steroids

[Wesie59]

can I take cod liver oil capsules with steroids

[winfong]

Drugs.com says no interactions

[PMRnewbie2017]

No interaction but are you taking a vitamin D supplement? It may be in Adcal if you've been prescribed a calcium supplement. Cod liver oil contains high levels of vit D and Vit A. Both are stored in fatty tissue and unlike water soluble vitamins are not excreted so can reach toxic levels. If you want to increase your Omega 3 intake what about using flax oil?

[Freshairfiend in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Oh dear, I’ve been taking fish oil supplements and multivitamins and something else with vitamin d.. I take a lot of supplements for various things. pharmacist said ok, just take them more than two hours before or after steroids to be really sure. I read that flax oil isn’t as helpful as fish oil, can’t remember why.

[Orange_2022]

This might help healthline.com/nutrition/fl....

But maybe change from cod liver oil to fish oil to avoid taking too much vitamin A. You can take quite a lot of vitamin D - government guidelines are very low and we probably need much more.

If you check out Zoe - Tim Spector's nutrition programme- there are some useful videos. Tim Spector however has a slightly different view on vitamin D supplements vs other experts. The body does store it so if your diet is very good and you get light on your skin regularly you may need fewer supplements. (I'm currently taking 1800 iu Vit D but will drop to about half that once we get some sun!) We're all different though.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Orange_2022]

TimS's views on vit D may be fair enough - however, don't forget that all these things apply to HEALTHY people. Autoimmune disease and pred BOTH deplete vit D in the body. Age also has an effect on vit D production, At 65 you make about a quarter of the vit D in the skin that you did at 20. Part is lifestyle changes - we tend to wear more clothes than teens and 20s do - but also the running down of biochemical processes in the body with age. And there is next to no vit D in diet - unless you eat a lot of wild salmon (8oz a day), 17 eggs or a few pounds of UV-irradiated mushrooms.

[Orange_2022 in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly. Hence most of us needing much more than Govt recommendation. I was tested by rheumatologist in Sept 2022 when he diagnosed me with PMR. I've got fair skin, had been in the sun during the summer AND was taking some vitamin D but was still at the low end of the recommended level!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Orange_2022]

I find if I don't take 4000 IU a day all year round, my blood level slowly falls to below even the NHS recommended level! There is so much dispute about supplementing it and whether it improves outcomes but there is never a consideration of different ages, different health statuses. The latest I saw was "it doesn't improve CV outcomes" as if that meant it shouldn't be used for anything else either. And it doesn't really address the question of how much a deficient/suboptimal level in early life contributes to later problems. A study in Finland found supplementing neonates with vit D cut the incidence of Type1 diabetes in teenage years. Evidence of something early on ...

[Orange_2022 in reply to PMRpro]

Interesting. I started on much higher all year round dose when Covid started and am definitely keeping it up now. A friend's theory is that my 'milder' PMR is because of this....it's a theory!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Orange_2022]

I wouldn't describe my PMR as milder - although I haven't had the same problems as a lot of people complain about. But then. I never compromised on pred either.

[Megams in reply to PMRpro]

~Excellent response PMRpro - interesting and always informative.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I see the risks of adding up all your supplements has already been pointed out so I won't say it all again, just underline it. I do hope that the pharmacist added up all the contents before approving - of course they would encourage you to take them, they are making money out of the sales.

Recent research has also shown that omega 3s are not the wonder cure they have been presented as in the past. You are better getting the stuff in supplements from a good diet - spend your money on better food! And more is not always an advantage, too much can be worse than too little with many micronutrients and vitamins.

TimS's views on vit D may be fair enough - however, don't forget that all these things apply to HEALTHY people. Autoimmune disease and pred BOTH deplete vit D in the body. Age also has an effect on vit D production, At 65 you make about a quarter of the vit D in the skin that you did at 20. Part is lifestyle changes - we tend to wear more clothes than teens and 20s do - but also the running down of biochemical processes in the body with age.

[Sharitone in reply to PMRpro]

The problem with omega 3 for non fish eaters is getting any in the diet. There are only so many walnuts and flax seeds you can take!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sharitone]

pasture-raised eggs

omega-3-enriched eggs

meats and dairy products from grass-fed animals

hemp seeds

soybeans

vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, and purslane

My point was more though that you don't need as much as you think!

[Sharitone in reply to PMRpro]

Very helpful, all the same! thanks