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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on July 28, 2012, at 12:09:26
I know someone who swears by high dose niacin for depression was googling around and found this. Any truth? Phillipa
Posted by Tomatheus on July 28, 2012, at 12:50:51
In reply to Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False?, posted by Phillipa on July 28, 2012, at 12:09:26
Phillipa,
I tend to believe those who say that they benefit from niacin as a treatment for depression. I personally noticed a significant reduction in my depressive symptoms from taking niacinamide and another flush-free form of niacin called inositol hexanicotinate (and I took those two forms of niacin on separate occasions, not together), but for me the antidepressant benefits of niacin wouldn't last for longer than a day -- even after I kept taking the vitamin on a daily basis. I also tried taking regular niacin (nicotinic acid) and noticed less in the way of antidepressant benefits, but I also experienced the "niacin flush," which is supposedly harmless but extremely uncomfortable, at least as far as I'm concerned. There are people who experience sustained benefits from taking other medications and supplements that I only benefit from on a temporary basis, so I think it would make sense that others might get sustained antidepressant benefits from taking niacin.
Even though I believe the anecdotal reports written by individuals who say that they've responded to niacin, I don't think that niacin is an evidence-based treatment for depression. I generally consider a treatment to be evidence based if there are randomized controlled trials showing that the treatment is significantly more effective than placebo -- and the more times the findings have been replicated, the better -- and as far as I'm aware, there aren't any randomized controlled trials that show niacin to be an effective treatment for depression. It's my understanding from what I've read on the Web -- and this may or may not be accurate -- that Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D., did conduct some randomized controlled trials showing that niacin was an effective treatment for schizophrenia, but that no scientist has been able to replicate Hoffer's findings. As far as depression is concerned, however, I'm not aware of any randomized controlled trials that have shown the vitamin to be an effective treatment.
So, yes, I do think that there's something to the anecdotal reports that say that niacin may have some antidepressant benefits, but I wouldn't consider niacin to be an evidence-based treatment for depression because all the evidence to support its use is anecdotal as far as I can tell.
Tomatheus
Posted by Phillipa on July 28, 2012, at 21:38:06
In reply to Re: Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False?, posted by Tomatheus on July 28, 2012, at 12:50:51
Thanks and agree I feel my ex babbler who is friend is making a mistake but he won't listen. Shame as he is or was treatment resistant and doing well or was til starting messing with his meds. Thanks :)
Posted by PrettyLady on March 4, 2013, at 17:11:37
In reply to Re: Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False?, posted by Tomatheus on July 28, 2012, at 12:50:51
Tom, I was wondering how much you took of what kind when it worked for you? I've heard of this too, and am interested, but am worried it may interact with some medication I am taking.
Posted by Tomatheus on March 4, 2013, at 17:28:25
In reply to Re: Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False? » Tomatheus, posted by PrettyLady on March 4, 2013, at 17:11:37
> Tom, I was wondering how much you took of what kind when it worked for you?
Hi PrettyLady,
When I took niacinamide and experienced my short-lived response to the vitamin, I took 500 mg. I think I took the same dose of inositol hexanicotinate when I experienced my short-lived response to that version of niacin, but that was so long ago that it's hard to remember.
I'm sorry if I couldn't be of more help.
Tomatheus
Posted by PrettyLady on March 4, 2013, at 17:59:06
In reply to Re: Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False? » PrettyLady, posted by Tomatheus on March 4, 2013, at 17:28:25
Thank you, I appreciate it. Was it the normal niacin or non-flush or niacamide?
Posted by Tomatheus on March 4, 2013, at 18:26:11
In reply to Re: Niacin for Depression/Anxiety? True or False? » Tomatheus, posted by PrettyLady on March 4, 2013, at 17:59:06
PrettyLady,
Both the niacinamide and the inositol hexanicotinate that I took were non-flush forms of niacin. Only regular niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, causes flushing, from what I understand. I probably should have mentioned in my last post that I recently tried regular niacin (nicotinic acid). I actually didn't flush on it this time around, and my response was similar to the responses to niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate that I've described here (a short-lived reduction in my fatigue and related depressive symptoms, followed by no response). Increasing the dose did lead to another short-lived response, but it seemed that each time I increased the dose, the initial response that I would notice would be weaker than the last time I experienced a response. I got up to 250 mg of regular niacin this time before calling it quits. I might try it again some time and use higher doses, as it's my understanding that Dr. Abram Hoffer used 3 g of niacin in his studies that found the vitamin to be effective in treating schizophrenia.
Tomatheus
This is the end of the thread.
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