Clopidogrel and Omega 3

[Taviterry]

Previously I've mentioned how a nutritionist friend of mine has many times insisted that I should take Omega 3 supplements "to balance my system". I've had eight or nine hard sales pitches for them - and on one occasion thought that she, an Ukrainian, would make a good interrogator of Russian prisoners of war, such was her persistence! Before my severe aortic stenosis was diagnosed, she even paid for a blood test that showed that some very obscure levels weren't too bad but could do with improving.

I'm now on Clopidogrel, and there's the usual wide range of on-line expert advice about the wisdom of taking fish-oil supplements with it, the main problem apparently being that they can increase anti-coagulation. I already average three servings of oily fish each week. The Omega 3 that she's recommending , from deep-sea fish, would cost £2 a day ...

Being an outdoor type, I'm at risk of scratches and cuts, though in the 18 months since my TAVI I've only had two, from thorns. On both occasions, it took a while for the watery blood flow to stop.

Any thoughts, any experiences to report, please?

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I would suggest you consult a pharmacist if you intend to take any Omega 3 'supplements' whether natural or not alongside any medication you are taking especially if there is a suspicion of an interaction. If you do that you have then got a balanced view alongside that of your nutritionist friend. However if it were me I would be to really drilling down to establish what real added benefits am I going to get for spending over £700 p.a. on something I am not really sure about in spite of no doubt well meaning but nonetheless very persuasive advice from others.

[Mentdent]

I often wonder where a lot of “nutritionists” get their qualifications.

[Parsley56 in reply to Mentdent]

I absolutely agree! A 'nutritionist' is NOT a dietician, who is rigorously trained and qualified. It seems anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.

[Mentdent in reply to Parsley56]

Couldn’t agree more.

[Alison_L]

Omega 3 is Omega 3. The tablets costing 5 or 10p a day will be barely different from those costing £2. Talk to your local pharmacist and see if they think there would be any benefit with your blood results and already fishy diet.

[DWizza]

You can’t beat eating the real thing. I wouldn’t go for the supplement. Does she by chance sell a product by Forever Living Products or Herbal Life? Or another multi level marketing company As it sounds like a pretty hard pitch. Is she really a nutritionist ? What qualifications?

As already mentioned above , you’ll be spending a pretty penny or re purchasing. I’d concentrate on upping vit D if in UK but again , as already mentioned, check in with your pharmacist. Be alive to the fact that your friend is trying to sell you something. Are you on Clopidogrel for 12 months ? I was stopped after 12. Keep eating the oily fish 👍🏻

[Partner20]

There are studies which suggest taking Omega 3 is contraindicated when on medications such as clopidogrel or aspirin due to possible effects in blood-clotting. Including fatty fish in your diet is fine, but the high, concentrated levels of Omega 3 found in a supplement are quite different from those ingested from a food source. I would most definitely do your own research and seek advice from a pharmacist and your medical team before embarking on such supplementation. FYI you can buy "clean", good-quality Omega 3 capsules from many manufacturers at a far cheaper price than your friend is quoting. As mentioned by a previous poster, is it possible that this person has a monetary reason to promote their recommended brand? Personally I would be very suspicious.

[Tlyna in reply to Partner20]

I was taking some Omega 3 supplements at one time but since having my TAVR I have not touched them as I am on Clopidogrel. I do eat salmon and other fish but not to excess. I don't want to risk problems.

[Partner20 in reply to Tlyna]

Omega 3 taken in normal dietary form of oily fish should prove beneficial, as long as not eaten to excess. It is the high concentrated amount found in supplements which can prove problematic, but you have wisely stopped these.

[Tlyna in reply to Partner20]

I live near the sea and tend to eat more fish than other types of meat so have moderated my amount for now. Actually considering the fish are my main protein intake I probably won't go back on the supplements after going off the Clopidogrel.

