# Fish oil, arthritis, heartburn!! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641 "2015-08-12T08:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/1 "2015-08-12T08:31:58Z")
Sooo, I have mild arthritis (well, mild compared to many…sore and swollen finger joints, creaky hips yada yada) and taking fish-oil tabs helps the pain almost immediately! It’d be a wonderful cure, but alas, the fish tabs give me unbearable heartburn and reflux issues. Got advice? I know you are NMD nor able to dispense any official medical advice…but sheesh Pain in joints or pain in me’ gut… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/2 "2015-08-12T08:50:26Z")
I had the same problem taking them for my dud knees. Luckily I found the Nature’s Way odourless ones didn’t cause the same problem. It may be true of all the odourless ones though. ETA I take mine first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and generally skip breakfast. In case that’s a factor. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/3 "2015-08-13T15:56:25Z")
Look for bottles that say enteric coated. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/4 "2015-08-14T00:29:25Z")
I’ve been taking krill oil capsules, 2.5g per day. It seems to be helping with the inflammation in my fingers and toes. No fishy burps or reflux! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/5 "2015-08-14T01:01:01Z")
I don’t suffer heartburn from them, but I never liked the fishy burps. A friend of mine told me to freeze the capsules as she had done on the advice of her doctor. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/6 "2015-08-14T18:35:53Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Look for bottles that say enteric coated. Seconded. Also, have you tried taking it before bed? Helped me with the fish burps. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-arthritis-heartburn/727641/7 "2015-08-14T18:42:31Z")
If you have reflux-like symptoms, you’d want to not take anything right before bed. Fish oil for inflammatory arthritis? I’ll give it a go for my “we don’t know what’s causing this but you have some kind of arthritis with swelling” hand issue.