About NIASPAN
Sometimes a low-fat diet and exercise alone are not enough. Doctors may prescribe NIASPAN® for people who have abnormal cholesterol levels. Along with diet, NIASPAN is FDA-approved to:
- Help raise HDL ("good") cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your blood in patients with abnormal cholesterol levels
- Reduce the chance of having another heart attack in patients who have had a heart attack and have high cholesterol levels
- Slow the buildup or even help clear away some plaque that builds on artery walls – when used in combination with diet and a bile acid-binding resin (another cholesterol medication) in patients who have a history of coronary artery disease and high cholesterol levels
NIASPAN should not be taken by people with stomach ulcers, liver or serious bleeding problems.
Please click here for additional Important Safety Information and Uses for NIASPAN and discuss it with your doctor.
"My brother has unhealthy cholesterol levels. His doctor said he needs to lower "bad cholesterol" but increase "good cholesterol". He's considering NIASPAN."
Benefits of NIASPAN
NIASPAN is a prescription medication used along with diet when diet and exercise alone have been unsuccessful. NIASPAN's benefits include:
With proper diet and exercise, NIASPAN works to raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels in people with abnormal cholesterol levels
NIASPAN reduces the risk of another heart attack
NIASPAN has been shown to reduce the chance of having another heart attack in patients with a prior history of heart attack and have high cholesterol.
NIASPAN can help slow down or help clear away plaque buildup
Plaque is a complex process and has a number of risk factors that lead up to it, including a family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and other substances can build up in the walls of the heart's arteries, resulting in plaque.
If you have coronary artery disease and high cholesterol, NIASPAN, along with a bile-acid binding resin (another cholesterol medicine), can help slow down plaque buildup or even help clear some of it away.
Ask your doctor about the benefits of NIASPAN and whether it may help you, based on your cholesterol levels and personal risk factors. Only your doctor can determine whether NIASPAN may be right for you.
Important Safety Information and Uses You Should Know About
NIASPAN® (niacin extended-release tablets)
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for NIASPAN
NIASPAN is not for people with liver problems, stomach ulcers, serious bleeding problems, or those allergic to any product ingredient.
Severe liver damage can occur when switching to a long-acting niacin (NIASPAN) from immediate-release niacin. Do not switch between forms of niacin without talking to your health care provider.
Tell your health care provider about any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, as this could be a sign of a serious side effect. This risk may be increased when NIASPAN is taken with a statin, particularly in the elderly, diabetics, and those with kidney or thyroid problems.
NIASPAN should be used with caution if you consume large amounts of alcohol and/or have a past history of liver disease.
Your health care provider should do blood tests before and during treatment to check liver enzyme levels, as these may increase with treatment.
Tell your health care provider if you have kidney problems, or a history of gout. NIASPAN may cause an increase in uric acid levels.
NIASPAN may cause an increase in blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels more frequently during the first few months or with NIASPAN dose changes.
The most common side effects with NIASPAN are flushing, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased cough, and itching.
Flushing (warmth, redness, itching, and/or tingling of the skin) is a common side effect of niacin therapy that may get better after several weeks of consistent NIASPAN use. It may vary in severity and is more likely to happen when starting NIASPAN or during dose increases. Talk to your doctor about how the symptoms of flushing are different from symptoms of a heart attack. By dosing at bedtime, flushing will likely occur during sleep. If awakened by flushing, get up slowly, especially if feeling dizzy or faint, or taking blood pressure medications.
If you are taking another cholesterol medication called a bile acid-binding resin (e.g., colestipol, cholestyramine) along with NIASPAN, take these medicines at least 4 to 6 hours apart.
Some medicines should not be taken with NIASPAN. Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including aspirin, any cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication, or blood thinner medication, or any products containing niacin or nicotinamide.
USES for NIASPAN® (niacin extended-release tablets)
NIASPAN is a prescription medication used along with diet when a low-cholesterol diet and exercise alone are not enough.
NIASPAN raises HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
NIASPAN is also used to lower the risk of heart attack in people who have had a heart attack and have high cholesterol.
In people with coronary artery disease and high cholesterol levels, NIASPAN, when used with a bile acid-binding resin (another cholesterol medicine), can slow down or lessen the build up of plaque (fatty deposits) in your arteries.
NIASPAN can be used in combination with lovastatin or simvastatin to improve abnormal cholesterol levels when taking NIASPAN, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone is not enough.
No additional benefit of NIASPAN on heart disease has been demonstrated when used with simvastatin or lovastatin over that shown for niacin, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone.
For more information, talk with your health care provider.
Please see the full Prescribing Information for NIASPAN and discuss it with your health care provider.
Reference: NIASPAN [package insert]. North Chicago, IL: Abbott Laboratories
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.