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Just to clear some things up, if you're taking a Bcomplex (like myself) that is a B50 or B100 that's fine. You can still take niacin separately without any detrimental impact (just don't overdose with a dosage of a several grams). However, a Bcomplex is more than enough.
It's debatable but people say flushing = blood vessels becoming wider = also releasing histamine. Personally I take niacin flush 500mg before bed. Sometimes you will feel the flush, sometimes you won't. Trial and error.
I only tried it for 4 nights. Warning, that it's best to take it on a full stomach with food, or shortly thereafter. I experienced extreme irritation, itching, redness and rash-like symptoms for two nights out of the four.
Take supplements in low doses, try looking at the holistic forums to change your lifestyle and diet and pop a Bcomplex every few days.
Good luck guys.
How is a bcomplex more than enough? I thought it had the wrong type of niacin? I thought the niacinamide in bcomplex pills is supposed to be bad because it promotes aging... Also, why should you only take a bcomplex every few days?
Finally, I took niacin 300 mg two days ago and then 600 mg last night and didn't feel anything at all. Should I increase it or just keep it at 600? Thanks!
If you want the flushing effect sure, but for general maintenance a Bcomplex is fine. I don't take one everyday because it promotes laziness, 'I'm going to pop a pill to solve things'.
It's not the 'wrong' niacin, it just depends on which theory you want to go with.
Trust me, you won't feel it in the beginning but I've stopped taking niacin now - that's how bad the reaction was. I'm intending to take it with food some time in the future.
I'm sorry for reviving a really old thread but I must thank all of you who wrote in it. It really inspired me to give it a try. Thanks to no flush niacin, I am finally clear of my cystic chin acne.
I am in Australia and I am taking the following:
Nature's Own B3 - 1 tablet a day (500mg)
Blackmores Biozinc - 2 tablets a day (50mg)
Vitex (any brand) - 2000mg a day
I am so happy! 
I am telling everyone I know that it is possible to clear acne with natural supplements.
For people who have taken Nicotinamide/niacinamide and it helped clear their acne please can you tell me how long it took to take affect?
I have been taking 500mg a day for 10 weeks now with no noticable affect on my acne, bar maybe a slight drying of my skin. I will give up soon unless people think i should give it a bit longer. Does anyone think i should increase the dose or if 500g doesn't work then it means no dose will work.
Cheers.
Have taken no flush Niacin 500mg a day for about 6+months now and just finished my last pill on 2nd bottle last night. It didn't do anything for me. I am taking a b-100 complex now, so probably will not me buying niacin again. Not saying it does not work, just didnt do anything for me.
For people who have taken Nicotinamide/niacinamide and it helped clear their acne please can you tell me how long it took to take affect?
I have been taking 500mg a day for 10 weeks now with no noticable affect on my acne, bar maybe a slight drying of my skin. I will give up soon unless people think i should give it a bit longer. Does anyone think i should increase the dose or if 500g doesn't work then it means no dose will work.
Cheers.
yeah if you dont notice a change in 10 weeks, then its gonna do nothing for you. maybe you should switch it up to flush niacin and see if that helps. usually you'll see some changes within a day to a week. your pores feel tighter, skin has more glow, inflammation goes down. theres definitely a noticeable difference.
I was looking for some info on Niacin and acne, "googled" it, and this thread popped up in the search. After combing through it, there are lots of interesting ideas, theories, and thoughts within. I decided to revisit taking Niacin again just this past Wednesday. Previously, I tried Zinc again for like the 3rd time with zero results, I've shelved that idea for good. The reason I'm going the supplement route this time around, is because I started the Candida Diet at the beginning of this year, and threw in some probiotics as well. I must say that I had mixed results, not exactly clear, but much better. I figured something must be missing, so I dropped the probiotics, and am going to go with Niacin (500 mg a day - non flush). One of the interesting things I found on here, is someone mentioned they were on the Candida Diet, yet comsumed alcohol ?!?! The reason that one thing works for one person and not another might be related to diet, how much alcohol you consume, or your personal regimen, ie. soaps, cleansers, shampoos, shaving creams, topicals, antibiotics, etc. you use. Just a thought.
Gee come on guys--- this thread is all over the place.
I read the first 14 pages and the last few and saw allot of uneducated self treatments.
First off let me say I am trying Niacin now.
PLEASE when you post :
Identify the chemical type. ie I am taking 500 mg Nicotinic Acid. I got it in Walmart sold as SLO Niacin. (polygel slow release) Usher-Smith Laboratories
It gets under my skin when people here are saying something like "I got the one with the flush in it." "FLUSH" is not added. it is a side affect. So when you post you should say that you bought Niacin and then identify the chemical, dose per pill, release and maker.
