Promising news for lower cholesterol
Reuters News has a story that Pfizer has a new drug heading into phase III trials that shows promise in the area of increasing the "good" HDL cholesterol. The drug, called torcetrapib, has no "brand" name yet, and Pfizer expects to market it as a combination pill with its statin drug Lipitor. This is because the early trials have shown that torcetrapib is better at decreasing levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol when it is combined with Lipitor.
Although this means it will be some time yet before we see this drug on the market, this is the first really different drug that medicine has had in a long while to improve cholesterol. It's especially good that it increases HDL levels, because the only other drug that does this, niacin and brand name Niaspan, can be poorly tolerated by many individuals. It will be interesting to see what the major side effects are with torcetrapib, and how frequently it is discontinued in the the trial by individuals who find the side effects too uncomfortable to tolerate. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this one works out well!
Laurie
Related Topics: Cholesterol 101, Lower Cholesterol, Lower Heart Disease Risk
Although this means it will be some time yet before we see this drug on the market, this is the first really different drug that medicine has had in a long while to improve cholesterol. It's especially good that it increases HDL levels, because the only other drug that does this, niacin and brand name Niaspan, can be poorly tolerated by many individuals. It will be interesting to see what the major side effects are with torcetrapib, and how frequently it is discontinued in the the trial by individuals who find the side effects too uncomfortable to tolerate. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this one works out well!
Laurie
Related Topics: Cholesterol 101, Lower Cholesterol, Lower Heart Disease Risk
20 Comments:
I started taking niaspn per MD script. I seemed to tolerate this medication. However, I recently experienced a sudden onset of reddness of the skin of my face arms, chest and back. This was accompanied by a prickly sensation similar to a sun burn. THis ocurred about 30 minutes after taking niaspan. Is this a side effect of niaspan?
Same thing happened to me over the past two days. I will not take it today. Does anyone have experience with this? Will it pass?
My Dr. put me on this medication. She said take it right before you go to sleep.She said that most people have a flushing of their skin, if you take it at bedtime you will sleep through it. I sat up one night a little later than usual and boy I had hives, itching, very hot red skin. When I woke up it was gone.
I am on the starter niaspan. Took first 500 mg tablet.Had similar experience as anonymous with uncontrollable shaking all over. I have now started cutting 500mg pill in half and taking two 325 mg aspirin tabs one hour before taking the half pill. I am trying this over the next few days, 1/2 pill per day at night. Works better than 500 mg tablet.
Had to abandon statins because of severe muscle problems. Doctor prescribed Niaspan, tolerated very well for first two weeks, then a severe blistered rash, swollen lower extremities and hands and more frighteningly a swollen tongue. When this happened took a benedryl, and next day rash is still there, what to do now?
I have a slight swelling in my right inner thigh. It feels like sunburn, but no redness...any ideas?
I've been having the red hot skin and the rash. I only have these reactions after eating something with tomatoes in it.
i started taking naispan approximately three days ago. i take an adult aspirin at 8pm and then thirty minutes later i take the 500 naispan along with yogart and a couple of crackers. so far, no problems at all.
HAD SAME REACTION TO NIASPAN THAT OTHERS REPORTED, E.G., FLUSHING & UNCOMFORTABLE TINGLING IN DIFERENT PARTS OF BODY. DOCTOR ADVISED TAKING ASPIRIN [325MG[ ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE BEDTIME THAN TAKING NIASPAN AT BEDTIME. REACTION TO NIASPAN HAS BEEN GREATLY REDUCED AND I SEEM TO BE TOLERATING WELL.
DB
I read many negative comments and a few positive commets about this prescription. I had severe side effects from Advicor prescribed by my PCP to treat my high cholestrol prior to taking this medicine. However, per my PCP's recommendation, I have decided to give another try. On day 1, I took aspirin an half hour prior to taking this medicine at bed time, and I did not experince any reaction. On day 2, althrough I took the aspirin prior to taking a medicine, I had hot flushes. Thus, I consulted a pharmacist at Osco drug and she recommended me to take advil instead of aspirin prior to taking this medicin. I took advil 30 minutes prior to taking this medicine on Day 3 at bed time. In the moring, I experined severe side effects. I could not stay at work because of this symptom. My both arms had huge swalon muscles and generated lots of heat and my body had rashes all over the place. I felt like my arms became harder like locks.I also experienced shortness of breath and itches like crazy. When I called my PCP but she was out of office and her partner recommended me to go to emergency room. When the emergency doctor saw me he said he could not treat me because he does not have any medicine for me since it is not true allergic reaction but the drug side effects. He also mentioned to me the side effect is from Niacin and both Advicor and Niaspan have same ingredient, Niacin. After 72 hours taking the last tablet, I am still struggering with this side effects.
