vandeeje Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I was taking fish oil daily because of the number of great things it is said to do for you, especially with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The problem is that it really upsets my stomach so I stopped taking it. I take omeprazole (Prilosec) every morning because when I was on Wellbutrin I got sick when I ate anything. Anyway, my question is if anyone knows of any specific kinds of fish oil are easier on the stomach and a good place to buy them. I live in a small town where all the prices are inflated so I'm hoping someone knows of a good online site with quality fish oil supplements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think it's good to take for BP and SZ, from what I've read. It's doesn't upset my stomach but here is this FWIW: "Minimize stomach upset when taking fish oil by starting with the lowest possible dose. Gradually increase the dose as your body adjusts to the substance. Take the fish oil at the beginning of a meal to aid in digestive absorption, but do not eat fatty foods with it. According to MayoClinic.com, you can also take frozen fish oil capsules to slow the breakdown in your stomach and reduce digestive upset. Consult your physician for recommendations if you have side effects from taking fish oil capsules. If you take prescription-strength fish oil capsules, choose enteric-coated formulas that help to minimize upset stomach." http://www.livestrong.com/article/498408-fish-oil-capsule-upset-stomach/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandeeje Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Thanks! I did start at a pretty high dose and I never thought of freezing them. Gives me a couple of things to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOT Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Also, enteric coated is supposed to help. I researched a lot before i chose which kind i take. One study i found said Costco brand had the best combo of the different types for mental health. I don't have a costco card, so i get it on www.amazon.com. It's enteric coated. It's called Kirkland Signature. Omega-3 fish oil, 1200 mg with 684 mg of omega-3 epa= 410, dha = 274. the bottle i got has 180 soft gels. I don't remember the price. I've also heard of people freezing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Here are several points I've found: -Buy from a busy store that turns stock over, so you don't get 'stale' caps -A quality name brand may give you better results than generic or store brands -I had good success with a 'concentrated' version of the same brand that yielded smaller capsules -Take the capsules with a meal so it gets mixed in with the meal -Some have said that getting 'fish burps' is one indication of stale oil. I have ditched a couple bottles that were burpy and bought fresh of same brand and had no burps, so there may be something to it. -Start out at a low dosage and see how you do. The brand I buy lately is "Nature Made" sold in Giant grocers on the East Coast. The only other effect/side effect I have had from them is decreased clotting from small cuts, which is not unexpected. This could be a problem for dental work, surgery, etc. In which case it would be good to check with the doctor and perhaps discontinue for a week or two prior. a.m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandeeje Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Do fish oil supplements have expiration dates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 No, just "Spawned On" date. Arrr arrr arrr! Actually, the bottle I have does have an expiration of Jun 2013. How about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandeeje Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 lol, well I may have to go out of town to get fresher ones. Is there any place online that I would be able to check how fresh they are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfranco92 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 You might get stomach aches if you don"t take food with your fish oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuttlefish Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Fish oil can go rancid pretty quickly, so they do have a kind of expiration date. You can lengthen their lifespan by keeping them in the fridge. If you want to be super awesome about it, you could put them in a dark airtight glass container in the fridge, but I don't bother going that far. Also going to add that Krill omega 3 oil doesn't have much of a problem going rancid because it has natural antioxidants in it that prevent the oxidation of the oil. It's also costs more per pill than omega 3 does though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 there is enteric coated fish oil caps also, there are oil, Barlean's with Omega 3's plus other Omega fatty acids and it is orange flavored and I put it in yogurt. It is pretty good. Find it in the refrigerator section of your health food store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teddy Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I take it for both irritability associated with BP and for the pain of fibromyalgia. I eat before I take it and I also take a Zantac 150 with both my morning and evening dose. I would also titrate up very slowly. My birth mother (also BP) takes 3000mg 3x/day but right now I am only at 1200mg 2x/day. I would start with a small dose, maybe even in the evening because I know meds I take in the morning always make me sick. Then go up to 1000 2x/day maybe a couple weeks later and give it a few weeks in between. I had tried it about three years ago but it gave me terrible reflux and diarrhea. I am amazed at how eating even a mini-bagel or piece of bread and taking the Zantac with it has improved my tolerance for it. Also, ironically, it has helped with my IBS. Not sure if that's the fish oil or the Zantac. (Just FYI, I use the generic Walgreen's form of Zantac so you don't have to buy the brand name.) Edited to add: I am also very pleased with how much it has helped with the pain of fibromyalgia. I was taking 600mg of ibuprofen three times a day to manage the pain and now I MAYBE take 600mg once a day. Truly amazing. I didn't really buy it when my birth mother told me to take it because she's very artsy-fartsy, earthy, natural-y and annoying but I thought what the fuck and I am so glad I listened. She's the one who recommended the zantac and to eat when I take it. She also said she started off at 1000mg a day and has gotten up to 3000mg 3x/day, which just seems insane to me but I would stop at the level where your symptoms feel alleviated. Right now, I'm really happy with the 1200mg 2x/day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtlessAesthetic Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I thought it was just me! They give me a dicky tummy even though I take a Omeprazole twice a day. What I find helpful for minimising the stomach ache is taking the capsules after a meal, taking them after a glass of milk, or a yoghurt, and if all else fails, always keeping a big bottle of Gaviscon handy. They seem to make my stomach less able to tolerate spicy/acidic foods, so I've cut out citrus fruit, tomatoes, spice and caffeinated coffee, which has helped a bit with the stomach ache. I'm not sure if there's a way of checking how fresh they are online, but if you live near a health food store, or even a large pharmacy, they should be easy enough to find on the shelves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandeeje Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Thanks everyone for the tips. I've been really wanting to go back to taking the fish oil supplements because of the million things they say it's good for. I think I will start with a smaller dose this time and try freezing them. I always ate when I took it before but I think I might have overdone it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Fish oil supplements lower my blood pressure drastically, so I cant take them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 The only effect I've had from fish oil is an increase in good cholesterol, but that's worth it, IMHO. Enteric coated that don't digest in your stomach can really help, and you won't get fishy burps from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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