Question by kyle: I found Niacin in my sons room. What is it for?
I Found a bottle of Niacin from Whole foods in my sons room today. I’m not sure what it’s used for or why he has it. He’s a senior in highschool and has gotten in trouble for drugs before and I’m wondering of it could have some connection.

Best answer:

Answer by Need
Niacin is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NO2 and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients. Niacin plays an important role in ridding the body of toxic and harmful chemicals. It also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body.

Formula: C6H5NO2
Molar mass: 123.1094 g/mol
Density: 1.47 g/cm³
Melting point: 237° C
Soluble in: Water
IUPAC ID: nicotinic acid, pyridine-3-carboxylic acid

It can include dermatological conditions such as skin flushing and itching, dry skin, and skin rashes.
People mistakenly think that niacin help clean your urine of illegal drugs. The fact that niacin makes you feel all flushed and sweaty makes drug addicts think “this MUST be doing SOMETHING” so they think it is going to help them pass a drug test.

Here are the facts – I know you drug users want to believe that there is some magic pill so you can do drugs and just have it all vanish away – but here are the scientific facts of the matter:

This is from the Annals of Emergency Medicine, a scientific journal>>>

Vitamin Abusers End Up in the Emergency Department

Washington, DC- People who mistakenly believe that large amounts of niacin will help conceal their illicit drug use can end up in the emergency department with toxic reactions, including in rare instances, liver failure. An article appearing online today in the Annals of Emergency Medicine examines four case studies of niacin overdose associated with misguided attempts to pass required drug screening (“Toxicity From the Use of Niacin to Beat Urine Drug Screening”).
“A widely circulating urban legend on the Internet promotes the use of high doses of niacin, or Vitamin B3, to clear drugs out of your system before a drug test,” said Manoj K. Mittal, MD, of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “In addition to the fact that this method does not work, overdoses of niacin can lead to all sorts of very unpleasant reactions, such as vomiting, dizziness and heart palpitations. It can cause liver injury, and in extreme cases, even liver failure leading to a need for liver transplant.”
Niacin is available by prescription as well as an over-the-counter food supplement. Under a doctor’s care, it is used legitimately for preventing and treating niacin deficiency, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. However, various Internet forums advocate the use of niacin to pass urine drug tests. An Internet search by the study authors for the key phrase “pass urine drug test” and the word “niacin” yielded more than 84,000 results.
“Niacin can sometimes cause flushing of the skin, itching and rash,” said Dr. Mittal. “If an emergency physician does not know the patient has ingested large amounts of niacin, he or she would likely conclude these symptoms indicate anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition brought on by an allergic reaction. Treating a person for anaphylaxis could be very dangerous for a person who is actually suffering from niacin overdose.”
With the prevalence of urine drug screening by prospective employers and various government agencies, more patients with niacin toxicity may end up in the emergency department.
“People who are desperate to pass a urine drug test may believe the misinformation about niacin increasing metabolism and clearing drugs out of their system,” said Dr. Mittal. “In the end, while niacin is very useful in certain medically prescribed applications, it can be dangerous in high doses. People have this idea that vitamins are benign, when in fact they can be very powerful and even toxic. In addition, people should never use illegal drugs or abuse prescribed medications or over-the-counter medications.”

Answer by lord larad
Niacin is B3, an essential nutrient. Since most people have a quick and strong reaction to ingesting it in supplement form, kids like it because it is akin to getting high–your face flushes and your skin gets very warm. It is unpleasant…but I got a kick out of it as a kid.

It is water soluble, and the body generally flushes any that is not needed.

In extreme cases abuse can cause liver damage, but you are not going to see that from someone who has one bottle at a time. Niacin is a recommended supplement for folks on a vegan diet.

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