Re: Open ended vitamin/supplement and fainting question

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, I don't know why you are light headed, but I saw that you said you're taking Crestor and niacin as inositol hexanicotinate. As Mooney has noted several times on this list in the past, niacin bound to inositol ("flush free niacin") doesn't work - and my own experience in trying this flush-free form of niacin confirmed that for me. My HDL never improved on it. While regular niacin does cause a flush, my cardiologist started me out on 50mg regular niacin after supper gradually increasing up to 500mg which allowed me to become tolerant and minimize the flushing.. Although higher doses are supposedly needed to be effective, and a prescription form called "Niaspan" is available, only 500mg nearly doubled my HDL from the 30s to the 60s, decreased my LDL into the 80s, and also converted me from a type A/B to the more desireable type A (large buoyant particles)with

respect to LDL particle size (something that requires a fractionated lipid test like the VAP, not ordinarily done unless you insist on it.) At 1000 mg of regular niacin per day (625 at night, 375 in the morning) my HDL went up to 76, LDL went down to 76 - in other words, doubling the dose didn't provide much more benefit. I now take just 625mg after supper or an hour before bed, which allows what little flushing I do get to subside, and don't take any in the morning, which avoids any effects in the morning. My doctor also knew I didn't want to take a statin drug, but suggested even a small dose of pravastatin would provide some anti-inflammatory protection, although I have chosen not to take any statins out of concern for their possible long term negative side effects. Regular niacin still requires liver check ups, but if you can get good results on 500mg, I imagine the chance of liver problems would be

minimized. Personally, I would be very wary of taking Crestor - check out comments at Public Citizen which treats it as a "Do Not Take" drug. Even if you still want to add the benefit of a statin, much lower doses might provide optimal benefit/risk ratios. I was told to take as little as 10mg of Pravachol to get most of the beneficial effects. While statins lower LDL, they don't increase HDL like niacin. Non prescription regular niacin is also cheap, though you may have to get it mail order from a reputable vitamin company. Just something to consider. By the way, I didn't know that Wellbutrin and Lexapro were given simultaneously. I found Lexapro (prescribe for anxiety after I had a heart attack) intolerable, buzzing in my head, not to mention the nasty effect of anorgasmia. Did your light headedness after squatting come on fairly suddently or has it crept up on you gradually? Any

relationship to meds changes? I assume you've had a recent cardiac stress test. Tom in MO **** Open ended vitamin/supplement and fainting question! Posted by: " S." satterthp001@... patricky69 Date: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:28 am (PDT)Aloha , and Mahalo for all your good work!I have been a member of this group and the lipodystrophy group for some timenow. I always find some little kernel of information that I need to stayhealthy and am very grateful for this resource!My question isn't that unusual but I also know that giving someone vitamin,mineral and supplement information is not a "one size fits all" process.

SoI will try to be as accurate and succinct as possible.I have been HIV+ since 1986 and an AIDS diagnosis in September 1994 (PCP).Have been through many treatments and am fairly stable today on acombination of Norvir, Fortovase and Epzicom. I am also on Crestor 20mgdaily, 800 mg Acyclovir daily, Wellbutrin 150 X 2 per day and Lexapro once aday. I also have been supplementing with NAC 600 mg daily and Niacin (as InositolHexanicotinate) 1000 mg daily. I was taking maxi vitamins, nutritionalsupplements etc. for several years but have been taking a break from most ofthem for the past 18 months or so.My diet is usually pretty good except for all the sugar that I seem to beaddicted to! I am celebrating 20 years clean and sober in July but I stillhave that damn sugar craving! And with all the information re: insulinresistance and Type II Diabetes that is

out there, I really need to get ahandle on all that sugar, I know. Soon!My main problem at this time is that when I stand up too soon from asquatting position, I get very light headed and am afraid that I may blackout one of these days. I have spoken with my doctor about this briefly andhe didn't seem to be too concerned since I am "getting a bit older" (will be59 in November). But I don't want to just "accept" it. I want to know whyI am getting light headed most of the time. __________________________________________________