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Original poster

To tell you about niacin

26 replies

amoobaa · 14/08/2021 23:27

A couple of weeks ago I broke out in a weird burning rash/ blotchy skin reaction all over my hands, arms, legs, face... it came on really suddenly and it felt as if I had suddenly been sunburnt, my skin was stinging, patches of my arms and legs were turning bright red in front of my eyes... alarmingly I could actually see it develop and spread across my skin, and it felt a bit itchy.

It subsided as suddenly as it came on, about an hour or so after it started.

I had no idea what caused it but in a desperate attempt to try and stop it (and because I was feeling so hot) I took all my clothes off and around the time I stripped, is when it began to subside.

So I assumed it was a reaction to washing powder (I get a reaction unless I use non-bio) and we’d been away and used some unfamiliar washing powder. I’d never had such a strong and sudden reaction but it was the only thing that made sense if it.

Fast forward to just now... it happened again.

Definitely no unfamiliar washing powder... so what did I do that was the same as before?

Nutritional yeast flakes.

Way too much.

Way way too much. Dunno what I was thinking to be honest. I was mindlessly pouring the stuff all over my dinner whilst watching tv.

Anyway. Turns out you can get a severe flushing reaction to niacin... which is found in quite high levels in nutritional yeast flakes. At least in the quantities I was consuming anyway.

I would have massively appreciated knowing this, especially the first time it happened... as I thought I was having some kind of anaphylactic reaction (it made me feel dizzy and my throat was itchy too)... plus I was watching the rash develop in front of my eyes... it was so bright and fast.

So, for anyone else eating stupidly large quantities of food with a high niacin content, I thought this might be a random bit of useful info.

God knows why anyone would eat nutritional yeast fakes (it looks like fish food) in such large quantities. Don’t know what I was thinking really.

But there you are... if you’ve ever had a sudden flushing reaction and still haven’t got to the bottom of it, maybe you consumed too much niacin...

If you’re already well aware of this, I’d be most grateful to hear if anyone knows if it’s safe for me to continue breastfeeding for the next few hours?

I wonder how much transfers into breastmilk.

I must have had close to 1000mg.

Absolutely Ludicrous, I know.

OP posts:
autumnboys · 14/08/2021 23:30

I had no clue about this, so thanks for sharing. Flowers

Original poster
amoobaa · 14/08/2021 23:38

You’re very welcome... I wish I’d known about this before I ate my weight in niacin rich foods... turns out it’s in a lot of things I’ve been eating. I ate way too much peanut butter today (well, in general) and apparently that has a fair amount in it too Confused

OP posts:
PricklesTheHedgehog · 14/08/2021 23:48

Thanks, I didn't know this.

Theunamedcat · 14/08/2021 23:51

Can I ask what you were trying to achieve by eating it? Is it good for anything?

PullTheWeeds · 14/08/2021 23:57

Ahhh Haa!! I had this once, about 5 years ago, like a hot flush and my skin went bright red and hot like sunburn. Ive never been as hot in all my life. Like you, I stripped off, I also had a cold shower, and it gradually subsided. It's never happened since.

But do u know what, I had also been eating food sprinkled in nutritional yeast at the time. I had wondered if it were to do with the sprinkles at the time but thought no more of it afterwards. My brain had associated the experience with the nutritional yeast taste though so I did go off it and didn't eat it for a while but hadn't actually realised it was the culprit. Thank you for ur info! That is good to know!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 14/08/2021 23:59

@Theunamedcat

Can I ask what you were trying to achieve by eating it? Is it good for anything?
Vegans use a lot of it to replace the flavour of savoury and salty things like cheese (as well as extra vitamins). Often referred to as 'Nooch' in recipes.
EBearhug · 15/08/2021 00:03

I'm low in B12, and nutritional yeast is meant to be good for that, too, though I'm waiting to see what my latest blood test results are and what the GP says before adjusting my diet.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/08/2021 00:05

It's the Vit B, isn't it? I've read about that.

54321nought · 15/08/2021 00:07

interesting info, thank you

AlexisRoseBoop · 15/08/2021 00:18

I take a niacin supplement (100mg) with meals. Sometimes I get the flush and quite enjoy it! It is good for blood flow.

