Fish oil is one of the few supplements other than vitamins that doctors frequently recommend to help improve your health. This has led to widespread use of fish oil, particularly to help treat high cholesterol. Physicians often suggest taking fish oil supplements along with prescribed medication in the fight against high cholesterol. Like nearly every supplement and medication, however, fish oil can produce some side effects. Consult your doctor before you begin taking fish oil supplements.
Fish Oil
Fish oil supplements from reputable manufacturers contain oils derived from the livers of various types of fish. These oils, categorized as omega-3-acid ethyl esters, contain two beneficial fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, work in your body to help improve your cardiovascular health. If you have really high triglycerides -- types of fatty acids categorized as part of bad cholesterol along with low-density lipoproteins -- your doctor may suggest using a fish oil supplement along with prescription medications such as fenofibric acid.
Benefits
Fish oil supplements can have several benefits. "Surgical Neurology" magazine notes that in a study, fish oil helped people with chronic back pain caused by inflammation. The oil works somewhat like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, to help decrease the inflammation and decrease pain from conditions such as arthritis. More commonly, doctors recommend fish oil supplements to help reduce triglycerides. These fatty acids can accumulate and become attached to the walls of your blood vessels, including your arteries. The deposits become hardened and form plaque. Plaque prevents the normal amount of blood from passing through your circulatory system. This increases your blood pressure and may lead to heart disease and clotting that can cause strokes. Fish oil helps to both restrain triglycerides from building up further and to help clear out the plaque already in place.
Gastric Problems
When you start using fish oil supplement capsules, you may experience some temporary and usually nonserious side effects, including gastric disturbances. Among the most common are belching and a fishy taste in your mouth from the digestion of the fish oil. You also may feel nauseous and possibly vomit when you first take fish oil. Drugs.com notes that dyspepsia, or an upset stomach, usually less severe than nausea, occur in approximately 3.1 percent of the patients who use the supplement. Fortunately, such gastric problems usually dissipate on their own without the need for your physician's intervention. If the side effects feel severe, however, get your doctor's advice.
Solutions
Gastric side effects from fish oil supplements typically only last a few days, so you may not need to do anything to alleviate them. However, if these side effects bother you too much, you can take some over-the-counter medications for nausea or upset stomach. Standard, chewable antacids may help reduce the gastric problems as well. You also can find anti-gas OTC medicines for the belching. If these do not help, ask your doctor what to do. You may not be able to continue using fish oil supplements if you develop severe reactions that do not cease over time.
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