What is the max/ideal dose of niacin to supplement with?

Medications
1

I started supplementing with niacin 4 days ago. I am currently taking 2000 mg 3x a day with meals, and am experiencing no flush.

I did flush a lot the very first time I took 500 mg with no meal, and maybe two times after that.

So at what point should I stop increasing the dose? Is flushing necessary for the benefits? I weigh in the mid 200 lbs if that matters. I think I’m going to keep upping the dose by 500mg as long as I still am not flushing. I saw something that said the more you can take without flushing the more your body is using the vitamin.

I have seen a reduction in positive symptoms since taking.

2

I take about 3000 mg every couple of days. I don’t take too much because it can be hard on the liver.

3

I take it on a empty stomach. I dont get any flushing when i take it with food

4

Could be placebo effect, there’s not really any serious research supporting this and the majority of members here including myself who use niacin have not had much if any results from it. I take niacin because it helps with my exercise and I like the flush, not for positive symptoms because it has never made a difference for me.

5

The only thing mega dosing niacin will do for you is mess up your liver.

6

Yup. So I’m trying to go easy on it!

1 Like
7

The studies showing Niacin did anything for schizophrenia are from the 50s, and there hasn’t been anything new in that front.

That said, there is some science to Niacin reducing symptoms, since it increases the amount of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase produced, which tilts tryptophan metabolism away from kynurenic acid formation. Kynurenic acid is suspected to be one of the main causes of schizophrenic symptoms, as an NMDA antagonist.

I haven’t benefitted from Niacin supplementation nearly as much as from Amyloban 3399 supplementation though. If you’ve talked to your psychiatrist and exhausted your antipsychotic options, maybe that is worth a try.

Me and a few other people on this forum have had a huge reduction in positive symptoms from it. There’s a thread about it here: