Passing a drug test can worry some people, so they may turn to products that might help remove the toxins from their bodies. Today, you learn if Niacin can help you. Find out about the Niacin Flush, dangers associated with it, and much more.
Does Niacin Help Pass a Drug Test?
Drug tests are used in various scenarios. You may have to pass one before you get a job, and employers often request random tests. Other instances where drug tests are needed include child custody cases, probation, and DUI charges.
If the results are positive, you might lose your freedom, children, or job. Therefore, you need an effective way to beat a drug test. One common home remedy to help heavy users and recreational users is by using Niacin or Vitamin B3.
It could help you pass your drug test and is considered safe for use with recommended doses. However, there’s only way sure way to beat a drug test, and that’s by abstaining from substances altogether.
What is the Niacin Flush?
There are two Niacin flush options. The first is a flush over your cheeks that turns your face red. This happens when you use too much or take high doses of the supplement. Though it can be uncomfortable, it’s harmless. Some people experience burning or itching.
Niacin is in the B vitamin family and is often called Vitamin B3. There are two forms of it, and each one is different. You can find Niacin in food, but its’ also in supplements and multivitamins.
When you go to the store, you get Niacinamide/Nicotinamide or nicotinic acid. Nicotinic acid can help you lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of having a heart attack or narrowed blood vessels.
Nicotinamide and Niacinamide are used to prevent skin cancer and can treat psoriasis.
Niacin is water-soluble, so the body can’t store it and use it later. It excretes any excess Vitamin B3 if it’s not required.
The other Niacin Flush comes from B3’s ability to bind with the water-soluble materials and remove toxins and drug metabolites from the body. However, it comes with severe side effects if it’s not used properly, so you should regulate how much you use.
How Does a Niacin Flush Work?
Niacin is often part of THC cleanses and detox pills. However, you don’t have to use those products to remove toxins from the body. Just take Vitamin B3. The therapeutic dose is higher than the RDC values shown.
Typically, the dose of Niacin is based on your age:
- Breastfeeding women should take 17 mg each day.
- Pregnant women need 18 mg each day.
- Females 14 years or older should take 14 mg each day
- Males 14 years or older should have 16 mg each day.
Those are the RDC values, so if you’re taking Niacin to pass a drug test, your dosage is higher and varies by brand. Often, you must take one 500-mg pill each day and drink plenty of water to help flush out the toxins.
Niacin is often used to treat Vitamin B3 deficiencies and hyperlipidemia. If your goal is to buy a Vitamin B3 supplement (that’s the only ingredient), you should check to see how much is in each tablet and make sure you consume 500 mg a day.
However, if you use significant substances, you may raise the amount to 2 grams. At that dose, you burn fat quickly and efficiently, which helps remove the toxins from the body before the test.
The increased fat burn releases the drugs from the fat cells so that they’re removed from your body through waste. On the day of the test, Vitamin B3 creates a yellow color for the urine, which prevents it from looking diluted.
However, too much of it triggers more fat-burning properties, so you want to avoid that during the test.
Are there any dangers in using Niacin?
Healthy individuals rarely have side effects from taking 500 mg to 2 grams of Niacin. However, some people die from consuming too much. The side effects to watch for include:
- Allergic reactions – Though the symptoms vary, you could develop redness, hives, rash, severe itching, swelling, peeling skin, or blisters. This can come with a boost in your body temperature. Some people suffer from throat and chest tightness, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and swelling of the lips, mouth, face, and tongue.
- Elevated sugar levels – Vitamin B3 affects your blood sugar synthesis, so diabetics may have hyperglycemia from insulin resistance. Symptoms can include urinating frequently, being thirsty and hungry, confusion, sleepiness, fruity-smelling breath, or labored breathing.
- Liver damage – If you’ve got liver problems, you may experience upset stomach, poor appetite, light-colored stools, tiredness, stomach pain, skin yellowing, dark-colored urine, nausea, and vomiting. Liver damage and failure can also happen.
Other signs that you’ve used too much Niacin include excessive sweating, pressure in the chest, dizziness, muscle weakness, muscle pain, metabolic acidosis, and shortness of breath.
It’s best to monitor your blood pressure while using Niacin. You may also experience:
- No appetite
- Stomachache
- Diarrhea
- Itching
How to Use Niacin to Pass a Drug Test
Here are the steps to take for using Niacin to pass the drug test:
- Stop using drugs for three to four days before the test.
- Each morning, take 500 mg or 2 grams of Niacin, followed by drinking two full glasses of water.
- Don’t eat fatty foods during this time, and expect to urinate more frequently.
- You should be using 500 mg of Niacin every six hours. Don’t use it more often or take a higher dose.
- In between drinking water, try using Gatorade or a sports drink with electrolytes. That way, you don’t get dehydrated from all the urination.