Since my PCP is out of country for a few weeks, I do not have answer why she prescribed me the same Niacin twice which I already had severe side effects previously. I heard about 90% patients can not torelate to this medicine. I am wondering why this medicine is even in the market and preferred by MDs. I reported my Adverse Drug Experinece (ADE)to the Abbott laboratory (manufacturer of this durg) and the ADE coordinator told me she will report it to the FDA.
I also got a refund for the copayment of drug from the Abbott lab. However, I have been struggering a lot and I had to pay copayment of emergency visit without treatment and I had to miss two days of work without compensation. I am afraid to try any other high cholrestrol drug. It was like a hell!
Two days ago I started taking Niacin that I purchased at the Vitamin store. My goal was to decrease my cholesterol levels. About 30 minutes after taking the Niacin I'm also getting that burning red rash starting from my ears continuing on down my whole body to my ankles. I didn't realize until I visited this site that this must by a common side effect from taking Niacin. I'm no doctor, but I hope this post helps.
I have been taking aspirin to reduce the potential for flushing. I take Niaspan( 500mg) prior to going to sleep. Night one and two was good. Night three it felt like my whole body had been dipped in battery acid. I got up and looked at my face in a mirror and the whites of my eyes were almost solid red. The burning diminished over a period of hours, but I still felt intermittent burning sensations for another eighteen hours or so.
After this experience, I am discontinueing its use.
I've been taking Niaspan off and on for a while, I take it before bed and sometimes wake up a couple of hours later with what feels like
or what was explained to me as a hot flash. I'm a male 50 yrs old.
I told my Nurse Pract. about it and she had mention to take one asperin a 1/2 hour before taking the niaspan, I'm up to two, still happens from time to time, It must be interacting with my diet (or not) some how.
i followed the directions given me by the pharmacy: 1 aspirin 30 minutes before bedtime, then 1 niaspan with a low fat snack just before bed. i've experienced the flushing- big time- twice. a month ago when i started and again last night. i've had a "rash" in a "sensitive" area the whole time which has radically affected my sex life. thought it might be a herpes outbreak, which i've controlled successfully with acyclovir for years, but this has been so severe and lasted so long, the only thing i can attribute it to would be the niacin. have dr appt coming up and will hopefully find out then.
MY PHARMIST ADVISED ME TO TAKE MY 2 LOW DOSE ASPIRIN, THAT MY DR. PUT ME ON, 30 MINUTES BEFORE I TOOK MY 500 MG OF NIACIN AT BEDTIME. THAT WAY I SLEEP THROUGH THE FLUSHING AND OTHER SIDE EFFECTS. THIS WORKED WONDERFULL FOR ME.
Last year an endocrinologist diagnosed me with a genetic tendency to have high LDL cholesterol. My family practitioner had prescribed statins, to which I had the muscular side effects. The endocrinologist said not to worry about my LDL as long as my triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and blood pressure were fine. After moving to a new city, my new doctor prescribed Niaspan. First few nights were fine, although I was uneasy about eating so close to bedtime because of a history of reflux. Then I had a flushing incident. A few days later, I had a flushing incident so bad it woke me from a deep sleep. I literally felt like I had severe sunburn all over my body and itching like a rash. The next morning my muscles ached, my head ached and I felt awful. I'm not taking Niaspan again. I'm waiting to see what my doctor advises, but I'm leaning toward just improving my diet and exercise.
My mother has a rash of red dots with itching from her ears to her legs. She was given a cortisone cream, extra strength, and is on prednisone. She has also experienced flushing and difficulty breathing. No one can figure out what the cause is. If you have useful information, please post a reply.
My doctor just prescribed me Niacin (no flush) and after reading this I'm having second thoughts about taking the damn pill!
Are you all on the same type of medication? Because there seems to be a difference between flush and no flush.
I'm not on Niaspan, but 1000mg of extended release Niacin (according to my pharmacist...almost identical). I experienced the flushing and itching, then my pharmacist told me to take the Niacin with an asprin and 1 benedryl. In addition to the flushing and waking up itching I was very nauseated in the mornings, but the aspirin and Benedryl have alleviated that! Good luck!
Donna
I have been on Niaspan for 3 months and two weeks ago I had severe flushing. I took two benadryl tablets and it helped. Tonight I am covered with hives and the flushing is like a bad sunburn with the stinging and itching it is also on my face with my eyes swelling and lips are also swelling. I just took two benadryl. I will be contacting my doctor Monday morning and I will not be taking any more until I speak with him.
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