If you notice, you can get Nicotinic Acid in a slow release.
However I think it is not really releasing slow since I can flush 30-60 minutes on 500 mg . These pills they say can be slit and not affect the release. I know if I take 250 mg I will not flush.
It is probably to post with only the chemical name rather than just calling it Niacin since it is confusing due to the various types.
Do not fall prey to the internet and the description of this drug. Many cut and paste so junk science gets out there.
Science tells us that Nicotinic Acid is effective for many in lowering fats in the blood and raising good Cholesterol.
It is more than likely FLUSHING has little to do with why it works. So do not worry if you do not flush.
It is more than likely that some see results for skin due to the fact there is less fat in the blood.
Now this is just speculation but the fats have to get out of the blood and if the liver can not do it it moves to the pores and thus why some have really active sebaceous glands.
So I guess the thought is that if you are reducing the fats in the blood the glands calm down.
I started taking it for my abnormally high triglycerides. It is genetic. My father and one brother has elevated levels but I am the highest. My father's doctor put him on nicotinic acid so I figured I would give it a try and hope that my skin gets the added benefit.
So far I have not seen any changes after a week but did not expect much .
Please Read this: I think many of you need to read my advice about posting since I see some poor science going on here.
Do your research: I saw someone post in this thread they took 800 mg as a jump start. WHY? Who told you it was safe? Who told you it was the right thing to do.
THESE ARE DRUGS, Drugs that can affect the liver. Do not just take things in doses with the MORE IS BETTER attitude. It can be dangerous.
JUST BECAUSE IT IS AVAILABLE OTC, DO NOT ASSUME IT IS SAFE.
Give it time: To read posts that people got results in one day, is highly suspect. I am not saying you are fibbing but it might be wishful thinking. I go through skin cycles all the time with or without being on a treatment. You should give it time before posting results. I know many of you are excited but until you go through two months or so to know if it is the chemicals/treatment or just hormones, you really can not say. Even guys like me can have good weeks and bad and for me. can have a bad break out monthly. Our hormones can spike as well. So if you can go a couple months and the SINGLE treatment is still working, it is a more realistic sign.
Stick to only one treatment:
You want an end to your nightmare, I am with you. But consider what you are doing.
My biggest complaint is that I read many posts on Acne.org that demonstrates how they are clouding their personal study.
If you are trying 4 different treatments at the same time, you have no clue to what is working.
You must stop changing diets and potions to really know if something is working.
AND if you mix and match do not post until you then remove one of the chemicals and see in a month which one was the cure or if it was the combo.
I mean a few pages back someone was using Niacin, Proactive, Tea tree oil ,ect all at one time.
There is no way to know what really was working for them if they do get results.
Everyone is different I have tried, without any long term success, high doses pantothenic acid and Bs with biotin, red/blue LED lights, Green Cream and other retinols, Nutragena Skin ID, Acne free for Roceasea, sulfur soap, Acne Free system, and when younger all the antibiotics up to the level of Accuntane. I also used/tried tea tree oil, 2.5% BP, Metro Creme and various exfoliating scrubs.
Many treatments seem to help for a short term and then stop working or never worked at all to continue them.
I have yet to find what will work for me so will keep searching , even at age 40
I have not been back to a dermo in 10 years so might want to try the newer versions of RetinA or see if lasers will help.
I read these forums to get feedback on what has worked for people or issues they have had.
Hopefully, eventually, I will figure out what works for me or my system will grow out of it.
At this stage in life I am seeing more closed comedones (white) and i have always had excess sebaceous goo in the nose pores. ) So for me, I feel if I can reduce this, then the break outs would be minimal.
I still say my triggers are anything brown or caramelized like sugar free and caffeine free brown sodas or black coffee. I know what will cause me to get cystic acne that lasts for weeks and I can drink all the clear soda I want and not break out. I have narrowed it down to the brown liquids .
However on a daily basis I still have clogged pores and over active sebaceous glands that cause large pores and these eventual larger break outs if I have one of my trigger foods.
There are soooo many different responses on this, but its giving me hope on clearing red marks. I order "Puritans Pride 500 MG FLUSH FREE NIACIN INOSITOL HEXANICOTINATE RAPID RELEASE" Is this the stuff people have been having success with, or should I go straight for no flush niacinamide, or try the no flush niacin IH and see what it does?
I too swear by Niacin, in the skin flushing form, as an acne cure.
I started taking a substance about 10 years ago called nutritional yeast in place of a multi vitamin.
Suddenly, my skin started clearing up. From that point on, I was hooked on the stuff for my skin woes only it's really high in calories because you need such high doses. So I did some research and started trying the vitamins in this substance in their solo forms.
