Niaspan Dosage

The recommended starting dose of Niaspan is 500 mg every night at bedtime. To lower the risk of side effects, your Niaspan dosage should be increased only gradually -- by a maximum of 500 mg every four weeks -- to the normal maintenance dose of 1000 to 2000 mg every night at bedtime. Among the factors that can affect Niaspan dosing are your age and other medications you may be currently taking (for example, bile acid sequestrants, which should be taken separately from Niaspan).

 

Niaspan Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of Niaspan® (niacin extended-release) your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • The medical condition being treated
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking.
     
As with any drug, do not adjust your Niaspan dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Dosing for Niaspan

To decrease the chances of
 Niaspan side effects, the dosing for Niaspan should be gradually increased. The recommended starting dose for Niaspan is Niaspan 500 mg every night at bedtime. After you have been taking this dose for four weeks, your healthcare provider may have you increase your dosage to Niaspan 1000 mg. Once you have been on this new dose for four weeks, your healthcare provider may recommend that you return to recheck your triglyceride and cholesterol levels, as well as report any unwanted side effects. If your triglycerides or cholesterol are not at the desirable levels, your healthcare provider may increase your dose or add a new medication to your therapy.
 
The daily dose for Niaspan should not be increased by more than 500 mg every four weeks. The normal maintenance dose is Niaspan 1000 to 2000 mg every night at bedtime. Doses above 2000 mg daily are not recommended.
 
Your healthcare provider may decide to decrease your dose if a side effect occurs or if your cholesterol levels fall significantly below the targeted goal.
 
If you are over the age of 65 or have severe kidney disease, your healthcare provider may decide to monitor your progress more closely and make any necessary dosing adjustments.
 
(Niaspan Dosage Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;