AlexisRoseBoop · 15/08/2021 00:19

Niacin is vitamin B3. In many supplements they use niacinamide instead, which doesn’t cause the flush.

BrownEyedSquirrel · 15/08/2021 00:26

This is so interesting as I eat this all the time. How much did you have?! I usually have about a tablespoon on my pasta...

Berkeys · 15/08/2021 00:29

I can’t have folic acid and have to get the nutritional yeast that has natural folate in instead. It’s actually quite common too yet few know about it!

NoNotMeNoSiree · 15/08/2021 00:31

I bloody love nooch (nutritional yeast) and had no idea about this so thanks for sharing!
I sprinkle it all over my pasta, have it on toast....
Will keep this on mind and try not to go too bonkers with it in future!

Fontella · 15/08/2021 00:32

I'm vegetarian and use nutritional yeast in lots of things. What I notice is, even a small amount turns my pee fluorescent yellow. It's the B vitamins.

EBearhug · 15/08/2021 00:35

I think it's riboflavin (b2) which does the yellow thing. You pee out any excess the body can't use.

Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:37

Yes- as a few people have mentioned, it is full of B vitamins and folic acid... which is useful for me as I don’t eat meat. I just didn’t realise quite how much... and I ended up eating far too much. It’s often used as a cheese substitute in our household- so I had been sprinkling it over (and over and over) my dinner like Parmesan Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:42

No worries, glad it helped! I can completely understand how this is still so clear in your mind, even five years later... because it’s such a strong and alarming reaction! It’s amazing that your brain associated the experience with the correct culprit (mine associated it with the mushrooms I’d eaten! Ha!) now I can safely go back to enjoying mushrooms again Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:47

Good luck with your blood test @EBearhug and yes, sounds like a good idea to wait before making any drastic changes to your diet... though sure a normal serving of the stuff won’t do any harm (my serving was far from normal!)

OP posts:
Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:50

Yes, it certainly got my blood flowing!! It’s like all my capillaries were on fire Shock I wonder what’s actually happening at a cellular level!? And I’m glad you have a good reaction not a bad one!!

OP posts:
Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:53

@AlexisRoseBoop I had no idea! Interesting how they can use an alternative form that doesn’t cause the flush...

OP posts:
Original poster
amoobaa · 15/08/2021 01:55

@BrownEyedSquirrel

This is so interesting as I eat this all the time. How much did you have?! I usually have about a tablespoon on my pasta...
Lots... and lots. Many many teaspoons. Not my proudest moment Blush certainly learnt my lesson Grin
OP posts:
sunnymoo · 15/08/2021 02:06

my daughter had to stop eating nutritional yeast too, as she used to get a skin reaction

NoNotMeNoSiree · 15/08/2021 02:09

@Theunamedcat

Can I ask what you were trying to achieve by eating it? Is it good for anything?
@Theunamedcat It's used a lot as a vegan substitute for cheese - think parmesan over pasta for example. Rich in B vitamins
EBearhug · 15/08/2021 02:21

sounds like a good idea to wait before making any drastic changes to your diet...

I should be getting them Monday, so it's not far off! I am wary of yeast, though - about 20 years ago, I did Operation Raleigh, and spent about 3 months with no bread, mushrooms or beer, and at the end, the first time I ate bread again, I came up in the most impressive hives, so had to cut out all yeasty things. I have since been able to introduce them over time, though I don't drink anyway, and don't eat that much bread. But mushrooms and Marmite feature. I also eat meat and dairy, so I'm not sure why B12 is low.

I "saw" a nutritionist some months ago, (all by phone, obviously,) because I wanted to talk about diet that's good for iron (have been refused to give blood donations various times because of it,) but a lot of the things which are good for it are red meat (bad for cholesterol, which us high,) and dried apricots (bad for blood sugar, which us high), and I already eat a lot of leafy green veg and stuff. And she just kept saying, join Weight Watchers, lose weight I have list some weight this year, though not with WW, but even if I did join, I wanted specific advice, because my diet doesn't seem to be giving me the nutrients it should, and she just didn't listen to what I was asking. And then the B12 came up, too, so I feel vindicated in asking the question. Although, AFAIK, I'd get the same nutritionist if I got another referral, and I've no idea if she'll have got any better at listening in the intervening time, and the situation is clearly still passing me off, I don't think it would be a good working relationship.