What is part of nicotinic acid? After all, it is a vitamin and a drug that is involved in most oxidative reactions of body cells. It is also called niacin, vitamin PP, vitamin B3, and in some cases, B5. It is necessary for a person daily in an amount of 15 to 20 mg per day.
The daily requirement of this vitamin can be achieved through food, vitamins, as well as ampoules for intramuscular administration. In any case, before making up for the lack of niacin in the body, you should understand its beneficial properties, as well as study the instructions for using the most popular and effective forms of vitamin.
Composition and pharmacological properties
Vitamin PP is often prescribed by doctors. It is released in the form of a solution in ampoules and tablets. The composition of nicotinic acid is of interest to many. Therefore, we explain that the vitamin itself enters into it. As well as glucose and stearic acid. The solution sold in ampoules, in addition to nicotinic acid, contains prepared water and sodium bicarbonate.
As for the pharmacological properties of nicotinic acid, it has a lipid-lowering, vasodilating, antipellagric and hypocholesterolemic effect on the body. A sufficient intake of this vitamin normalizes the state of tissues, regulates the breakdown of glycogen, the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The composition of nicotinic acid helps her inhibit lipolysis, reduce the level of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood. It is also known for its anti-atherogenic and detoxification properties. The use of vitamin PP contributes to the expansion of blood vessels, improve microcirculation, and reduce the risk of blood clots.
Indications for use
The composition of nicotinic acid ampoules allows you to use them in identifying pellagra caused by a lack of this vitamin in the body. Tablets and solutions with its content are indicated in complex therapy in the following conditions:
- Ischemic circulatory disorders in brain activity.
- Spasms of blood vessels in the limbs.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Dyslipidemia.
- Spasms of the vessels of the kidneys.
- With long healing of wounds on the skin.
- Complications caused by diabetes mellitus (with diabetic polyneuropathy, microangiopathy).
- Hypoacid gastritis, enterocolitis, colitis.
- Malabsorption syndrome.
- Acute and chronic hepatitis and other liver diseases.
- Neuritis of the facial nerve.
- Dermatosis.
- Dramatic weight loss.
- Malnutrition.
- Malignant tumors.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Gastroectomy
- With intoxications of different genesis: alcoholic, medical, chemical.
Niacin belongs to the category of drugs, the use of which requires a consultation with a doctor. Only a specialist can determine the need for the use of this substance, as well as draw up its exact dosage.
Injection Features of the procedures
The dosage of injections of nicotinic acid is determined based on the state of the body. Also, depending on it, the method of administration of the drug is also chosen. With such a pathology as pellagra, the solution must be injected into a vein. The lack of sufficient amounts of vitamin PP can also be compensated by intramuscular administration of nicotinic acid.
The instruction for the drug contains information that with antipellagric therapy, the solution must be administered intramuscularly 1-2 times a day, 100 mg or 50 mg per vein. Therefore, treatment should last from 10 to 15 days. In the condition after an ischemic stroke, the drug must be administered in an amount of not more than 50 mg.
You need to give injections according to certain rules. If intramuscular injection is expected, 1 ml of a 1% solution of niacin in ampoules will be needed. For injections into a vein, from 1 to 5 ml of a 1% solution, previously diluted in a special physiological solution of 5 ml in volume, is necessary.
The use of nicotinic acid intramuscularly or subcutaneously is accompanied by unpleasant and painful sensations. A few minutes after the injection, a burning sensation may appear, which then passes. Injection into a vein can cause a feeling of heat and redness of the skin. Such reactions are the body's normal response to injections with vitamin PP. If there is no redness, this may indicate a violation of blood circulation. If the pain and burning sensation after the injection lasts more than 30 minutes, then the injection was carried out incorrectly. To exclude such phenomena, it is necessary to use the services of a nurse and conduct a course of injections in the doctor’s office.
Instructions for use of tablets
The medicine in the form of nicotinic acid tablets should be taken only after eating. Do not do this on an empty stomach or immediately after waking up. The prophylactic dosage of the drug depends on the condition of the body and age. Based on the instructions for the use of nicotinic acid in tablets, children can be given from 5 to 25 mg of vitamin PP, and for adults from 12 to 25 mg. With a deficiency of niacin, accompanied by such a pathology as pellagra, adults are shown a dosage of 100 mg of the drug from 2 to 4 times a day. Children can be given from 12 to 50 mg of the drug in tablets 2 or 3 times a day. The course of therapy in this case is from 14 to 21 days.
When determining atherosclerotic vascular lesions, a dosage of 2 to 3 g of the drug, divided into 2-4 doses per day, is recommended. The therapeutic treatment of dyslipidemia is carried out using a single dose of 50 mg of the drug per day. In the absence of side effects from the composition of nicotinic acid, you can increase this dosage from one to 2-3 doses per day. The minimum course of treatment lasts 30 days. Re-treatment is possible after examination by a doctor, passing an analysis to determine the amount of niacin, as well as the sustained interval after 1 month of using the tablets.
In any other conditions in which vitamin PP is necessary, the dosage of this drug should be observed in the amount of 5-25 mg per day for children and 20-50 mg for adults. Based on the instructions for the use of nicotinic acid in tablets, in some cases, adults may be prescribed 100 mg of the drug, divided into several doses per day. You need to take it only after eating.
Overdose and side effects
The composition of nicotinic acid can provoke the development of an allergic reaction or side effects. Especially if you take the medicine, neglecting the instructions. In such cases, the use of tablets or injection may cause the following side effects:
- Hypotension.
