For all those worried about the flush i would definetly say that they should try the non flush version BUT having said this, your body will eventaully get used to the flush and stop producing that effect. I take one 500mg niacin everyday and it now only gives me a very faint flush because i'm used to it now.
Its weird but you do kind of miss your face going bright red (and i also miss the effect it had on my eyes where it made the colour a different shade of blue)
I don't think the flush is what helps with acne, despite what the OP claims. I read somewhere that increased bloodflow means increased sebum production, which will just lead to more acne. Look on the previous page; someone posted a bunch of studies showing that a kind of non-flush niacin (niacinamide/nicotinamide) is effective at preventing acne. Yesterday I got a flush around my nose from eating a food I might be allergic to, and that area started itching/breaking out.
The way I see it is, B3 is B3. If you need it, both flush and non-flush are going to give it to you. Niacin (flush) is a less messed-with compound, it's more 'raw,' if you will. Niacin has been changed into niacinamide/nicotinamide so that people can get their B3 without the regular B3 effects - this is basically just for marketing. That's why I've chosen straight Niacin. I personally don't trust what people do to things, especially when it's just for cosmetic purposes.
Niacin can help control LDL levels, but as far as acne goes it has several potentially bad side-effects. Your body converts it to niacinamide anyways; niacin is NOT "more natural"--don't buy your supplements based on superstitions or gut feelings, do some research first. The "messed-with" compound is called inositol hexanicotinate, which is what you usually find in drug stores as non-flush niacin.
That experience was so intense. After doing a 500 im going to cut the pill in half and do 250 then work my way back up to the 500 again. My flush was from hell, after it i felt nauseous and really uncomfortable kinda like a mini hangover. I didn't think it was gonna be such a big deal just to start at 500mg when I have heard of people who are 18 popping 4 of those at once. I realize how crazy they actually are now and how horrible that must have been. I don't regret it though, I feel like it allready has helped my skin and I feel good. I also take: D3, fish oil, zinc 50, vitamin A 8,000. I feel like all these help a little. I got DIM and Pantothenic acid 500mg on the way.
Niacin can help control LDL levels, but as far as acne goes it has several potentially bad side-effects. Your body converts it to niacinamide anyways; niacin is NOT "more natural"--don't buy your supplements based on superstitions or gut feelings, do some research first. The "messed-with" compound is called inositol hexanicotinate, which is what you usually find in drug stores as non-flush niacin.
OK, then do you have anything I can read about it?
heres some links to read on niacin
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/NIACIN-CO...ED-t250630.html
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/...MIDE+VITAMIN+B3
Okay...I posted a few weeks ago how wonderful this has been working for me. I have now been on it for just over a month and the last two days I have started to break out. Honestly I don't have severe acne but I do have oily skin with tons of blackheads, and get 5-6 cystic acne sores a month (which take forever to heal so I'm never completely clear.
Yesterday I woke up with 3 papules, one giant one, and an oil slick I can't shake. Nothing in my regimen has changed at all. I noticed the last few days when applying my lotion (ponds b3 clariant for oily skin) was too greasy. Since using niacin, this lotion never felt moisturizing enough and I avoided over moisturizing. My diet has been the same as well (I'm on a strict one) but I must say I have really slacked on my water intake this last week. I'm going to get back on it and hope that lack of water has been the culprit!
Its all I can do to not pop the giant papule which has a whitehead now and is almost as big as a cyst and it popped up on my chin where those cysts frequent.
I'll check back if my skin gets better or worse with more water intake.
Okay...I posted a few weeks ago how wonderful this has been working for me. I have now been on it for just over a month and the last two days I have started to break out. Honestly I don't have severe acne but I do have oily skin with tons of blackheads, and get 5-6 cystic acne sores a month (which take forever to heal so I'm never completely clear.
From my experience and from tons of discussions with others here, I believe that cysts tend to be caused by some form of food intolerance. I think they are delayed-response immune responses involving other anti-bodies besides the IgE antibodies that cause the immediate reactions that are all most doctors and tests are concerned with.
Because cysts take so long to come and go, it can be hard to tell if something you ate caused them, especially if it's a really common food. I always had cysts too. I figured out the food that caused mine by accident, thanks to a coworker who had the same intolerance but otherwise had perfect skin so could make the connection. I unfortunately, has grotesquely oily skin and all kinds of acne besides the cysts.
You could try following a very hypoallergenic diet for at least a month, then methodically add foods back in to figure out yours. More info here: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...t&p=2574130
I must second the cyst-intolerance connection. I never got cysts until I was around 18 or so, when I tried to eat healthier by consuming more fruits to treat my pustular/papular acne, and then all of a sudden I started to get really bad cystic acne! I had about 2 oranges a day. I eventually started to notice the connection, and then my own allergic reactions towards oranges, and cutting them out eliminated my back acne (even though I had an extensive topical regimen that kept me mostly clear, I was still getting the occasional cyst on my back.) Most foods that people are allergic too are also not so healthy anyway, so it'd be a worth a shot taking on a hypoallergenic diet. Even when I took guggul, which cleared up most of my facial cystic acne, I still got my back acne. Diet/lifestyle is what keeps me clear, topicals and supplements just add a nice boost, but they can't replace diet/lifestyle.
I hope you find success in treating your cystic acne, it truly is a pain to deal with. Good luck happyfacelady!
