niacin

How long does Niacin stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of niacin is about 20 to 45 minutes — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This is the plasma elimination half-life of the parent (nicotinic acid) from the immediate-release niacin label (Niacor 500 mg tablets); the label states it "ranges from 20 to 45 minutes," reflecting rapid absorption and extensive first-pass metabolism. It is an elimination (not distribution) figure. No active metabolite outlasts the parent for the drug's lipid effect: niacin is converted to nicotinuric acid (its primary metabolite) and, via a separate pathway, to nicotinamide and downstream compounds, but the label states nicotinamide has no hypolipidemic activity and the activity of the other metabolites is unknown — so there is no longer-lived active moiety to report. Populations: the niacin labels state that NO pharmacokinetic studies were performed in older adults (>65), renal impairment, or hepatic impairment, so the label gives no half-life change for those groups (though it cautions use in renal disease and contraindicates active liver disease). Note the separate extended-release niacin products (e.g. Niaspan/niacin ER) do NOT state any numeric elimination half-life in their labels; this 20–45 minute value is from the immediate-release product.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: NIACOR (niacin) tablets, USP — DailyMed FDA label, Clinical Pharmacology.

Frequently asked questions

What does Niacin treat?

Niacin (Niacin) may be used to treat hypercholesterolemia, pellagra, hypertriglyceridemia, peripheral vascular diseases, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How much does Niacin cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $7.53 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins. Pharmacies pay less for a same-class option, Crestor — about $1.37 on the same basis.

Is there a coupon or discount for Niacin?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Niacin. To pay less, Niacin is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Niacin?

Niacin is marketed by Barr. You can see Barr's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Niacin a brand-name or generic drug?

Niacin is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Niacin. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Niacin available over the counter?

No. Niacin is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Niacin come in?

Niacin is currently marketed as tablet and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Niacin?

Niacin is classified as nicotinic acid, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Niacin FDA-registered?

Niacin is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA076250. You can verify this on its official FDA label.