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1655526 tn?1330655629

Omega 3

I know that omega 3 is really supposed to be good for the heart, but I get palps after I take them for 3 days, especially krill oil. I've read in this forum that others have also had adverse reactions to taking this supplement.  So I wanted to put this poll out to see how omega 3 affects you. The first time I suspected krill oil, which is supposed to be the best omega 3, I used the process of elimination. Still not believing it I did it a second and third time. Now I don't dare take it even after my ablation for SVT because I don't want the other arrythmias. I also figure that we in this forum who are trying to figure out the triggers for arrythmias can make each other aware when we come across something that causes an arrythmia, something we'd never thought about before. I found an article from USA Today that talks about fish oil and arrythmias. It is:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-06-14-fish-oil_x.htm
39 Responses
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Avatar universal
I had RF ablation that cured my SVT 16 years ago.  I was distressed to experience a number of skipped beats after just three days on an algae derived DHA-EPA.  I stopped taking the supplement, and the skipped beats went away.  Needless to say, I won't be taking any more!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I get my Omega 3 from organic milled flax seeds. I never have PVC problems from that source, but fish oil supplements have been a culprit.
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Avatar universal
Me too!!!!
Thanks!
Peter
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Avatar universal
I have a low triglyceride level (40). I'm theorizing there's a connection to low tri. levels and fish oil induced heart palps. Do you know your triglyceride level? Triglyceride is the fat in the blood. The lower the tri level, the thinner your blood is. Fish oil thins blood. This, obviously, is not good for people who already have thin blood (ie low tirglyceride level). Please let me know your level if possible.
Helpful - 0
5851092 tn?1404133464
I have taken it my whole adult life so I have been on it when I have had pacs/pvcs and not having them. Right now I still taking them and I am having intermission period with the ecoptics (well far less of them).