Also, I've tried niacin in the past for about two weeks, I didn't make any real difference in the long run, but the whole flushing effect was kind of neat 
I've been taking this stress-b complex
Vitamin C: 500 mgVitamin E: 30 IU
Thiamin: 10 mg
Riboflavin: 10 mg
Niacin (niacinamide): 100 mg
B6: 5 mg
Folic Acid: 400 mcg
B12: 12 mcg
Biotin: 45 mcg
Pantothenic Acid: 20 mg
Zinc: 24 mg
Copper: 3 mg
twice a day for a week or two and I really think it's making a difference. I am not breaking out at all; occasionally I'll get a single spot (usually when I eat excessive sugar or stay up too late). There are no side effects besides bright yellow-green urine.
for me alof of that white cream filling seems to bother my skin.like the white filling in devil dogs or cookies etc.so i cut those out.i do take niacin just about everyday 500mg non flush it really seems to help.does anyone think 500mg a day of niacin is to much or is this ok?I read someplace that niacin drys up oil glands wish i couild find where i read that.good luck everyone i hope your skin clears up cause acne really sucks.
Hello
I bought my first bottle of Niacin B3 yesterday, last night I took x1 100mg and had no flush. This morning I took 200mg at once and got the flush 20 minutes later. Started with my ears getting hot, then I felt a bit prickly, my chest was so red and blotchy and my face looked like it was sun burnt. Awesome! Only lasted half an hour.
Does anyone know how long you have to take this before you see any effects?
Also I'm listing the supplements I currently take, is there anything missing that you guys recommend?
50mg Zinc
400mg Vitamin E
500mg Pantathenic Acid B5
Evening Primrose Oil
Picture: FLUSH!
hi abi. i am glad you are taking up the cavemen diet.
for your question
i could recommend as such
1. Acetyl L-Carnitine & Alpha Lipoic Acid : potent Antioxidants good for the skin and body. fruits may have but might be too low to be any observable effect
2. Fish Oils for Omega-3 Fats.
3. Vit A. I take 10,000 IU x2 per day. It helps to keep my oil at bay.
4. Magnesium. Doesn't know whether it helps but been taking it regularly. Having it doesn't gives me sore aches after a long sleep.
@abigailwheeler.
hi abi. i am glad you are taking up the cavemen diet.
for your question
i could recommend as such
1. Acetyl L-Carnitine & Alpha Lipoic Acid : potent Antioxidants good for the skin and body. fruits may have but might be too low to be any observable effect
2. Fish Oils for Omega-3 Fats.
3. Vit A. I take 10,000 IU x2 per day. It helps to keep my oil at bay.
4. Magnesium. Doesn't know whether it helps but been taking it regularly. Having it doesn't gives me sore aches after a long sleep.
Thanks for the tips! I heard that milk of magnesium is good, also I read everywhere that Vitamin A is great for skin and considering I can't afford red meat, I eat lots of spinnach and carrots to make up for it.
Are you also on the caveman diet? I am finding it SO hard, I don't know what carbs are OK to eat so I am losing weight but too scared to eat anything that has gluten because of my skin, can you help? (sorry I know this question has nothing to do with Niacin)
In a few weeks the niacin should start to work.where did you get niacin 100mg?Ive only seen it in 500mg and 250mg.stay away from dairy I seem to have better luck when I dont eat cheese and ice cream but seems like alot of good foods have cheese.also you can get niacin in flush free.
In a few weeks the niacin should start to work.where did you get niacin 100mg?Ive only seen it in 500mg and 250mg.stay away from dairy I seem to have better luck when I dont eat cheese and ice cream but seems like alot of good foods have cheese.also you can get niacin in flush free.
It's from a health shop called Holland and Barretts (I'm in England). I suppose it's good becaue I can slowly increase the dose. What do you recommend for dosage? Is 200mg morning 200mg night too much?
Yeah I have cut dairy too. I miss pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches SO FRICKIN MUCH!!
I started my niacin at 100mg at night, then upped it to 100mg in the morning, 200mg at night, and have upped it again to 200mg in the morning and 300mg at night. The flushes are getting easier to deal with. It's definitely way worse if I don't eat much first. How much is everyone else taking?
yeah I got a flush from the time released niacin 250mg it was pretty bad.I got really red and also i got really hot it lasted about 20 min but it wasnt flush free.I think 200mg in the am and then 200 mg at night is ok.But you may want to do 200mg for a few weeks just in the am to see how it goes im guessing its not the flush free kind?I cant seems to fnd flush free niacin thats under 500mg if anyone know of one let me know..I was taking 500mg flush free but then after a while I lower it to 250mg for a while but the flush from the 250mg one was pretty bad it was stagne i got a flush like 7 hours after I took it but it was time released.Anyone ever get a flush and get hot at the same time?Also yes eat something before you take it.
Just to let you know I found a 250mg flush free niacin by now.This is good since alot of people only want to take 250mg at a time.I found another one also thats flush free I will post the links.
http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/M003515.htm
Came across something interesting: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/acne-cure...ce-t299107.html
Short version: A company is claiming to have identified the cause of acne as sebum viscosity. When we reach puberty, hormone production increases, and steroid hormones (like testosterone) are related to cholesterol. They say that our bodies also start to produce more lipids (I'm assuming this means LDLs) and triglycerides, which increases the viscosity of our sebum and starts to clog pores more. Therefore, if you can target the liver to stop producing lipids, sebum viscosity should decrease and our pores will clog less.
It seems like they're withholding the active ingredient in their "cure" because they are trying to patent it, but it's pretty clear that they're describing niacin (funny that we discovered it first). Even if they aren't, it explains why niacin seems to be beneficial to acne--niacin raises HDL levels while lowering LDLs, VLDLs, and triglycerides. It also raises growth hormone, although I'm not sure if that would affect acne at all.
pegz: What do you mean by temporarily? Yes, the flush will start to wear off after continued use, but fortunately the flush has nothing to do with healing your acne and is just an inconvenient side effect. You can even take aspirin half an hour before taking the niacin to reduce the flushing.
http://drbenkim.com/healthy-blood-circulation-ms.htm
Maybe this is why Niacin helps in general.
B3 didn't work for me thgh.