Niacin extended-release tablets should be taken at bedtime, after a low-fat snack, and doses should be individualized according to patient response. Therapy with niacin extended-release tablets must be initiated at 500 mg at bedtime in order to reduce the incidence and severity of side effects which may occur during early therapy. The recommended dose escalation is shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Recommended Dosing
Week(s)
Daily dose
Niacin Extended-Release Tablets Dosage
INITIAL
TITRATION
1 to 4
500 mg
1 Niacin Extended-Release Tablet 500 mg at bedtime
SCHEDULE
5 to 8
1000 mg
1 Niacin Extended-Release Tablet 1000 mg or
2 Niacin Extended-Release Tablets 500 mg at bedtime
*
1500 mg
3 Niacin Extended-Release Tablets 500 mg at bedtime
*
2000 mg
2 Niacin Extended-Release Tablets 1000 mg or
4 Niacin Extended-Release Tablets 500 mg at bedtime
* After Week 8, titrate to patient response and tolerance. If response to 1000 mg daily is inadequate, increase dose to 1500 mg daily; may subsequently increase dose to 2000 mg daily. Daily dose should not be increased more than 500 mg in a 4-week period, and doses above 2000 mg daily are not recommended. Women may respond at lower doses than men.
Maintenance Dose
The daily dosage of niacin extended-release tablets should not be increased by more than 500 mg in any 4–week period. The recommended maintenance dose is 1000 mg (two 500 mg tablets or one 1000 mg tablet) to 2000 mg (two 1000 mg tablets or four 500 mg tablets) once daily at bedtime. Doses greater than 2000 mg daily are not recommended. Women may respond at lower niacin extended-release tablets doses than men [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].
Single-dose bioavailability studies have demonstrated that two of the 500 mg and one of the 1000 mg tablet strengths are interchangeable but three of the 500 mg and two of the 750 mg tablet strengths are not interchangeable.
Tolerance to flushing develops rapidly over the course of several weeks. Flushing, pruritus, and gastrointestinal distress are also greatly reduced by slowly increasing the dose of niacin and avoiding administration on an empty stomach. Concomitant alcoholic, hot drinks or spicy foods may increase the side effects of flushing and pruritus and should be avoided around the time of niacin extended-release tablets ingestion.
Equivalent doses of niacin extended-release tablets should not be substituted for sustained-release (modified-release, timed-release) niacin preparations or immediate-release (crystalline) niacin [see Warnings and Precautions (5)]. Patients previously receiving other niacin products should be started with the recommended niacin extended-release tablets titration schedule (see Table 1), and the dose should subsequently be individualized based on patient response.
If niacin extended-release tablets therapy is discontinued for an extended period, reinstitution of therapy should include a titration phase (see Table 1).
Niacin extended-release tablets should be taken whole and should not be broken, crushed or chewed before swallowing.
Dosage in Patients with Renal or Hepatic Impairment
Use of niacin extended-release tablets in patients with renal or hepatic impairment has not been studied. Niacin extended-release tablets are contraindicated in patients with significant or unexplained hepatic dysfunction. Niacin extended-release tablets should be used with caution in patients with renal impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5)].