Niacin to Pass a Drug Test Can Have Dangerous Results

Heard the one about how taking a lot of vitamin B3 can help you pass a drug test, even if you have been using marijuana or cocaine? It doesn’t. But it might send you to the emergency room.

The Annals of Emergency Medicine reports in its online edition on several cases in which patients arrived at a hospital suffering ill effects from the vitamin, also known as niacin. The lead author is Dr. Manoj K. Mittal of the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.

The recommended daily intake of niacin is 14 to 16 milligrams, although doctors prescribe it for some medical conditions in dosages up to 5 grams a day. At those levels, it commonly causes side effects, including skin and liver problems.

A 14-year-old boy, went to the emergency room after suffering vomiting, upper abdominal pain and dizziness. He told doctors that he smoked marijuana and that he had taken 11 500-milligram niacin tablets over a 36-hour period.

The other patient, a 17-year-old girl, also suffered from vomiting and dizziness and was unresponsive for several minutes before emergency services were called. She said she had taken five 500-milligram tablets over two days.