Three Day Niacin Flush

[Sweatshop Toad]

Lately, whenever I take regular niacin (not niacinamide) I've begun exhibiting some very unusual symptoms. In addition to the immediate flush, I find that I'll also experience a less intense (about 50% the strength) flush periodically for the next few days at random intervals. Additionally, I also suffer extreme lethargy, depression, and an overall loss of vigor for the duration of this three day period until my body slowly recovers.

In all my years of combing the Peat forums, Reddit, et cetera I've not once encountered someone who reacts the same. As it may help with your diagnosis I'm suffering from a brutal SIFO/SIBO infestation and am now extremely intolerant to most foods and anything with histamine or that releases histamine. My gut is always a sliding scale of bloated ranging from the first to third trimester depending on what I've eaten that day. Brain fog is debilitating, for the past two years I've been joking that I feel like Joe Biden and my brains are presidential now. Diagnosed with autism/Asperger's by my pediatrician at age 7. Also as it may be related I'm 30 and have had an enlarged prostate/prostatitis since about 20.

If anyone else has been in a similar situation or has a theory for why this might be happening, I'd be most grateful to hear your take on the matter. I think it's some kind of histamine thing.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Lately, whenever I take regular niacin (not niacinamide) I've begun exhibiting some very unusual symptoms. In addition to the immediate flush, I find that I'll also experience a less intense (about 50% the strength) flush periodically for the next few days at random intervals. Additionally, I also suffer extreme lethargy, depression, and an overall loss of vigor for the duration of this three day period until my body slowly recovers.

In all my years of combing the Peat forums, Reddit, et cetera I've not once encountered someone who reacts the same. As it may help with your diagnosis I'm suffering from a brutal SIFO/SIBO infestation and am now extremely intolerant to most foods and anything with histamine or that releases histamine. My gut is always a sliding scale of bloated ranging from the first to third trimester depending on what I've eaten that day. Brain fog is debilitating, for the past two years I've been joking that I feel like Joe Biden and my brains are presidential now. Diagnosed with autism/Asperger's by my pediatrician at age 7. Also as it may be related I'm 30 and have had an enlarged prostate/prostatitis since about 20.

If anyone else has been in a similar situation or has a theory for why this might be happening, I'd be most grateful to hear your take on the matter. I think it's some kind of histamine thing.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Why are you not taking niacin-amide instead? Ray peat says niacin is too stressful.

Here are a couple of threads to comb through that I have collected good info to hopefully help with your depression…

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

"In 1957 James McConnell discovered that when flatworms were fed other flatworms that had been trained, their performance was improved by 50%, compared with normal flatworms. Later, similar experiments were done with rats and fish, showing that tissue extracts from trained animals modified the...

raypeatforum.com

Darkness & Light & Madness

"Seasons are more important, the farther a person is from the equator. In studies conducted in Leningrad, in the extreme north, the mitochondria (which use oxygen to produce most of our energy) of rabbits were examined at hourly intervals during a long winter night, and early in the night they...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Why are you not taking niacin-amide instead? Ray peat says niacin is too stressful.

Here are a couple of threads to comb through that I have collected good info to hopefully help with your depression…

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

"In 1957 James McConnell discovered that when flatworms were fed other flatworms that had been trained, their performance was improved by 50%, compared with normal flatworms. Later, similar experiments were done with rats and fish, showing that tissue extracts from trained animals modified the...

raypeatforum.com

Darkness & Light & Madness

"Seasons are more important, the farther a person is from the equator. In studies conducted in Leningrad, in the extreme north, the mitochondria (which use oxygen to produce most of our energy) of rabbits were examined at hourly intervals during a long winter night, and early in the night they...

raypeatforum.com

I know Ray recommends niacinamide over the regular kind, but I had an old bottle of the latter lying around and I hate wasting money so I figured I’d burn through it before buying more amide. And if I’m being honest, it’s also my inner scientist trying to figure out what’s happening in my body that would elicit such an extreme reaction

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I know Ray recommends niacinamide over the regular kind, but I had an old bottle of the latter lying around and I hate wasting money so I figured I’d burn through it before buying more amide. And if I’m being honest, it’s also my inner scientist trying to figure out what’s happening in my body that would elicit such an extreme reaction

I remember taking niacin for the first time, and it was unbearable! My mom said it was good for me and that the flush was normal so I put myself through it time and time again. I would even make it a daring challenge to do when friends came over! I guess it was a “good girl” version of a drug party! Anyways the flush did get less and less as time went on, either because my body was getting use to it or because it wasn’t needing it, so it is interesting that yours lasts to the next day. Mine only lasted maybe 20 minutes.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

I remember taking niacin for the first time, and it was unbearable! My mom said it was good for me and that the flush was normal so I put myself through it time and time again. I would even make it a daring challenge to do when friends came over! I guess it was a “good girl” version of a drug party! Anyways the flush did get less and less as time went on, either because my body was getting use to it or because it wasn’t needing it, so it is interesting that yours lasts to the next day. Mine only lasted maybe 20 minutes.

