushed. I wasn"t concerned, as this has happened before, and I knew it would pass. During this intense reaction I was stung on the side of the neck by a rather large yellow jacket (I'm fairly sure a yellow jacket). The combination of the two sensations was rather unplesant. The area swelled considerably. Over the next few days the area of the sting remained red and swollen with a diameter of a couple of inches. It remained sore to the touch and itched considerably. Having never had a reaction to a sting before, I'm concerned that I may be developing an allergy to them. I visited a clinic and was given a script for steroids to reduce the swelling and an epipen as a precaution for future stings. When I mentioned the the Niaspan reaction, the Doctor just brushed it aside. I was wondering if the Niaspan reaction caused a freak reaction to the sting and the concern for a developing allergy is needless worry? Or, could the Niaspan reaction along with the sting have caused me to develop an allergy? Or, was the Niaspan reaction and sting reaction just irrelevant coincidences and I'm just naturally developing and allergy to stings? I hope all of that made sense.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish Health, Jan 24, 2008 05:16PM
, Jan 24, 2008 05:16PM
The adverse symptoms from Niacin are typical and should not be a cause for concern. We are not aware of any relationship between Niacin and modification of a wasp sting.
Putting the Niacin aside, the reaction to the sting is worrisome, especially since the natural history of recurrent wasp or hornet, also called hymenoptera, stings is that the reactions can become increasingly severe, even to the extent of anaphylaxis. The doctor did right in giving you the EpiPen® (epinephrine).
You might want to check with your doctor to find a board certified allergist with a special interest in bee and wasp sting reactions, who might be able to reduce the intensity of reactions with desensitization.
Putting the Niacin aside, the reaction to the sting is worrisome, especially since the natural history of recurrent wasp or hornet, also called hymenoptera, stings is that the reactions can become increasingly severe, even to the extent of anaphylaxis. The doctor did right in giving you the EpiPen® (epinephrine).
You might want to check with your doctor to find a board certified allergist with a special interest in bee and wasp sting reactions, who might be able to reduce the intensity of reactions with desensitization.
