Aspirin therapy may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Fish oil also has potential benefits for preventing stroke and heart disease. Taking them together has some theoretical benefits. Consult a doctor before taking aspirin and fish oil at the same time because doing so may also have unwanted effects.
Eicosanoid Pattern
Taking low-dose aspirin and fish oil together may be more beneficial more than taking aspirin alone in some cases because the combination is more effective for improving your eicosanoid pattern, according to a 2001 study published in "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids." Eicosanoids are hormone-like substances that your cells produce. Some of these substances reduce pain, enhance your immune system and prevent blood clots. Others promote pain and blood clotting and suppress your immune system. You need a balance between these substances for good health and fish oil plus aspirin promotes such a balance better than aspirin therapy alone, according to lead study author K. Engström. The main types of eicosanoids are leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes. The 2001 study found that the combination of aspirin and fish oil decreased blood levels of thromboxane more than aspirin alone. Also, certain leukotrienes were increased when aspirin was taken alone but decreased after taking a combination of fish oil and aspirin.
Bleeding Risk
Taking aspirin and fish oil together raises your risk for bleeding and bruising. Taking aspirin alone can prolong bleeding time by 34 percent, while taking fish oil alone can prolong bleeding time by 9 percent. Taking them together, however, can prolong bleeding time by 78 percent, according to "Meyler's Side Effects of Endocrine and Metabolic Drugs," by J. K. Aronson. Especially avoid this combination if you have a bleeding or clotting disorder.
Classification
While taking aspirin and fish oil together does raise bleeding risk, MedlinePlus classifies this interaction as "minor," a step down from "moderate." Still, consult a doctor before combining these substances. Also take care when using fish oil with other drugs that interfere with your blood's clotting action including warfarin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin and heparin. Fish oil has "moderate" interactions with other drugs, according to MedlinePlus. These include high blood pressure medicines, birth control pills and orlistat.
Considerations
Also inform your doctor of any herbal supplements you take. For example, willow, angelica, turmeric, clove, red clover, dansheen, Panax ginseng, garlic, ginkgo and ginger also may slow clotting, further magnifying risk for bruising and bleeding. Certain health conditions also raise your risk for bleeding. These include heart failure, stomach ulcers and asthma, according to MayoClinic.com.
References
- "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids"; Effect of Low-Dose Aspirin in Combination with Stable Fish Oil on Whole Blood Production of Eicosanoids; K. Engström, et al.; 2001
- "Fish Oil"; Joseph C. Maroon and Jeffrey Bost; 2006
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Synthesis of Eicosanoids; Joyce J. Diwan; 2008
- "Meyler's Side Effects of Endocrine and Metabolic Drugs"; J. K. Aronson; 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Daily Aspirin Therapy; June 2010
- MedlinePlus: Fish Oil; February 2011
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