Fish oil is a commonly used supplement, because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. These fats can be used to help you reduce inflammation in your body and also lower your risk of having a heart attack. Before taking a fish-oil supplement, be sure to talk with your doctor, as fish oil can interact with some medications -- though these interactions are sometimes positive.
Blood Thinners
One risk of fish-oil supplements is that they make it harder for your platelets to stick together. Although this can help lower your risk of having a heart attack, platelet clumping is also needed for your blood to clot properly. If you are taking fish oil at the same time as other blood thinners, such as Coumadin, you have an increased risk of easy bruising or bleeding and could develop a hemorrhagic stroke, eMedTV reports. This may also apply if you are taking other medications that interfere with blood clotting, such as aspirin or clopidogrel.
Diabetes Medications
Fish oil can also cause a slight increase in your fasting blood glucose levels. This presents an issue if you have diabetes, as tight diabetes control requires you to carefully regulate your blood glucose levels. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that patients taking oral medications for diabetes may need to increase their dosage, and people on insulin therapy may also need to increase the amount of insulin they take each day. On the other hand, MayoClinic.com notes there are no long-term complications in diabetics relating to fish-oil consumption.
Blood Pressure Medications
Fish oil and other omega-3 fatty acid supplements may interact with blood pressure medications. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, known as EPA and DHA, can lower your blood pressure. These supplements should be used with care in people who already have low blood pressure or who are taking medications to lower their blood pressure, as the fish oil could cause their blood pressure readings to get too low. Talk to your doctor if you become dizzy or faint after standing up, and have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
Beneficial Interactions
Fish oil can have some beneficial interactions with medications. For example, taking fish oil with cyclosporine can reduce some of the side effects of this potent drug, such as kidney and liver damage, which can occur with transplant patients. Fish oil can also interact with corticosteroids to better treat psoriasis. Finally, fish oil supplements may be able to help reduce stomach ulcers in patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, though this effect is still being examined, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports.
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