Basically it's tons of B vitamins. It's a complete protein and each volume is 50% protein so if you take 50 grams, 25 grams of it is complete protein and around 150 calories.
The MAJOR drawback.
The doses necessary to clear the skin are MASSIVE. A no sugar diet and 1200 calories of yeast a day?
It's quite a compromise for clear skin when the side effect is getting fat. The doses of yeast necessary to wipe out the acne were half the daily allowance of calories for my body's metabolism.
So after a while of heavy doses, my skin was good and clear and I was able to drop back to 1 daily 150 calorie serving as a maintenance dose, have refined sugar treats which were all the worst on my skin and I was remaining clean and clear. Wiped out black heads, pimples and cysts.
But, it was also expensive.
So I continued trying the vitamins in their solo forms, including skin flushing niacin but it didn't seem to work just like the Riboflavin didn't work, the B-12 didn't work, the Folic Acid etc. etc. etc.
I had however noticed a couple years later kids I knew taking niacin for their piss tests, clearing up severe acne. Far worse acne than mine in fact.
So here I am all these years later, back on the yeast and still suffering from acne since I can't handle the massive doses(which don't work like they used to anyway) and I came across this thread. One of the other great cures I found that always works is a lot of sun. The UV kills the acne and improves skin health tremendously. But, I can't get sun year round and a lot of sun just isn't good for you, even with UV blocking lotion.
So I thought you know what, those kids taking niacin were worried about failing their piss tests and taking HUGE doses of it. Maybe I just wasn't taking enough and since my body has had years of the yeast, I'm certainly accustom to large doses.
So 3 days ago I started taking 1 gram a day. I take 1 pill in the morning, 1 pill at night.
Immediate clear up!
It's a lot but as I said, I've been on the alternative source for years. I hardly get any flushing at all and contrary to 6+ years ago, finding the straight forward Niacin is difficult. Now everyone sells niacinamide and other processed forms of it that do nothing and I know because I've tried them. I had to settle for the pricey GNC stuff that's about 6 bucks more than you could buy the same stuff about half a decade ago.
After I am good and clear, I will reduce to 500mgs a day and continue to step it down. Combined with a low sugar and low oil diet, I am certain this time the niacin will work since I'm slamming myself with a higher dosage.
If you're worried about the strain on your liver and other organs or toxic build up, I recommend doing cycles. 3-4 days of 1 gram a day taken in two doses then take 2 days off and drink a lot of distilled water. That will flush you right out and if you're like myself then you already drink a lot of water though personally, I drink distilled water for a multitude of reasons including it's lack of fluoride.
Give the large dose cycle method a try, I am confident it will clear your skin and for the guy who it worked for but still has black heads...you're gonna have to dig them out dude but after that the pores should remain uninfected and shrink up.
So your saying you have had excellent success with the flush type of niacin? How many Mgs are you taking daily? Also what form of niacin are you taking? inositol hexaniacinate or pure niacin?
Pure niacin and I'm at 1 gram a day taken in 2 doses. The other forms in my experience do nothing.
Pharmacological doses range from 1.5 grams up to 9 grams a day and of course, have been known to produce adverse side effects. I think if your acne is really severe, taking a starter dosage of 1-2 grams should still be just fine though. Once you see results, which I would think will show in as little as 3-5 days, you can reduce to 1 gram a day taken in 2 doses and eventually reduce to what is called a maintenance dosage which I doubt would be any lower than 250mg once a day much further down the road of recovery.
I don't think taking 2 grams of niacin a day for 7 days would do permanent damage, if any, but there is of course a risk since it's a concentrated vitamin.
Everyone freaks out about what is safe and the biggest joke ever, the recommended daily allowances which are all based on absolutely no scientific studies or blood analysis. The FDA literally sits down and just guesses. If these claims were remotely accurate, it can be assumed that countless foods would have us reaching toxic levels of numerous vitamins because many contain a few hundred percent of the claimed recommended allowance.
In this case however, we do have conclusive data on Niacin and based on that information, it's a reasonable assumption that high doses for a few days in the average sized male adult to get started and shock the system, shouldn't cause worry. You should just watch your skin color and condition closely and of course, the high dosage is used temporary.