I believe from what I read is that fish oil (usually from supplements) can help with your vagal tone and increase your HRV. Which to most is a good thing. But downside is this can cause things such as lone afib because of the increased vagal tone. That's why you hear that alot of athletes later in life do develop afib.
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Avatar universal
I remember hearing fish oil was good for irregular heart beats.  Then I heard it can cause irregular heart beats, so I don't take it.  I have bought the krill oil before but after hearing that I didn't take them.  I'm not a big fish eater, but I do eat it once in a while, probably is better to get the omega 3 that way and not to over do it.
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Avatar universal
I don't know how Omega 3 affects me but I stopped taking it because I heard that it can trigger arrhythmias and PVCs (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proarrhythmic_agent). I don't know if it's actually true. I no longer take Omega 3 and I still get PVCs.
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Avatar universal
I hope you are ok. I wanted to tell you that I took 2 Omega XL capsules last night and 24 hrs later I'm still having heart palpatations. I'm hoping it goes away soon.
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Avatar universal
I hope you are ok. I wanted to tell you that I took 2 Omega XL capsules last night and 24 hrs later I'm still having heart palpatations. I'm hoping it goes away soon.
Helpful - 0
778957 tn?1391389405
Krill oil 500 mgs. Causes me extreme fatigue and aft. Taking krill oil today I felt a heart attack coming on so I took some aspirin.  All done with all oils except for olive oil. I took Milk of Magnesia aft. Also in case I have low mag.  Hope I live to see another day.
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1701959 tn?1488551541
My doc has said that there is no proven evidence that actual supplements help with the heart, that it is actually eating the fish etc that provide the benefit. That being said I still take fish oil and do not notice any side effects.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so glad I found this. I've searched everywhere to confirm my suspicions and now you've confirmed them. I don't have arythmia but get rapid heart beats and breathlessness exactly 3 days I take fish oil too. A comment one person made here made me wonder - could it be that those of us who have this reaction have a DEFICIENCY in another nutrient(s) ? Possibly magnesium ? And that is why we react to it this way ? as a child I took cod liver oil with no issues, so I always wonder why this reaction at this age. I think the deficiency in another nutrient may explain this reaction for those of us without arythmia getting it. Thoughts ?
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1655526 tn?1330655629
When I tell doctors that I think fish oil is causing palps, they don't  acknowledge it at all. It works for a lot of people including my husband who uses it faithfully. You just have to listen to your body on some of these things. That said, if you stop taking the fish oil and the palps continue, just continue using the process of elimanation to figure it out. I stopped all my supplements and then started again one at a time until I found the culprits. I tried this method several times with the same results. My heart also reacts to CoQ10. I flax seeds oil with sucess but others here say that bothers them. Good luck.
Helpful - 0
3180028 tn?1344477459
I started taking 2000mg of Neptune krill oil a little over a month ago. Two weeks ago on Friday I went to the ER after waking up in atrial fibrillation and they had to shock my heart to get it to go back in rhythm. My echo cardiogram and my blood work all showed normal heart function with normal electrolytes, everything seemed fine. The doctors told me they didn't know what caused it. Every since then, I've had the uneasy feeling, especially after eating, that my body just seemed to be fighting me. I had nervous muscle twitched and my stomach would get extremely upset with nausea and diarrhea within 30 minutes after I ate. I had a mixed drink last Friday night and within minutes had a hot flushing feeling come over me and broke out in big red blotches all over my neck shoulders and arms. Then last night, I wrestled with sleeplessness and tension and anxiety all night, wrestled with my CPAP machine, feeling like my pressure was too high, then had a dream I was dying in a plane crash.  So I went back to the ER this morning after having heart palpitations this morning and a general feeling of anxiety and heaviness in my chest. AGAIN, my blood test all come back normal and the EKG showed normal heart rate. SO tonight, I'm searching for anything to help me figure out what's caused me to start having these heart palpitations and I come across this forum. I will stop taking the krill oil and see if this improves. I hope that's what is causing my problems, because I'm REALLY tired of feeling this crappy!
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Avatar universal
B vitamins.. as well as Vitamin E do that to me as well. WHY? anyone know???
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1303113 tn?1303079707
Since we are talking about triggers, vitamin E is another so called good for you heart that causes me to more skips
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Avatar universal
My cardiologist gave me a prescription for fish oil. Made my AFib much worse.
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1655526 tn?1330655629
Isn't that the truth!  And, they don't appreciate it one bit. They especially hate it when we say we've done a lot a research on the internet trying to educate ourselves.  I was just thinking about that last night and trying to add up allllllll of the hours I've spent on the internet trying to find absolutely reliable sources to help answer questions I have about things.  Thankfully, there are some who are open minded and listen and are so willing to help but they are few and far between.   Seeing a doctor should be a problems solving conference between patient and doctor.
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Avatar universal
I think now days ...... It's also very humbling when a patient educates the doctor .  Sometimes you get a doctor that is nice about and willing to check it out.....and sometimes you get one that thinks he or she is God....and how dare we patients attempt to talk about ourselves and reactions . Ugh. We aren't robots , neither are doctors... But some need to take a step back and realize we aren't stupid .
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1655526 tn?1330655629
Lol! I wish a post could be removed, or things could be edited. Oh well! Lol!
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1303113 tn?1303079707
I see it, it's overwhelming....is there anyway I can erase a post once it's been posted?
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1655526 tn?1330655629
I hear you about the doctors. They do wonderful things and I'm glad we have them actually appreciate what they do. But, for things that are out of the ordinary I've found they struggle with coming up with the correct diagnosis. My husband says the are practicing physicians because they really are practicing...on us.

From your view is the poll gone? I can see it from mine. I was excited for the response it was getting.
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1303113 tn?1303079707
what happened to the poll, I thought this was one of the best things that has been done on this site, I just hope that none of the fish oil companies are advertising on this site or it'll get nixed
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1303113 tn?1303079707
I doubt that if we had 20,000 people state that fish oil makes skips worse that the medical profession would move on it. Anyone that has read any of my threads know how i feel about doctors, By the way I have not been that way all my life buy after years and years of no help from their profession I've figured out most of my help on my own, and that is not how it should be
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