- Redness of the skin (face, as well as upper body).
- Tingling, accompanied by burning, which does not go away for a long time.
- Dizziness and headache.
- Active production of gastric juice.
- With inaccurate intravenous administration of the solution, orthostatic hypotension may develop.
- Intense rush of blood to the head and face.
- Severe itching or hives.
- Dyspepsia.
- Pain and swelling in the area of subcutaneous or intramuscular injection.
- Hypophosphatemia.
- Decreased platelet count.
- Insomnia, myalgia.
- Cramps.
- Visual impairment and swelling of the eyelids.
- Exfoliative dermatitis.
If you take niacin in a dosage exceeding the recommended, pathological conditions such as anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, digestive tract disorders, malfunctioning of the liver, its obesity, arrhythmia, hyperglycemia, paresthesia, and peptic ulcer of the stomach may develop. Transient alkaline phosphatase activity may also occur.
An overdose of nicotinic acid is dangerous for fatty liver disease. In order not to provoke such a deviation, during the treatment with vitamin PP, you need to monitor your diet. Doctors recommend consuming as much food as possible containing amino acids and methionine. To eliminate the symptoms of an overdose, prolipotropic drugs can be prescribed.
Contraindications
Before starting a course of treatment, you must visit a doctor. Not everyone can take this vitamin in the form of tablets or injections of nicotinic acid intramuscularly. Instructions for use contain information about side effects that may occur during self-medication. Contraindications include the following conditions:
- Individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
- Severe arterial hypertension.
- The presence of renal failure.
- Gout.
- Diabetes.
- Recently transferred myocardial infarction.
- Pregnancy.
- Lactation.
- Do not take niacin in children under 15 years of age.
It is forbidden to use this substance for bleeding and hemorrhage, as well as malfunctioning of the liver. It is also necessary to consider the possible intolerance of the body to nicotinic acid. An additional contraindication is exacerbation of gastric ulcers and hyperuricemia.
Special instructions for use
When preparing for the course of treatment with nicotinic acid, it is necessary to remember that the injections are rather painful, and therefore not suitable for those people who have a low pain threshold. In addition to its benefits, vitamin PP also helps remove toxic substances and heavy metals from the body. Therefore, those who periodically consume alcohol and smoke are prescribed intramuscularly for injections of nicotinic acid for the prevention. The instruction for use states that in such situations, a dosage of 1 g of active substance per day is recommended.
During the course of treatment, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the liver. Especially when using large doses of the drug. You should also consider the fact that niacin has the ability to irritate the mucous membranes. That is why it can not be taken with ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum. If taking the drug is still necessary, the course of treatment should contain the minimum dosage of the drug, and it can only be carried out during the period of remission of the disease.
To reduce the irritating effect on the gastric mucosa, nicotinic acid tablets should be washed down with milk. To prevent hepatotoxicity, the diet should be enriched during treatment with methionine-rich foods. This, first of all, buckwheat, dairy products, fish and all types of legumes. Your doctor may also recommend a combination of nicotinic acid with lipotropic drugs.
Nicotinic acid in drugs
Vitamin PP is widely used not only for medical purposes. For quite a long period of time, nicotinic acid has been very popular in cosmetology. It is used as a means for weight loss and hair growth, as well as to improve the condition of the skin of the face. In addition to nicotinic acid tablets, multivitamin complexes with its content can be taken. They will affect the body as favorably as tablets, but at the same time they will help to fill the deficit of other beneficial substances.
Vitamins with nicotinic acid in the composition must be selected after consultation with a doctor. You also need to do tests that reveal a lack of nutrients in the body. The following dietary supplements are considered the most popular drugs:
- "Perfect".
- "Supradin."
- "Alphabet".
- "Vitrum".
- Evalar.
All of them contain not only the vitamins and minerals most necessary for the body, but also nicotinic acid.
Vitamin PP and Slimming
The ability of nicotinic acid to influence extra pounds is explained by its unique properties. Vitamin PP has the ability to oxidize carbohydrates and fats that enter the body with food. It is with a lack of nicotinic acid that many experience an increased need for sweets. The fight against excess weight is due to the following properties that this substance has:
- Normalization of metabolism.
- Lowering blood cholesterol.
- The composition of nicotinic acid tablets stimulates the digestive tract.
- Removal of toxic substances and contaminants from the body, which are deposited on the walls of the stomach and impede the normal digestion process.
Despite the obvious benefits of vitamin for a figure, it must be remembered that the beneficial effect of its use will come only if you combine the course with diet and exercise. You should also take into account the fact that the dosage of nicotinic acid in the composition of the preparations should not exceed the amount of 1 g.
Nicotinic acid deficiency
With a lack of nicotinic acid, various pathological processes can develop. One of the most dangerous is a disease called pellagra. The following organs are most sensitive to vitamin PP deficiency:
- Intestines.
- Vessels.
- Leather.
- Brain.
Nicotinic acid deficiency can be detected by the following symptoms:
- Rashes appear on the skin that look like burns from sunlight. With prolonged exposure to the sun, these spots begin to increase, darken and peel.
- The gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, which is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms in the form of diarrhea. In the most severe cases, bleeding may occur.
- Chronic fatigue and insomnia appear. Because of this condition, depression, mental illness, and even hallucinations can develop.
- With a lack of vitamin PP, the mucous membranes often begin to become inflamed and redden.
The main reason for the development of pellagra is the use of insufficient amounts of nicotinic acid, as well as its absence in the diet.