There are certain things you need to look for before you purchase and begin to take a niacin product. These guidelines will assist you when looking for an over-the-counter niacin product:
- First and foremost, with any other drug, talk to your health care practitioner if you are on any other medications that could interfere with niacin. This includes aspirin, statin drugs, bile acid sequestrants, and multivitamins that may already have niacin in them.
- Over-the-counter formulations of niacin vary in strength and may contain other vitamins, minerals, and herbs. It is very important that you look at the labels the directions the manufacturer gives you on taking the product. For instance, two bottles may contain the same amount of niacin tablets, but one bottle may require you to take two 250 mg tablets a day whereas another bottle may require you to take one 500 mg tablet a day--this could save you some money.
- You may also notice words on the labels, such as "timed-release", "sustained-release", "extended-release", or "delayed-release". These medications will release niacin gradually into the bloodstream, whereas medications without this on the label (immediate-release) will dump niacin into your bloodstream at one time. If you are taking higher doses of niacin, these formulations may help to reduce the undesirable side effects side effects you may experience when first taking niacin.
- Not all niacin supplements are the same. While nicotinic acid has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, other forms of niacin - such as no-flush niacin - have mixed results when it comes to lowering cholesterol.
