Why Do I Get A Flush With Niacinamide?

[FocusedOnHealth]

I‘ve been taking niacinamide in small doses. I break up a 250 mg pill into 4 parts and take it in divided times throughout the day. So that’s 62.5 per dose. Yet I still get a flush with it. I thought that was only supposed to happen with Niacin, but not niacinamide?

Any thoughts?

 

[aguilaroja]

... I still get a flush with it. I thought that was only supposed to happen with Niacin, but not niacinamide?

Any thoughts?

Niacinamide flush is not unheard of, but it is very uncommon.
I have met a few people who experienced it. Similar to your experience, the flushing reaction occured even with small amounts.

Flush from "regular" niaicin, and the "long acting" (i.e. waxed tablet) regular niacin are common. I also know people who got flush reactions from the "no-flush" inositol form (hexanicotinate).

I know no generalizations about how it happens, or its remedy. With the flushing from plain niacin, people have tried a bit of aspirin, or very slowly increasing the amount to tolerance.

In the few niacinamide flush situations I know of, people simply moved on without niacinamide. If they were searching for a nutrient effect, they changed to something else.

In these few cases, I doubled checked and encouraged people to use a different niacinamide capsule or powder. They each got the same flush with multiple niacinamide preparations, so it does not seem to be an excipient causing the trouble.

 

[PeskyPeater]

bad batch, happened to me. I got niacin instead of niacinamide.

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Niacinamide flush is not unheard of, but it is very uncommon.
I have met a few people who experienced it. Similar to your experience, the flushing reaction occured even with small amounts.

Flush from "regular" niaicin, and the "long acting" (i.e. waxed tablet) regular niacin are common. I also know people who got flush reactions from the "no-flush" inositol form (hexanicotinate).

I know no generalizations about how it happens, or its remedy. With the flushing from plain niacin, people have tried a bit of aspirin, or very slowly increasing the amount to tolerance.

In the few niacinamide flush situations I know of, people simply moved on without niacinamide. If they were searching for a nutrient effect, they changed to something else.

In these few cases, I doubled checked and encouraged people to use a different niacinamide capsule or powder. They each got the same flush with multiple niacinamide preparations, so it does not seem to be an excipient causing the trouble.

So maybe try a little aspirin at the same time I take the niacinamide dose?

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

bad batch, happened to me. I got niacin instead of niacinamide.

I’m using KAL brand Niacinamide 250 mg.

 

[PeskyPeater]

I’m using KAL brand Niacinamide 250 mg.

no idea. I always use a powder from company that you can request a COA from.

The mechanism and mitigation of niacin-induced flushing - PubMed

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

So I took a 1/2 of a 325 mg aspirin tablet with my 3rd dose of niacinamide (62.5 mg) and so far, no flush. Maybe that’s the trick.

I also took it with a glass of o.j.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

Oh yeah I've experienced the same thing happen all the time:
It can happen of you are depleted in methyl groups. Test your B12 or maybe betaine is low etc.

Excess nicotinamide increases plasma serotonin and histamine levels
"Methylation, a methyl group-consuming reaction, plays a key role in the degradation (i.e., inactivation) of monoamine neurotransmitters, including catecholamines, serotonin and histamine. Without labile methyl groups, the methylation-mediated degradation cannot take place. Although high niacin (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) intake, which is very common nowadays, is known to deplete the body's methyl-group pool, its effect on monoamine-neurotransmitter degradation is not well understood.

The results showed that the plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide level and the urinary excretion of 2-Py significantly increased after oral loading with 100 mg nicotinamide, which was accompanied with a decrease in the methyl-group donor betaine. Compared with those before nicotinamide load, five-hour postload plasma serotonin and histamine levels significantly increased. These results suggest that excess nicotinamide can disturb monoamine-neurotransmitter metabolism."

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Oh yeah I've experienced the same thing happen all the time:
It can happen of you are depleted in methyl groups. Test your B12 or maybe betaine is low etc.

Excess nicotinamide increases plasma serotonin and histamine levels
"Methylation, a methyl group-consuming reaction, plays a key role in the degradation (i.e., inactivation) of monoamine neurotransmitters, including catecholamines, serotonin and histamine. Without labile methyl groups, the methylation-mediated degradation cannot take place. Although high niacin (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) intake, which is very common nowadays, is known to deplete the body's methyl-group pool, its effect on monoamine-neurotransmitter degradation is not well understood.

The results showed that the plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide level and the urinary excretion of 2-Py significantly increased after oral loading with 100 mg nicotinamide, which was accompanied with a decrease in the methyl-group donor betaine. Compared with those before nicotinamide load, five-hour postload plasma serotonin and histamine levels significantly increased. These results suggest that excess nicotinamide can disturb monoamine-neurotransmitter metabolism."

Well so far, the 1/2 an aspirin taken at the same time with the 1/4 portion of my niacinamide, is working to keep the flush at bay. That seems to help. I am also more consistantly taking a raw B vitamin complex with it, to balance out the other B’s. But probably testing my B12 status is a good thing.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

Well so far, the 1/2 an aspirin taken at the same time with the 1/4 portion of my niacinamide, is working to keep the flush at bay. That seems to help. I am also more consistantly taking a raw B vitamin complex with it, to balance out the other B’s. But probably testing my B12 status is a good thing.

Yeah, testing B's and B12 is a good thing for sure.
I wouldn't mind only the "flush" effect of niacinamide but my skin also starts peeling off and become flaky and dry all over so that's the reason I am not taking it. My face look like eczema+rosacea when I take b3 unfortunately...

Also, aspirin causes me kidney pain and increases tinnitus to a 10/10 so I can't take it at all but good thing it works for you.

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Yeah, testing B's and B12 is a good thing for sure.
I wouldn't mind only the "flush" effect of niacinamide but my skin also starts peeling off and become flaky and dry all over so that's the reason I am not taking it. My face look like eczema+rosacea when I take b3 unfortunately...

Also, aspirin causes me kidney pain and increases tinnitus to a 10/10 so I can't take it at all but good thing it works for you.

That’s not good about your skin peeling off and becoming flaky. I don’t have that issue. But I react to aspirin too. Not all the time, but I thought why not take 1/2 an aspirin and see how I react.

It does seem to keep the flushing down. I am finding that with supplements and vitamins, it’s best to take them in small doses instead of big doses all at once. And not always take them every day. A few I do, others I don’t.

 

[PeskyPeater]

Yeah, testing B's and B12 is a good thing for sure.
I wouldn't mind only the "flush" effect of niacinamide but my skin also starts peeling off and become flaky and dry all over so that's the reason I am not taking it. My face look like eczema+rosacea when I take b3 unfortunately...

Seems to me the prostaglandins re affecting your inflamation via the estrogen pathway and are supersensitive.

Also, aspirin causes me kidney pain and increases tinnitus to a 10/10 so I can't take it at all but good thing it works for you.

Prostaglandins can downregulate estrogen at cell level. taking away the prostaglandins [with aspirin] may have that estrogenic effect.

-edit- and estrogen works like ssri limiting the uptake of serotonin. this increases serotonin activity may drive your tinnitus up