new doc says no more fish oil

[minismom]

Like many here who have hyperlipidemia, Mim has been taking high doses of fish oil everyday (2000mg / day - she's only 8 1/2).  But at our last doc appointment, he said that taking the fish oil was un-necessary as it really doesn't help.  Mim's cholesterol isn't terrible, but her triglycerides are near 380!  She's still on high doses of fiber (which he said will help with her diarrhea, but not her panel) and I'm thinking about starting her on flax seed - will that even help? 

Comments?  I'm totally flummoxed now.

Mum

edited for some serious typos

[newt]

See my PM 

[Inchlingblue]

When he said it doesn't help, do you know what he meant? It doesn't help as far as what? There are a lot of benefits from fish oil, not just reducing Triglycerides. They also have been shown to raise the levels of HDL "good cholesterol," and have been linked to better brain, eye and nerve function, among other things.

Flaxseeds are great too but for the same reason the fish oils are: the Omega oils.

Here's n excellent link on "11 Easy Ways to Load Up on Healthy Omega-3 Fats:''

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/heart/2008/08/01/11-easy-ways-to-load-up-on-healthy-omega-3-fats.html

[minismom]

He said that the fish oil wouldn't have an impact on her lipid panel.  We have a whole foods store here and I bought some flax seeds.  The lady told me that I could put it on anything or she could just take it then drink some water.  She definately needs it for her brain function, if nothing else.

For those who take the fish oil pills, Dr. F did suggest putting the bottle in the freezer.  Taking the pills frozen makes them digest in a lower part of the intestine eliminating the burping / gasious, after-taste effects normally associated with them.

Blue, thanks for the link.  I've printed it out and added it to my file.

Mum

[Inchlingblue]

I like to add ground flax seeds to smoothies, it's an easy way to eat them, it just blends right in. And the whole flax seeds can be sprinkled on cold cereal. They also contain fiber, apart from the other benefits. If you were to take a spoonful of them and mix with a little water and let it sit for a bit, it gets all "gooey," this is what's happening in one's intestines and why they help move things along.

I also just got some waffles that have flax seeds and some tortilla chips from Trader Joe's that have flax seeds. There's also cold as well as hot cereal with flax seeds. I guess it's not that hard to find products with flax nowadays. You can also get flax seed oil capsules, I got a big bottle from Costco.

[hades01]

I use it every day with my proteins shake after my workout!
it add a great taste!
here is the link of the product that i take

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=HF-1107

god bless 

[BT65]

sorry, but I think flax seed is disgusting.  I had some and put a tiny bit on my oatmeal, and couldn't finish it.

[risred1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

this is a very technical primer, but there is a pretty plainly written section about benefits and sources to consider.

Nut oils such as flax seed and Walnuts are also fairly rich in Omega 3 type oils. Flax seed is very high in N-3's but nothing is pure DHA.

What I saw was that DHA is what we are really after. And that some of these forms of N-3 Fatty Acids actually have to be converted in the body to the DHA which is the key component in Fish Oil. Fish don't manufacture DHA, the absorb it from algae. Which is why DHA is now showing up as an additive to Milk and other engineered foods. Essentially, one can grow algae and extract the DHA.

Hope this helps a bit.

[ZCorker]

Hello Mum:

With regards to your high triglycerides, you can add L-Carnitine your regimen and should start out at 1800mg/day.  This should be spread throughout the day and taken on an empty stomach.  L-Carnitine will usually lower the total cholesterol, but you may get some benefit as to high triglycerides as well.  My understanding is that fish oil will lower triglycerides, but only a little bit.  You should find a synergistic effect if done with the L-Carnitine.  These may be taken in conjunction with statins.  Howeve, be advised that you must take Co Q-10 in conjunction with the statins or you could end up with muscular pain and a heart attack.  This side affect is well documented.

380 for triglycerides is not good at all.  In the past I had it that high.  It should be treated and there are definitely things you can take and do that will bring into the normal range and still allow you to stay on your medicine.
 

[ZCorker]

The main benefit of fish oil is to prevent the bad stuff from sticking to the arteries.  It doesn't do much in the way of raising HDL cholesterol.  However, if you have low HDL, it might keep you alive.  Cardiologist who specialize in preventative Cardiology almost always recommend fish oil to prevent your arteries from getting clogged up.  If you are not taking too many hiv medications, they might even add Niaspan or an over the counter product that is similar and only found at Walgreen's Drug store.  I find the over the counter one easier to tolerate than the Niaspan.

[minismom]

Z, thank you for all the wonderful information.  Unfortunatley, it isn't me who has the high triglycerides, it's my 8 1/2 yr old daughter (yes, she's pozitive).  We've added fresh ground dark flax seeds to her diet where ever we can sneak them in.  She's also on a no-sugar diet (diabetic) which we were told would lower her triglycerides. 

We were speaking to a wonderful doctor friend of our's who said that the body uses fat to make T-cells.  Since Mim (our daughter) had a huge increase of T-cells, our friend thinks that may explain her huge jump in triglycerides.  She goes back the end of July and I really expect things to have settled a bit.  I'm also resolved to the fact (thank you, Newt) that this is something she'll always struggle with, dispite our best efforts.  Blame the meds, blame the virus.

Mum

[clsoca]

Please purchase whole flaxseeds and maintain them in an air tight sealed container in the refrigerator. Ground flaxseeds oxidize rather quickly rendering them a bit polluted. It simular to pealing a banna and eating it a week later.

Grind the whole flaxseeds in a coffee grinder and ingest daily and as offten as you can. Only grind what you need at the moment. I prefer flaxseed over fish oil. Honestly, you just never really know what is in that oil.