I can tolerate the flush just fine, especially as someone coming from the “no pain no gain” discipline of health. I’m just puzzled about why my body has such a resoundingly negative response to the niacin, and why it makes me flush on and off for nearly 72 hours

 

[Adf]

Perhaps it depletes some other mineral or nutrient in your system?

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

Perhaps it depletes some other mineral or nutrient in your system?

Now that’s an interesting take, I’ll do some research on niacin and nutrient depletion.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I can tolerate the flush just fine, especially as someone coming from the “no pain no gain” discipline of health. I’m just puzzled about why my body has such a resoundingly negative response to the niacin, and why it makes me flush on and off for nearly 72 hours

I am gonna guess it’s a stress response.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

I am gonna guess it’s a stress response.

I’ve long suspected myself of having MCAS since I’ve also got Ehlers Danlos and they’re typically comorbid so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a mast cell thing.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I’ve long suspected myself of having MCAS since I’ve also got Ehlers Danlos and they’re typically comorbid so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a mast cell thing.

For years I dealt with histamine intolerance, which now is either under control or gone, but I know any supplements made it worse, or possibly even created it, except for nettle, which helped it. I gave supplements up and my health is the best it has ever been for it.

Slippery Slope SUPPLEMENTS

"When a person uses a drug, there is generally an awareness that the benefit has to be weighed against the side effects. But if something is treated as a “nutrient,” especially an “essential nutrient,” there is an implication that it won't produce undesirable side effects." -Ray Peat I have...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

For years I dealt with histamine intolerance, which now is either under control or gone, but I know any supplements made it worse, or possibly even created it, except for nettle, which helped it. I gave supplements up and my health is the best it has ever been for it.

Slippery Slope SUPPLEMENTS

"When a person uses a drug, there is generally an awareness that the benefit has to be weighed against the side effects. But if something is treated as a “nutrient,” especially an “essential nutrient,” there is an implication that it won't produce undesirable side effects." -Ray Peat I have...

raypeatforum.com

Interesting you should mention nettle. I used to drink nettle tea in the morning for my allergies and I noticed whenever I did it made me absolutely exhausted, just like Benadryl. Do you experience a similar symptom?

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Interesting you should mention nettle. I used to drink nettle tea in the morning for my allergies and I noticed whenever I did it made me absolutely exhausted, just like Benadryl. Do you experience a similar symptom?

No I did not have that happen at all.

 

[tallglass13]

Ray had said that Niacin flush releases a bunch of Serotonin from the capillaries, as well as a bunch of Histamine. It seems all those negative feelings you are having is from whole lot of Serotonin released into your system.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

Ray had said that Niacin flush releases a bunch of Serotonin from the capillaries, as well as a bunch of Histamine. It seems all those negative feelings you are having is from whole lot of Serotonin released into your system.

Makes sense, I’ve been having serotonin problems for years due to my SIBO/SIFO. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

No I did not have that happen at all.

What were you supplementing? Is dropping them the only change you made to resolve your histamine intolerance?

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

What were you supplementing? Is dropping them the only change you made to resolve your histamine intolerance?

No I also discover fluoride was a contributor. So I bought a gravity filter and quit using toothpaste.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

No I also discover fluoride was a contributor. So I bought a gravity filter and quit using toothpaste.

I’ve actually tried getting off toothpaste but whenever I do my teeth begin rapidly deteriorating until I use it again. What sort of toothpaste alternative do you use?

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I’ve actually tried getting off toothpaste but whenever I do my teeth begin rapidly deteriorating until I use it again. What sort of toothpaste alternative do you use?

Oil pulling, with coconut oil, for a few to ten or 15 minutes is my usual bedtime routine, and morning I will use a little baking soda or this homemade one.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I’ve actually tried getting off toothpaste but whenever I do my teeth begin rapidly deteriorating until I use it again. What sort of toothpaste alternative do you use?

My histamine issues were so bad that on the last two occasions I used it, one time the inside of my mouth broke out tons of blisters using “Crest Pro-Health” toothpaste, which I had never used before, and the next time, months later, when I got the courage to try toothpaste again, I tried “Arm & Hammer” for kids and I woke up with Angiodema”, with my tongue swollen out of my mouth and the bottom half of my face and lips swollen twice their normal size.

 

[Sweatshop Toad]

My histamine issues were so bad that on the last two occasions I used it, one time the inside of my mouth broke out tons of blisters using “Crest Pro-Health” toothpaste, which I had never used before, and the next time, months later, when I got the courage to try toothpaste again, I tried “Arm & Hammer” for kids and I woke up with Angiodema”, with my tongue swollen out of my mouth and the bottom half of my face and lips swollen twice their normal size.

Wow, and I thought I was bad. It’s amazing that all you had to do was quit the supplements/fluoride to resolve it. I’ve got my own weird reaction to heat where whenever the radiator turns on in the winter I get wiped out with fatigue and brain fog until I cool down for a while. Hot showers do the same thing to me.