PHILADELPHIA, April 12 Excessive doses of niacin, or vitamin B3, taken in an attempt to defeat drug screening tests can result in toxic side effects, say U.S. researchers.Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania reported two adults and two adolescents suffered toxic side effects from taking large amounts of niacin in attempts to foil urine drug tests.The study, published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, reported the adult patients suffered skin irritation, while the adolescents had potentially life-threatening reactions, including liver toxicity and hypoglycemia, as well as nausea, vomiting and dizziness.The four patients recovered after treatment in hospital emergency rooms, said study leader Dr. Manoj K. Mittal, a fellow in Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital."Because niacin is known to affect metabolic processes, there is a completely unfounded claim that it can rapidly clear the body of drugs such as cannabis and cocaine," Mittal said in a statement. "However, niacin is toxic when taken in large amounts." Copyright 2007 by UPI