I've been taking 1 gram in 2 doses for about 5 days now. My skin is definitely clearing up and my pores are shrinking. I've gone to squeeze a few problem areas and the infection is being cured well enough that my immune system is breaking down the puss that causes pimples, black heads and zits and they simply wouldn't burst. They're being absorbed by my immune system and the pores are sealing up. I'm showing a tiny bit of dryness, which can be expected because I believe the niacin is bonding with the sebum the acne feeds off of and we are either burning it off or storing it as fat. It's not a matter of detoxing the skin as people are so foolishly lead to believe these days. The constant talk of antioxidants and their claimed effects is a delusion caused by marketing schemes. As if our bodies are just raging with these toxins and they're killing us silently, it's absolute nonsense. If acne were so easily resolved from a good antioxidant, eating apple skins or about a thousand other natural antioxidants would wipe it right out.
I believe the niacin is simply bonding with the oils, fats and proteins the glands turn into what is called sebum which the bacteria feeds on. It's why the skin gets dry. We're simply starving the bacteria to death. It's obvious to me that the bacteria does not simply feed off the sebum but specific content added to the sebum through our diets. For me, it's strong sugars and certain oils.
Another treatment that worked great for me was running a space heater all night. Get the room dry and about 100 degrees F. 8 hours of that every night dried me out radically but it also stopped me from breaking out even after feasting on refined sugar products which generally break me out beyond tolerance. But who the hell can withstand that or even sleep through it?
I no longer can.
So give the pure niacin a shot.
I had to go with the GNC 500 mg 100 pill count from Rite Aid for a bit over 8 bucks a bottle.
Nobody else seems to have it unless you hit a Ma and Pa health food store.
Ive been on a gram for almost a week. The flush really doesnt bother me. Lasts about 30 mins and I dont have an issue with laziness. Just curious if its ok health wise to be on a gram, as the bottle says no more than 500mg a day without a drs order. I read what Johnnydeath said above.
So, after hearing about niacin working for acne, I went out and bought a bottle. I got the Flush-Free version (Inositol Hexanicotinate) that everyone seems to be having good luck with.
It's been 48 hours and i'm already seeing results. Breakouts are starting to clear up and I haven't had any new ones, but my face is very tight and dry now! Did this happen to anyone else? Does it eventually away?
It's the same sort of dryness that I experienced when I first started using BP...and I even have the random dry patches back. Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to moisturize like crazy if it continues to work for me, but i'm just wondering.
I didn't bother to read through all 36 pages of this thread and only read a few posts but some of the early ones contradict my success. I use what the guy in the previous post said he bought, Flush Free Niacin (Inositol Hexanicotinate).
I began taking this October of 2009 and immediately noticed results. I made several changes at once and I wasn't sure if it was the Niacin that was helping or not. Long story short, It has been a year now and my skin has never been better and I know it is the Niacin. I have to take one 500 mg pill a day, and at roughly the same time every day. If I skip a day, I will get a couple very small pimples. They never fully develop and I sometimes add an extra dose to make them go away quicker. At one point I stopped taking it for roughly a week and I broke out badly. I'm 27 years old.
That is my experience. I still have yet to ask a doctor about it. I'm young, have never had a blood test. I'd like to ask a doctor and get a blood test so I know it's ok for my liver. The bottle says nothing about time release which is supposed to be bad for the liver but it is flush free so I do worry.
I've never taken the flush version because flush free obviously works. It's funny that some people say it must be the flush version cause it opens your capillaries and stuff, haha. Ok, you take the flush kind then.
Hope this helps some people, like I said it has been a year and has been working great. I also use PanOxyl face wash usually. I don't notice a difference when I don't use it for a few days but I usually use it regularly, might be worth noting...
Does anyone else think that the reason for Niacin's success is from its ability to lower ldl cholesterol and raise hdl (good cholesterol), I have been taking niacin with pantethine (also shown to be beneficial in managing cholesterol) and my oil production on my face has decreased significantly. I attribute this to niacin and pantethines ability to better breakdown triglycerides and fats within our body, imo that severe oiliness and acne is the bodies way of trying to manage its cholesterol levels.
This study shows a link between low HDL (good cholesterol) levels and cystic acne http://jhs.pharm.or.jp/data/53%285%29/53_596.pdf
Does anyone else think that the reason for Niacin's success is from its ability to lower ldl cholesterol and raise hdl (good cholesterol), I have been taking niacin with pantethine (also shown to be beneficial in managing cholesterol) and my oil production on my face has decreased significantly. I attribute this to niacin and pantethines ability to better breakdown triglycerides and fats within our body, imo that severe oiliness and acne is the bodies way of trying to manage its cholesterol levels.
This study shows a link between low HDL (good cholesterol) levels and cystic acne http://jhs.pharm.or.jp/data/53%285%29/53_596.pdf
I think that truly healthy people generally have higher HDL levels and lower than normal LDL, and most healthy people have less acne simply because they are healthy. High cholesterol is a marker of other health problems which may contribute to acne; the cholesterol itself might not be the cause.