|  | Conditions Treatments | Allergies

Signs & Symptoms of a Niacin Allergy

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is important to proper health, but like many food components, people can develop an allergy to it. The signs and symptoms of a niacin allergy encompass a wide variety of physical problems. These can range from a simple rash to hives, trouble with blood sugar levels, and an upset stomach or ulcers. In the event a severe allergy, some individuals bleed, pass out, and even suffer from blood clots.

  1. The Niacin Flush

    • Warmth, redness, and a feeling of itchiness over areas of the skin are some of the signs and symptoms of a niacin flush reaction. According to the Diagnose-Me website, niacin can trigger a release of histamine by the body, which dilates the blood vessels, and leads to the skin inflammation.

    Boosting Blood Sugar

    • For those people suffering from diabetes, too much niacin can have an adverse affect on blood sugar levels by making it go up too high. Niacin helps in energy (sugar) being released from carbohydrates, which leads to more sugar in the blood. This can lead to more severe ulcers and a higher risk of gout.

    Stomach Troubles

    • Testcountry.org mentions that even though niacin aids in metabolism, consuming too much of it can put the digestive system into overdrive. As a result, an upset stomach can occur as one of the symptoms of a niacin allergy. In more severe cases, it can lead to stomach ulcers.

    Severe Reactions

    • Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following severe reactions to niacin, as suggested by DoubleCheckMD: trouble breathing, hives, swelling of the throat, tongue, lips, or face. Other symptoms are an uneven or pounding heartbeat, yellow coloring to the eyes or skin (jaundice), fever and weakness, flu-like symptoms, and the urine taking on a dark color. Some extreme reactions to niacin are bleeding from the nose, gums and digestive tract, fainting spells, and indications that blood clots are forming in the blood vessels (a rash is often a sign of this). These are related to niacin’s effect on histamine levels; the higher the niacin, the more histamine in the body, and the more the blood vessels dilate.

    Milder Reactions

    • Mild allergic reactions to vitamin B3 may include a feeling of dizziness, dry skin, chills or sweating, nausea, gas, belching, leg cramps, and insomnia, according to DoubleCheckMD. See your doctor right away if you have trouble breathing.

Allergies - Related Articles