Are Fibric Acid & Fish Oil Ok To Use Together?

Fibric acid and fish oil both provide heart benefits, but worries about drug interactions may stop you from taking them together. Understanding what these substances do to your body and how they react together helps you make the right choice for you, although you should consult your health-care provider before taking any medications.

About Fibric Acid

Fibric acid, also known as fibrates, are synthetic drugs that are used to increase the healthy types of cholesterol, lower the bad cholesterol and decrease the amount of triglycerides in your blood stream. A study published in the June 2010 issue of "Diabetes Care" indicates that taking fibric acid in conjunction with statins, another drug used to correct cholesterol, helped to treat metabolic syndrome.

About Fish Oil

Fish oil is touted as a source of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, or DHA and EPA, respectively. Collectively, these fats are known as omega-3 fatty acids. Your physician may recommend taking fish oil supplements or getting fish oil naturally through the consumption of fatty fish as a means of reducing heart problems, including an abnormal heart rhythm and heart attacks.

Taking Fibric Acid and Fish Oil

Drug interactions can be problematic when combining certain medications. However, Drugs.com reports that there are no negative side effects with taking fibric acid and fish oil together, but cautions that interactions may exist that haven't been reported. The recommended dosage of fish oil stands at 1 to 4 grams per day, while dosage for fibric acid ranges from 35 to 105 milligrams daily.

Considerations

Just because fibric acid and fish oil do not react to each other doesn't mean they cannot present health hazards. Fish oil may contain environmental toxins such as dioxins, methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls that can trigger nervous system problems. You should not take fibric acid if you have severe kidney, liver or gallbladder problems.