[Partner20 in reply to Tlyna]

Sounds as if you have a well-balanced diet with a good intake of everything you need, so no need of supplements of any sort. Food sources of vitamins and minerals are far better than those obtained in supplements, anyway. Wishing you well.

[JAVA12]

As a vegetarian, I buy flaxseed from a local shop, grind it up and add a spoonful to either porridge or yoghurt every day. It’s a natural source of omega 3 I believe.

[JAVA12]

Thanks for that. I had no idea.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to JAVA12]

I suggest you check with a registered accountable professional such as a dietician.

[JAVA12 in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks. I’m afraid we don’t seem to have one at our surgery. The dietitian nurse there said my pre diabetic husband could eat a Mr Kipling apple pie every day but not two fresh apples!

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to JAVA12]

🤦‍♀️

[JAVA12]

Thanks so much for this. I am definitely going to get some supplements with the required Omega 3. I just looked on Holland and Barrett site and they do a gel pack that is on offer at the moment so am going to try that. My whole family is veggie but with my husband also having a heart condition, I need to get this right. Thanks all

[Taviterry]

Wow, lots of replies in my short absence, thanks. A prize goes to Dwizza for sussing that my friend is a Forever Living agent, though the Omega 3 she's touting come from Zinzino. I had my doubts when she started off (confirmed by checking comments on the Web), and an acquaintance commented that it was a good way of losing friends. She does very well out of it and has been to conferences in Oslo and the Canary Isles this year. (She showed me a clip of one event, and it reminded me of those given over to religious fervour.)

Before I started this thread, I Googled (again) and the first piece of research to which I was led had found no harmful interaction between Clopidogrel and Omega 3, but from my past investigations I know that most advice is not to mix, or take only a very small amount of Omega 3.

As for seeking advice, I've had three conflicting pieces of guidance about antacids and Clopidogrel, my GP even recommending Omiprazole (!!!) and the chemist's pharmacist saying that the combination was acceptable in extreme cases (!?). Few health professional have the time and knowledge to assess all one's medication and OTC supplements (I take four of the latter, two on prescription, two with the approval of a cardiologist) in combination with one's changing medical circumstances.

I treble– and even quadruple– check everything I'm told. I have a note of everything I'm taking, when to take them and possible effects after extended use. I tweak this from time to time as I discover some new possible factor.

One cardiologist (admittedly a colleague of my friend) also recommended I take Omega 3. And a Polish friend has just taken her mother to a cardiologist– geriatrician who diagnosed aortic stenosis – and suggested a small daily dosage of 2g Omega 3; at her stage Mum probably isn't on Clopidogrel – I wasn't).

[Partner20 in reply to Taviterry]

You are absolutely correct that omeprazole is contraindicated when on clopidogrel, and pharmacists, if not GPs, should know this. However, pantaprazole, a similar PPI, is fine to take with clopidogrel, in fact this is a combination prescribed to my partner by his stroke consultant.

[Taviterry]

All this confirms my belief that I should refuse - again - my friend's advice. It could lead to awkwardness, as she's my nearest "support" and was very solicitous in October when an ambulance took me to Same Day Emergency Treatment, wanting to drive 22 miles to visit me and take me home. Although she's twice "rescued" relatives from Eastern Ukraine, I think that even she would have been challenged by driving into my large town in the early rush hour, locating me in a large hospital (having parked her car -a problem at any time) and taking me home!

She's also keen on my eating more greens, though I note that Vit K can diminish the effects of Clopidogrel - so, if Omega 3 enhances it, perhaps the two cancel each other out! 😆

Whatever, I shall remind her that I'm an outdoor type and may yet resume voluntary environmental work, with the attendant risks of cuts and scratches and dripping blood that's difficult to stem. And sooner or later, I need the remains of a tooth extracted, and though the latest advice is not to pause Clopidogrel, Omega 3 wouldn't help the situation.

There's also the challenge of when to take any more pills, I've just remembered that now is the time of day I should take a couple of supplements, between meals.