Warning

Do not take Niacin. I repeat, DO NOT TAKE NIACIN.

Why you ask? Let me tell you a little story.

A girlfriend of mine gave me a few weeks ago a list of vitamins and supplements to take. You know for your hair, detoxing, skin, blah blah blah. One of the vitamins on that list is Niacin.

On Sunday, I took one of each of the pills I ordered. About, ohhhh an hour and a half later I was in the laundry room doing my laundry when all of a sudden I got really hot. Out of no where, I felt like I was getting a heat rash. I started sweating and felt my face get all weird. I literally threw my clothes in the dryer and high tailed it out of there.

When I got to the elevator I looked in the mirror and my face was covered in sweat and looked red. It was hard to tell since the lighting was low but I could swear my face was swelling.

Oh yea it was indeed fucking swelling.

I got in my apartment, looked in the mirror and starting freaking out. My entire body was red. And I mean RED. Like a fucking lobster. And I was on fire along with being itchy as fuck. Imaging this, you sat in the sun for 5 hours without sunscreen and then proceeded to take a hot shower scrubbing yourself with a brillo pad.

That's exactly how I felt. Fun right?

Let's also not forget my face. It was so swollen I couldn't see my lips. (oh you don't think that is possible? Well it is.)

What do I do? Of course I call my mother. As I am freaking out and saying I need to go to the hospital she is saying this is some chemical warfare / gas leak shit (since 9/11 it's always borderline terrorism with her.).

So she instructs me to put a cold washcloth on my face, take a cold shower then put teabags on my eyes - you know to draw out the chemicals - and call her back in 10 minutes. I do this then lift the tea bags and my vision is blurred. I call her:

"I can't see. My vision is blurred."

"Ok, well did you press down hard on the tea bags over your eyes?"

"What? I dunno! Yes, no, maybe? I'm freaking out here! I have to go to the hospital! I mean all I have had today is a muscle milk (for the protein - natch) and vitamins."

"Wait - vitamins?"

I proceed to list out all the vitamins I took. She immediately gets on the computer and starts searching (side note - no one can search on the internet like my mom.).

"Can you breathe?"

"Yes"

"Is your stomach ok?"

"Yes"

"Ok, stay calm and relax."

"Do you think I can smoke a cigarette? That will calm me down."

"If you can breathe, yes."

Come to find out, I am having an allergic reaction to Niacin - somewhat. Somewhat you ask? Yes somewhat. Because, see, Niacin should make you flush in the skin, but, you really should only take 50mg a day. Me? I took 500mg. (what? thats all they had on GNC)

I now have to go to the pharmacy (thank god it is on the corner of my street) to get Benedryll (I have no idea how to spell that, and I am sooooo over spell check right now.). I of course keep her on the phone with me.

So here I am in Duane Reade ripping open a box of pills before I pay and pound down 3.

It worked. Though I was still a little pink Monday morning. And the weirdest part, this happened to my Aunt a week prior. You would think though this little story of hers would come up during our daily phone call. Would have saved me the trouble.