I take lipitor 40mg, and have just been diagnosed with osteo arthritis, is it safe to take fish oil capsules?

Question

my doctor wants me to start taking 1000mg fish oil caps 3 x daily to help ease the pain but has said this may cause the bad fats to go up in my cholestrol, does anyone know any other remedys other than fish oil that may bring relief without tampering with my cholestrol levels

Answer 1

I did my thesis research on fish oil in cardiovascular patients experiencing CABG induced depression (by-pass).  

I think your doctor might have it wrong - it should cause your LDL to go down by about 5-8% over a couple of months, and your HDL to go up by about the same...(the easy way to remember them L stands for Lethal, thats the bad one H stand for healthy, thats the good one)

If it was dangerous at all for cardiovascular patients, I dont think that the ethics board (or the cardiologists) would have been so enthusiastic about giving it to thier patients. Fish oil has all sorts of heart benefits.

Do some research and talk to your doctor about what you find some more

No matter what, you should always feel comfortable with, and in charge of your health decisions.

Answer 2

Your doctor is right and wrong:

He is right on suggesting the fish pills- the Omega-3 fatty acids are natural blood thinners that thin the blood w/o bad side effects. (Lipitor is bad stuff)

He is also wrong about making your (bad) cholesterol go up.

Do not worry about your cholesterol #. Cholesterol is your best friend- it is what keeps us alive. Increased cholesterol (either one) is just a side effect of something else.

Cholesterol keeps tiny tears and rips in our arteries patched up. w/o the cholesterol, we would have massive internal bleeding, and die. It's what is INSIDE the (bad) cholesterol that's causing the fuss- there are tiny "critters" in the bad cholesterol thats causing reactions, side effects like elevated cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), ect.

Just take the fish pills, eat a healthier diet w/ less sugar/wheat/egg/milk/soy in it, no coffee or soda, and lot more water. You will feel a difference later on. Also, check these websites below.

Answer 3

Your doctor sounds ********** Take your fish oil if you want.   Diminish carbs and do aerobic excersize.  No smoking.

Watch this

http://www.thewellnessdoc.com/custom/dr....

Answer 4

The fish oil is the good fat, my Mom takes them along with her cholesterol medication and it is not only good for the bad cholesterol, but, also very good for your heart and memory.  Just make sure you get a good brand of Omega 3 fish oil.

Answer 5

Hi Yappa.  This is an area of intense research.  Here are the conclusions of one recent research study on this issue:

"The results demonstrate that DHA-rich fish oil supplementation (2.16 g DHA/day) can improve plasma lipids in a dose-dependent manner in patients taking statins and these changes were achieved by 3 months.  Fish oil in addition to statin therapy may be preferable to drug combinations for the treatment of combined hyperlipidemia." (1)

I am curious why you are taking statins at all?  Have you had a heart attack or stroke.  If you have, then the medical research indicates that statins may be beneficial in what is called "secondary prevention".  However, if you have not had a major cardiovascular event, then the use of statins is highly questionable, not supported by scientific evidence (for primary prevention), and may be dangerous.  

From the British Medical Journal: "...many trials of statins have failed to show any reduction whatsoever in all cause mortality." (2)

From the Canadian Medical Association Journal:  (in the setting of primary prevention) "...it is unclear whether the benefits of statins outweight the harms." (3)

From the Lancet: In a review of 8 randomized trials of statins for primary prevention they found: "Total mortality was not reduced by statins."  "The frequency of cardiovascular events...was reduced by statins...However, the absolute risk reduction of 1.5% is small and means that 67 people have to be treated for 5 years to prevent one such event."  "Statins did not reduce total coronary heart disease events in 10,990 women in these primary prevention trials." (4)

So, you might be wise to insist that your doctor treat your health without these nearly useless (and potentially dangerous) drugs.  The medical research is very, very clear - diet and lifestyle modification should be the FIRST line of treatment - because they, and only they, treat the CAUSE of cardiovascular disease.  

Note: atherosclerosis / cardiovascular disease is NOT a lipid/cholesterol disease, but rather, a chronic inflammatory disease! - New England Journal of Medicine 1999, and every scientific paper since then!  So, focusing on artificially manipulating lipids with dangerous drugs (without finding and fixing the CAUSE of any lipid abnormality) is NOT scientifically defensible in 2008.  

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 6

Fish oil is a natural substance, so I wouldn't worry.  It is all- around one of the most beneficial suppliments you can take.  Just make sure you use a quality brand.  Sam's Club has good prices on large quantities, and they usually carry a decent level of quality.