- On test day, make sure that you get up early enough to take two doses, six hours apart. You may need to set an alarm to take it before you normally wake up.
- Check your urine after each time; if it comes out clear, take a B12 supplement.
- Consider taking one dose of creatine on the day of your test. That ensures that the creatine levels are at the right number before the drug test.
Flush Method
With the flush method, you simply take Vitamin B3 as described above. If you’re not used to having so much of that vitamin in your system, your face is likely to become red and might itch. This is normal and harmless.
However, never take more than 2 grams for a dose because it could cause liver damage or failure.
Flush Free Method
If you worry about the flush you might get from using Niacin, there’s a flush-free method.
You understand how it works and how to use it. Niacin Flush Free is also called Inositol Niacinate or Niacinol. It can enhance your blood flow if you have poor circulation. Plus, you may use it for other medical conditions.
Overall, Niacin Flush Free is used to detox from various drugs. You’ve got to be careful while taking this supplement. Don’t use it if you’re allergic to the components, including inositol niacinate.
This method is designed for people who have bleeding problems or for blood that doesn’t clot properly. It’s not ideal for those with ulcers, liver problems, digestive system conditions, and anyone with high enzyme levels in the liver.
If you take Niacin with prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or recreational drugs, it might be harmful. However, you shouldn’t stop taking prescribed medicine to use Niacin Flush Free.
The method is recommended for urine tests, THC/marijuana detox, and saliva tests. You should follow all instructions carefully.
Generally, you should read the label to ensure that it uses the phrase flush-free formula. Then, follow the directions on the package to use it properly.
How Long It Lasts
Once you’ve taken Niacin, it lasts for up to five hours, but it may get used up in just one hour. That’s why you want to take it at six-hour intervals. You’re flushing your system, even with the flush-free method.
However, some people can’t use regular Niacin because of the flush. It might be embarrassing while at work or be painful.
If you can’t tolerate high doses of regular Niacin, it’s best to use the flush-free method. Overall, it’s an extended-release form of the supplement and might not be as effective because it doesn’t burn fat that well.
One study warns that using inositol hexanicotinate does nothing because it doesn’t convert in the body to nicotinic acid and gives you no Niacin at all. Generally, it stays in your system throughout the day, so you only need to take one dose at 500 mg to 2 grams.
If you consume more than this in a 24-hour period, you risk liver failure or damage. Some people have trouble locating extended-release Niacin because it’s so popular as a drug detox product.
Therefore, you may have to ask your doctor for a prescription or deal with the flush you experience from regular Niacin.
What People Say about Niacin
Now that you know how to use Niacin (regular and flush-free versions), you may wonder what other users say. Does it help you pass a drug test or not?
One person says that Niacin doesn’t work like most detox products because it doesn’t burn fat or cause the fat cells to release the metabolites. Instead, you’re supposed to drink plenty of water so that the urine is clear in color. That way, you know there are no toxins left to flush.
From there, you use Niacin in high amounts to ensure that your urine looks yellow to reduce the risk of being flagged at the testing facility. Overall, Niacin makes the urine appear normal, even if it isn’t.
Another user claims that their skin was on fire from using such high doses (they didn’t try the flush-free method.) They drank plenty of water (about 2 gallons a day) and exercised as much as they could to sweat more and boost the fat-burning process.
One person went so far as to explain how they did it. They used a Vitamin B+ complex supplement, taking two pills two hours before they self-tested. The person used the bathroom one time before testing, and it was negative (showed clean urine).
Can You Test It Beforehand?
If you’re worried that Niacin might not work for you, it’s best to test out the theory before you have to take a drug test.
Purchase a few at-home tests from the drugstore. You can find the Niacin there, as well. Most people try the regular Niacin first to see how bad the flush is and if they can deal with it for a few days.
You can choose the flush-free method, but it might not be as effective.
Start taking the correct dose using the instructions above. Then, use the at-home test to see if it detects any drug metabolites. If you get a positive result, the Niacin didn’t work for you. Try the flush method if you want.
However, if you get a negative result, you know that what you did worked. You’re likely to pass a laboratory urine drug test by using the same product and taking the right dosage.
Conclusion
There’s no scientific evidence that shows Niacin can help people beat their drug tests. The closest proof found is that someone came to the hospital very ill from an overdose of Niacin and tested negative for drugs. However, little is known about the situation, such as how long they waited before going to the ER and the rest.
Overall, Niacin works by dilution if you can drink plenty of water with it. However, you must make sure you’re taking 500 mg and a dose of creatine so that the creatine levels measure correctly. Otherwise, you might be asked to retake the test or have kidney testing.
It’s also good to use an electrolyte drink to replenish the salt levels in the body. That way, you don’t become dehydrated or have those affect the test and come back flagged.
Does Niacin work to pass a drug test? Yes, it does.
