Why does a hot shower after niacin feel so good?

[Michael D. Kersey]

I usually take 1000 mg of niacinamide each morning along with other
megavitamins. But I inadvertently purchased niacin one day while in a
rush at the drugstore. Arriving home I realized my error and put it on
the back shelf behind my niacinamide.

Yesterday I ran out of niacinamide and unwittingly grabbed the niacin
bottle behind it and took 1000 mg of niacin. After about 5 minutes I
realized my error! My skin began to tingle and flush and turned red: I
was Lobster-Man! I wanted to scratch everywhere badly. So I took a hot
shower. The hotter the water, the better it felt. I kept cranking up the
heat until it was was almost burning my skin, yet it felt wonderful. My
best description is that, as a sensation, a hot shower while under the
influence of niacin ranks up there with sex!

Question is, why does niacin do this and what is happening to my skin
when I take a hot shower under these circumstances? Why does it feel so
good?

Years ago on a camping trip I got chiggers. These small insects burrow
under your skin and then itch fiercely for about 3-4 days until they
die. I found that a hot shower was _wonderful_ for about 15 minutes
relief: then the itching would slowly return. The niacin doesn't itch as
much as the chiggers, but the hot shower sensations are identical.

So, way I see it, chiggers' itch and niacin itch have something in
common: they are both temporarily cured by an extremely hot shower that
feels like the Kahuna scratch. But I'd really like to know what's going
on here physiologically when the hot water hits my skin.
Thanks,
Michael D. Kersey

[Carly]

I go through this with allergies. When I would have hives or start
itching from touching the dog, etc., I used to put my hands or
whatever in cold water. Then my sister said to try the hottest water I
could stand.

You reach this point where it intensifies the itch and then the itch
stops. I think it's like counter-irritation. I believe that's why
capsaicin (sp?) creams work for some people who have pain. Although
that also supposedly affects substance P which is tied directly to
pain.

Anyway, whenver I get around something that makes me itch (but the
skin isn't broken or raw), I use that hot water!!

-carly

[Luvmfat]

For my excema too, the hot shower works.

In article <35845BA3...@hal-pc.org>, mdke...@hal-pc.org wrote:
>I usually take 1000 mg of niacinamide each morning along with other
>megavitamins. But I inadvertently purchased niacin one day while in a
>rush at the drugstore. Arriving home I realized my error and put it on
>the back shelf behind my niacinamide.
>
>Yesterday I ran out of niacinamide and unwittingly grabbed the niacin
>bottle behind it and took 1000 mg of niacin. After about 5 minutes I
>realized my error! My skin began to tingle and flush and turned red: I
>was Lobster-Man! I wanted to scratch everywhere badly. So I took a hot
>shower. The hotter the water, the better it felt. I kept cranking up the
>heat until it was was almost burning my skin, yet it felt wonderful. My
>best description is that, as a sensation, a hot shower while under the
>influence of niacin ranks up there with sex!
>
>Question is, why does niacin do this and what is happening to my skin
>when I take a hot shower under these circumstances? Why does it feel so
>good?
>