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To: Ken Adams who wrote (3851)	3/2/2009 10:30:44 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 39304

Are you taking the SloNiacin brand? Yes I am. Only one to take, IMO. . If you mean you are taking "Inositol Hexanicotinate," take as much as you want, because it doesn't work. That's why it's called "no flush," because it "no works." Any effect you think you are getting from it is "placebo," IMO. I have never seen Dr Davis so vehement about a product. He constantly runs into patients who take it, have no effect from it, switch over to SloNiacin, and have good results. Niacin is best taken once a day, because that way it only hits the liver once a day. Anybody on it should get the standard liver blood tests at least once a year. Davis's thinking is that the results over 1000 mg a day decline as you go up, and he recommends higher doses than 1000mg mainly for those with Lp(a).

To: Ken Adams who wrote (3851)	3/2/2009 11:04:57 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39304

Another comment from a TYP poster: Slo-Niacin is a brand name of a particular formulation of nicontinic acid, manufactured by Upsher-Smith. It is available at many large retailers, including Costco and online at various sources. It is a form of extended or sustained release niacin, which means that the product doesn't dissolve all at once when swallowed, but instead "slowly" releases the nicontinic acid. This slow or extended release is designed to minimize the flushing effect, while also delivering the only real form of niacin (nicotinic acid) which affects lipids beneficially. This is to be contrasted with "flush free" niacin, which has NO EFFECT on lipids, certainly no beneficial effect. Flush free niacin is usually made of Inositol Hexanicotinate, which is a different form of niacin, which does not exert the same beneficial effects as Nicontinic Acid. There are two major forms of ER, or extended release niacin: Non-prescription "Slo-Niacin" (again, that's a brand name from Upsher Smith Labs), and Niaspan (also a brand name). Niaspan is a prescription form of ER nicontinic acid. Both Slo-Niacin and Niaspan use only nicontinic acid. The release mechanicsm which cause the extended release are slightly different in each, but functionally, the two are the same. Slo-Niacin is relatively inexpensive, about $15 for a bottle of 150 tablets of 500 mg, whereas a prescription for a 30-day supply of Niaspan is around $100 -$150 depending on the pharmacy you get it filled at. Again, functionally there is no difference, although some people have different experiences with the amount of flush and the time of the release with each product. Also, both Slo-Niacin and Niaspan will definitely induce a "flushing" feeling. It's just a more mild form of flushing than you'd get if you took IR ("Immediate Release") Nicotinic Acid. It is the "flush" which let's you know that niacin (nicotinic acid) is working. No-flush niacin is, according to Dr. Davis, not only a complete waste of money, but dangerous, because many people don't know the difference between Inositol Hexanicotinate and Nicontinc Acid, and they think they're getting a benefit from the no-flush products, when in reality they are not. So in that sense it's the worst of all possible outcomes-- no benefit, but people are lulled into a false sense of security that they are doing the right thing, when in fact they aren't and thus their CAD continues unabated and unaffected by the flush-free products. If you want to waste your money and time, then take the "flush-free" products. If you want to get the benefits of niacin, then take a nicotinic acid product only. If IR ("Immediate Release") niacin in the form of plain old nicotinic acid gives you a flush you cannot tolerlate, then try Slo-Niacin or Niaspan, which lessen, but do not entirely eliminate the flushing.