# Has anyone noticed a difference after taking fish-oil capsules? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734 "2011-02-09T04:45:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/1 "2011-02-09T04:45:30Z")
My question is basically in the thread title. Just wondering if any of the Dopers out there have noticed positive or negative differences in their life based on a consistent regimen of fish oil. I would prefer that answers be limited to things that you noticed specifically after fish oil capsule consumption; that is, if you started taking it as part of general health improvement regimen that included fish oil as well as other dietary modifications, exercise, etc and you noticed better sleep, more energy, lower cholesterol, that data is less useful to me, so if you could isolate the fish oil effect I would appreciate it. If anyone is wondering, I’m considering taking them but I just want some anecdotal evidence about the benefits/drawbacks. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/2 "2011-02-09T05:13:09Z")
I’ve found that it helps with my seborrheic dermatitis. I haven’t needed to use topical corticosteroids at all since I started taking fish oil. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/3 "2011-02-09T05:55:00Z")
Nope. They were supposed to reduce my inflammation but had no effect whatsoever. Proper pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories however are freakin’ fabulous. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/4 "2011-02-09T06:01:08Z")
One thing it’s definitely helped is my eyelids. They were getting greasy, and if the grease got in my eyes, it stung like a bitch. If I take my fish oil (or flax seed oil) every day, then this is not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/5 "2011-02-09T06:01:32Z")
About all I noticed was the consistent taste of fish oil whenever I burped. Other than that, I did notice any negative effects, nor any positive effects that you are interested in hearing about (i.e. those that can be conclusively attributed to the fish oil). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/6 "2011-02-09T07:17:41Z")
They make your wallet thiner. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/7 "2011-02-09T07:54:52Z")
I’ve heard snake oil works better. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/8 "2011-02-09T08:07:40Z")
I can now breathe under water… probably. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/9 "2011-02-09T12:31:47Z")
It definitely lowered my cholesterol. I’m on an industrial strength dosage of Lovaza, though. I think you’d have to take a handful of the OTC capsules to equal the dosage. I take 4 one-gram gelcaps at night before I go to bed. I have not had any problems whatsoever with fishy burps. They are pricey. This prescription costs me about $170.00 a month. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaPickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@BubbaPickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaPickles)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/10 "2011-02-09T12:34:07Z")
I definitely haven’t had a heart attack since I started taking fish oil. - I honestly did have a minor one 2 years ago due to hereditary high cholesterol. Have been taking fish oil ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/11 "2011-02-09T13:15:19Z")
I remember taking fish oil capsules for about a month at the time an then I cut myself on the hand when a tool slipped. The quantity of blood that squirted out was far beyond anything that had ever happened. It eventually stopped as it should, but I was convinced of the blood thinning qualities of that product. Of course you smell fishy as well. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/12 "2011-02-09T13:31:28Z")
Why would blood thinning make you bleed more? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/13 "2011-02-09T13:35:39Z")
I’m pretty sure that Omega-3s don’t work as an anticoagulant. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/14 "2011-02-09T19:49:49Z")
I take the prescription capsules, Lovaza. I haven’t noticed any changes, but my doctor says my triglycerides have come down quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/15 "2011-02-09T20:57:01Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I’m pretty sure that Omega-3s don’t work as an anticoagulant. You’re right, they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/16 "2011-02-09T21:00:47Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > About all I noticed was the consistent taste of fish oil whenever I burped. this x 2 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/17 "2011-02-09T21:04:01Z")
Try other omega-3 sources if you’re getting fish burps - algae or flaxseed-derived sources don’t have that issue. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/18 "2011-02-09T21:06:36Z")
Dunno, but every single one of my family members over the age of 50 has been instructed to take them by their varying PCP’s, so there must be something out there on them. I do know the cheap ones make you burp/smell like fish. The middle of the road and higher ones don’t have the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/19 "2011-02-09T21:18:21Z")
My chloresterol total dropped by ~30-40. And I’m taking the OTC fish oil capsules, although it’s one of the higher-end producers. I’ve noticed no other effects, although I don’t _have_ any of the other issues that fish oil is supposed to help with. And no side effects – no fish burps, no fishy smell (well, except for my urine). ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/20 "2011-02-09T22:34:32Z")
Fishy _urine_? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734.md?page=2)