Question about Niaspan

Posted by Angie Miller on August 06, 1999 at 11:47:03
My husbands doctor recently started him on a niaspan startpack, along with his other medications which are, lotension, ziac, pravachol,gluctrol,and
glucophage.  Into the second week or 500 mgs of niaspan, my husband got up during the middle of the night and I thought was experiencing flushing sympthoms, well he became very weak and unable to rationalize what was happening to him before I could help him he had completly lost consiousness
and fell to the floor, I couldn't awake him for about 30 seconds, I thought he was dead
his repirations were thready when he came to, and his blood pressure was almost non existant, when he finally came to, he was disoriented and did not know where he was, he refused to go to the hospital and his doctor was
on vacation. Could this reaction have been a combination of his medications or maybe his other helth conditions

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on August 06, 1999 at 11:57:10
Dear Angie
I would not blame this on the Niaspan, or on the other medications. What happened to your husband was very serious and sounds like it was life threatening. You were right - he should have been evaluated; calling 911 would have been the best course of action. He should still be evaluated ASAP by any doctor, if his own doctor is away.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.