Fish oil & coumadin interaction?

[Barry]

Had both read and heard that fish oil is good for your brain and for your heart, the two organs that cause me the most difficulty. (Well, there's a third that has occasionally gotten me into trouble, but that's a different story...)

Checked out Ross's reference links (thanks Ross) and didn't find anything there. Mucked about on the net and found that what I'm after is Fish Oil, not Cod Liver Oil, that I'd go toxic on Vitamin D before I got enough of the nutrients I'm after were I to take Cod Liver Oil.

And found one site that said that folks on Warfarin probably shouldn't take Cod Liver Oil because it's likely to enhance the anticoagulant effect. But nothing on Fish Oil.

Anyone out there taking Fish Oil and Warfarin and living to tell the story? Anyone know about interactions.

Mostly I'm thinking that it's probably OK for me to take Fish Oil so long as I take the same dose each and every day and if it affects my INR, well, I'll just adjust my Warfarin dose accordingly.

 

[Guest]

There is little definitive info but I have some on my website http://warfarinfo.com/fishoil.htm

 

[Barry]

Thanks, allodwick. I shoulda checked your site out.

I'm thinking that the thing to do is start up on the fish oil maybe three days before I go in for my next INR so if it affects my INR it'll show up. And keep the fish oil dosage stable.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[terryj]

My husbands PCP started him on Fish Oil twice a day right after his AVR in Sept. 2001. He is on coumadin,prinivil,lopressor and catapres patches and his INR stays between 2.5 and 3.6 consistently since it became regulated after surgery.

 

[Guest]

Starting fish oil, or anything else, about the same time warfarin is started makes it easy to regulate. The hard part is when the warfarin dose is stable and then you add something that interacts.

Terry - good to hear that someone is well regulated.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I've been taking Fish Oil for years, probably even before my AVR. INR has been stable (until I whacked my shin and quit walking the dog) on 3.5 to 4 mg of Coumadin.

'AL Capshaw'