Misusing Vitamin To Foil Drug Test May Be Toxic; Plus, It Doesn't Work

Taking excessive doses
of a common vitamin in an attempt to defeat drug screening tests may send
the user to the hospital -- or worse.



Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The
University of Pennsylvania reported on two adults and two adolescents who
suffered serious side effects from taking large amounts of niacin, also
known as vitamin B3, in mistaken attempts to foil urine drug tests.



Both adult patients suffered skin irritation, while both adolescents
had potentially life-threatening reactions, including liver toxicity and
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), as well as nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
One of the teens also experienced heart palpitations.



All four patients recovered after treatment for the adverse effects.
The report appeared online today in the "Annals of Emergency Medicine."



"Testing urine for drugs is becoming increasingly common among
employers, government agencies and schools," said study leader Manoj K.
Mittal, M.D., a fellow in Emergency Medicine at The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia. "Because niacin is known to affect metabolic processes, there
is a completely unfounded notion that it can rapidly clear the body of
drugs such as cannabis and cocaine. However, not only is niacin ineffective
for this purpose, it is also dangerous when taken in large amounts."



Niacin is easily available as an over-the-counter vitamin supplement.
As a vitamin, the recommended daily intake is 15 milligrams, but niacin is
available in much larger doses at health food stores. "People often assume
niacin is completely safe," said Dr. Mittal. "As a water-soluble vitamin,
it is easily excreted from the body. However, the body has its limits, and
some of these patients took 300 times the daily recommended dose of
niacin." Dr. Mittal added that there is a report in the medical literature
of a patient who suffered liver failure, requiring a liver transplant,
after taking excessive doses of niacin.



Many Internet sites promote the misconception that niacin can be used
to pass urine drug screening tests, Dr. Mittal said. "We hope that our
study will alert the general public, emergency medicine physicians and
other health care providers to this hazardous practice."



In addition to his position at Children's Hospital, Dr. Mittal is an
instructor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His co-
authors are Kevin C. Osterhoudt, M.D., medical director of the Poison
Control Center at Children's Hospital; Todd Florin, M.D.; and Jeanmarie
Perrone, M.D.; all of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine;
and Joao H. Delgado, M.D., of Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn.



About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric
hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional
patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare
professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's
Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children
worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the
country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In
addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have
brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children
and adolescents. For more information, visit chop.


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