HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

High Dose Fish Oil -- Quickly Calms UC Flares

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/5/2015 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone else had tried taking LOTS of fish oil during UC flares?

I just buy the high omega content two-for-one Spring Valley fish oil, from Walmart or wherever its cheapest, and take HANDFULS with every meal.

Typically 6 or so at a time when I feel a flare coming on. Each enteric coated capsule is 1,400 mg of fish oil, with about 900 mg of that being omega-3 (647 mg EPA / 253 mg DHA.)

So, at about 18 capsule per day, I'm saturating my intestines with about 12 grams of EPA in a 24 hour period.

This is especially helpful if I've been maintaining a restricted diet, but have a moment of weakness, with some pizza or beer. As long as I take a handful of fish oil not long after, it keeps the inflammation at bay.
Posted 9/5/2015 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
No way. For me I would be living in the bathroom if I did that.
Posted 9/5/2015 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
That's interesting. Fish Oil has been shown to be well-tolerated by UC patients, even those in the midst of a flare.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1553930
Posted 9/5/2015 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
Yes but sadly what works for some doesn't work for all...it's great that it's working for you though. I'd be a little concerned about buying the cheapest out there though, often price will reflect quality. I would also wonder if it's possibly helping with symptoms but not necessarily aiding with the damaging inflammation that still may likely be present if that's what you're mainly relying on and not on any maintenance meds.
Posted 9/5/2015 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Recently I've been taking blue ice cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil and I feel great, my poops are amazing, my skin is great and I am sleeping better. I read that if you take these two supplements together it increases their effectiveness so I gave it a shot and it seems to be really helping. Its an excellent source of Butyric Acid so that must be part of the reason it's having an effect...
Posted 9/5/2015 11:55 PM (GMT 0)

Jonny_Murray said...
Recently I've been taking blue ice cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil and I feel great, my poops are amazing, my skin is great and I am sleeping better. I read that if you take these two supplements together it increases their effectiveness so I gave it a shot and it seems to be really helping. Its an excellent source of Butyric Acid so that must be part of the reason it's having an effect...

I was in a bad flare in 2009 and wound up in the hospital and I was chugging cod liver oil prior to admittance - no effect.

I am going to checkout vitamin butter oil because I believe in p-seed powder which converts to butyrate.
Posted 9/6/2015 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Please be careful chugging cod liver oil. While it is safe to take standard fish oil in high doses, cod liver oil additionally has high levels of vitamin D -- high even at regular doses. Taking higher than recommended doses of it could potentially be toxic for that reason.

Overdosing on vitamin D apparently manifests as high levels of calcium in the blood, and can lead to liver problems. Granted, you'd need to be chugging a LOT of cod liver oil, every day, for months, its good to be aware of potential complications before attempting a high dose regimen of any supplement. Fish oil is safe, vitamin B complex is (mostly) safe, and vitamin C is safe.
Posted 9/6/2015 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
Have to agree with the cautionary comments here. First I must say to the OP that large amounts of cheap and therefore possibly tainted with mercury fish oil can lead to a whole host of problems, not the least of which is even if you were in a relatively minor accident you could bleed to death, or liver failure by mercury poisoning. Do not use over 4 grams a day, and only eat a highly purified (yes, expensive) fish or krill oil. Even 4 g's a day will make you a bleeder.

To those who follow SCD guidelines regarding fermented cod liver oil and butter oil, book up on the current controversy regarding the recommended Green Pastures brand http://davidgumpert.com/major-falling-out-at-wapf-over-fermented-cod-liver-oil
Posted 9/6/2015 1:57 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, Spring Valley fish oil is purified to remove mercury. Chemical analysis shows mercury levels at 1 PPB (Upper Limit=10 PPB) and PCB levels <0.01 PPM. For comparison's sake, the much more expensive Carlson's Labs "Very Finest Fish Oil" has a mercury level of 3 PPB, triple the cheaper alternative.

Although, yes, it is important to keep purity in mind, we must be careful to avoid that very American mindset that somehow spending MORE MONEY = MORE QUALITY.

Regardless of the expense of specific brands, I'm only sharing a trick that has helped me combat inflammation and internal bleeding. Worth considering if someone's in a similar situation.
Posted 9/6/2015 2:16 AM (GMT 0)
Good your choice is purified and cheap all the merrier but you are still putting your health at risk by taking such large amounts. It will cause, not stop, internal bleeding in such large doses! And you will definitely be at risk in a car accident or other bleeding event.
Posted 9/6/2015 1:17 PM (GMT 0)

zengrrl said...
Good your choice is purified and cheap all the merrier but you are still putting your health at risk by taking such large amounts. It will cause, not stop, internal bleeding in such large doses! And you will definitely be at risk in a car accident or other bleeding event.

Nothing at all like the risk of being on blood thinners. I was on coumadin after a full week in the ICU from prednisone-induced stroke/paralysis and I was very concerned about bleeding to death in a car crash to the point of getting a 2-hour MRI/MRV ( vascular layer ) and proved it was completely resolved cutting my time on coumadin from 6 months to 3 by persuading the Neurologist to agree with me.

The compounding effect of curcumin & coumadin was even worse. I had slashed coumadin to 1/3 of the dose as I began to tape off and took curcumin for UC. I was playing with the kids and a scab fell off my leg and blood just poured out and only stopped from pressure. This never happened with the full dose of coumadin and never anything close to that from high dose fish oil or when consuming only salmon 3 meals a day which I used to do in order to stop flares.

Not saying to not be careful but each person has to find out what their own risk ranges are - trying to put this into perspective with what was clearly way more dangerous for me. Many people are on coumadin for life.
Posted 9/6/2015 1:46 PM (GMT 0)

aguywithuc said...

Jonny_Murray said...
Recently I've been taking blue ice cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil and I feel great, my poops are amazing, my skin is great and I am sleeping better. I read that if you take these two supplements together it increases their effectiveness so I gave it a shot and it seems to be really helping. Its an excellent source of Butyric Acid so that must be part of the reason it's having an effect...

I was in a bad flare in 2009 and wound up in the hospital and I was chugging cod liver oil prior to admittance - no effect.

I am going to checkout vitamin butter oil because I believe in p-seed powder which converts to butyrate.

Yes, that's the reason I gave it a go, I have also used p-seed powder and still do. I take my cod liver oil and butter oil in the morning and then a couple of teaspoons of psyllium in the evening. So far so good...

If you decide to try it, let us know how you get on...
Posted 9/6/2015 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
Been there done that, made me bleed more,acts as a blood thinner.
Also for whatever reason made teeth hurt like had abscessed tooth.
OM
Posted 9/6/2015 2:01 PM (GMT 0)

Jonny_Murray said...


Yes, that's the reason I gave it a go, I have also used p-seed powder and still do. I take my cod liver oil and butter oil in the morning and then a couple of teaspoons of psyllium in the evening. So far so good...

If you decide to try it, let us know how you get on...

I have my CC out and was ready to purchase it based on your testimonial but then I read what zengrrl posted.

davidgumpert.com/major-falling-out-at-wapf-over-fermented-cod-liver-oil

What do you make of the report ?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply