Niacin (Vitamin B 3) (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Niacor

Proper Use of This Medicine

For good health, it is important that you eat a balanced and varied diet. Follow carefully any diet program your health care professional may recommend. For your specific dietary vitamin and/or mineral needs, ask your health care professional for a list of appropriate foods. If you think that you are not getting enough vitamins and/or minerals in your diet, you may choose to take a dietary supplement.

Niacin is found in meats, eggs, and milk and dairy products. Little niacin is lost from foods during ordinary cooking.

Vitamins alone will not take the place of a good diet and will not provide energy. Your body also needs other substances found in food such as protein, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. Vitamins themselves often cannot work without the presence of other foods.

The daily amount of niacin needed is defined in several different ways.

For U.S.-
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy).
• Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).

For Canada-
• Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.

Normal daily recommended intakes in milligrams (mg) for niacin are generally defined as follows:

Dosing-

The amount of niacin and niacinamide needed to meet normal daily recommended intakes will be different for different individuals. The following information includes only the average amounts of niacin and niacinamide.

For niacin
• For oral dosage form (capsules, extended-release capsules and tablets, tablets, oral solution):
  • To prevent deficiency, the amount taken by mouth is based on normal daily recommended intakes:
    For the U.S.
    • Adult and teenage males-15 to 20 milligrams (mg) per day.
    • Adult and teenage females-13 to 15 mg per day.
    • Pregnant females-17 mg per day.
    • Breast-feeding females-20 mg per day.
    • Children 7 to 10 years of age-13 mg per day.
    • Children 4 to 6 years of age-12 mg per day.
    • Children birth to 3 years of age-5 to 9 mg per day.
    For Canada
    • Adult and teenage males-14 to 23 mg per day.
    • Adult and teenage females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Pregnant females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Breast-feeding females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Children 7 to 10 years of age-14 to 18 mg per day.
    • Children 4 to 6 years of age-13 mg per day.
    • Children birth to 3 years of age-4 to 9 mg per day.
  • To treat deficiency:
    • Adults, teenagers, and children-Treatment dose is determined by prescriber for each individual based on the severity of deficiency.

For niacinamide
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • To prevent deficiency, the amount taken by mouth is based on normal daily recommended intakes:
    For the U.S.
    • Adult and teenage males-15 to 20 milligrams (mg) per day.
    • Adult and teenage females-13 to 15 mg per day.
    • Pregnant females-17 mg per day.
    • Breast-feeding females-20 mg per day.
    • Children 7 to 10 years of age-13 mg per day.
    • Children 4 to 6 years of age-12 mg per day.
    • Children birth to 3 years of age-5 to 9 mg per day.
    For Canada
    • Adult and teenage males-14 to 23 mg per day.
    • Adult and teenage females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Pregnant females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Breast-feeding females-14 to 16 mg per day.
    • Children 7 to 10 years of age-14 to 18 mg per day.
    • Children 4 to 6 years of age-13 mg per day.
    • Children birth to 3 years of age-4 to 9 mg per day.
  • To treat deficiency:
    • Adults, teenagers, and children-Treatment dose is determined by prescriber for each individual based on the severity of deficiency.

If this dietary supplement upsets your stomach, it may be taken with meals or milk. If stomach upset (nausea or diarrhea) continues, check with your health care professional.

For individuals taking the extended-release capsule form of this dietary supplement:

• Swallow the capsule whole. Do not crush, break, or chew before swallowing. However, if the capsule is too large to swallow, you may mix the contents of the capsule with jam or jelly and swallow without chewing.

For individuals taking the extended-release tablet form of this dietary supplement:

• Swallow the tablet whole. If the tablet is scored, it may be broken, but not crushed or chewed, before being swallowed.

Missed dose-

If you miss taking a vitamin for one or more days there is no cause for concern, since it takes some time for your body to become seriously low in vitamins. However, if your health care professional has recommended that you take this vitamin, try to remember to take it as directed every day.

Storage-

To store this dietary supplement:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the dietary supplement to break down.
• Keep the liquid form of this dietary supplement from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated dietary supplements or those no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded dietary supplement is out of the reach of children.

Last Revised: 06/04/2003

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