Tolerable fish oil brands?

[slipsandtangles 0]

I want to start adding fish oil to my regimen (DKR), not just for my acne but it seems like it might help several of my other health problems as well.

The problem is that I can't seem to find a pill that I can tolerate. Obviously all of the normal gel caps give me really bad fishy reflux (I have GERD) and nausea and make me feel crap (I HATE fish!).

So I decided to try an enteric coated brand, and got a bottle of Fisol 500mg (I'd much rather take 2 smaller pills than try to swallow a huge 1000mg one). Despite being enteric coated, I'm still getting a terrible taste in my mouth starting about an hour after taking it, and it can last all day. It's not even really a "fishy" taste per se, more like a nasty putrid rotten taste that gives me really bad breath. I can't stand it. They also give me quite a bit of nausea.

So I'm not sure what to try next. Is there something wrong with me that I'm getting these side-effects even with enteric coated gels? If I just keep taking them will these side effects eventually go away? Is there a better brand out there? Is there a certain way I can take them to avoid these problems? I've just been taking them with meals.

I really want to be able to take fish oil, and I'm absolutely determined to find a way to do it. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[sleaman 0]

many companies have cod liver oil or fish oil that is flavored like lemon, mint, etc. THere isntt even the slightest taste of fish, even when you burp. Get a good brand like Carlson's, sounds like yours might be rancid. Take it with a meal, preferably a fatty one.

[Jaurim540 0]

Hi there!

i currently take 300mg fish oil capsule from gnc.. (but im pretty sure u can get them at a better place)

what is interesting to me.. is that i watched a video on you tube.. by this doctor who claims.. krill oil is better than fish oil.. for many reasons.. u can check him out.. just type in: why fish oil is not the best omega 3

[brandolynn 286]

Carlson's and Nordic Naturals are both quality brands.

And be sure to take them with a meal. That may help.

[slipsandtangles 0]

Thanks guys... I checked out those brands that were recommended and they don't seem to have any of their fish oil products in enteric coated tablets.

I absolutely cannot take the liquid or the normal soft-gels no matter how good they are, because I have very bad GERD and letting the oil get in my stomach will definitely make me miserable.

Does anyone know of any good brands of enteric coated fish oil that wont cause a bad taste or nausea?

Or has anyone tried the Fisol brand and had similar problems to me? I can't figure out whether the problem is me or the tablets themselves!

[crevin 0]

Like a previous poster replied, are your pills rancid? Make sure they aren't "bad"-- even if expiration date is still good, still not impossible.

How many times have you bought that brand? I bought a bottle of that brand before and they were fine-- no problems whatsoever. If you have bought multiple bottles and still the same problem, then it's obviously you and not the pills!

And DEFINITELY take them with a meal-- if you take them with food then any taste diffuses with the food in your stomach. I use SPECTRUM, which you can find at Fred Meyers or Whole Foods. They are 1000 mg pills, but have never tasted a hint of anything from them.

Lastly, like the previous poster said, you could try to get a liquid form with flavor added. Have you ever tried one? You might want to try one before you dismiss them. I used to take a liquid fish oil that was unflavored, and wow, I wanted to die after taking that crap! NASTY! Recently I bought a bottle from Health from the Sun, 3-6-9 EFAS. I was skeptical at first. It is the "orginal formula" and has an orange flavor-- it literally tastes like orange soda. Don't get the "100% vegetarian" formula unless you can put up with a HORRIBLE taste (definitely better for you, though!). Not in a million years would I ever guess you could mask fish oil taste/smell so well .

But yeah, try getting food in your stomach before / after taking them... maybe eat something 15 minutes before and then something 15 minutes after. That should help.

Hope something from this helps.

[slipsandtangles 0]

Hmm... I have been taking them with large meals. You might be right about them being rancid. I paid $21 for the bottle from Whole Foods, and this is the first bottle of them I've ever tried. Maybe they'll let me exchange it. I really can't know for sure though since I hate the taste of fish... fishy things taste sort of rancid to me anyway. It's now been 2 days since I last took a Fisol tablet and I'm still getting traces of the the nasty taste in the back of my throat.

Do you know whether the liquid stuff will upset your stomach or give people with acid reflux disease any problems, like the gel caps do?

Thanks!

[crevin 0]

Hmm... I have been taking them with large meals. You might be right about them being rancid. I paid $21 for the bottle from Whole Foods, and this is the first bottle of them I've ever tried. Maybe they'll let me exchange it. I really can't know for sure though since I hate the taste of fish... fishy things taste sort of rancid to me anyway. It's now been 2 days since I last took a Fisol tablet and I'm still getting traces of the the nasty taste in the back of my throat.

Do you know whether the liquid stuff will upset your stomach or give people with acid reflux disease any problems, like the gel caps do?

Thanks!

It is definitely possible you got a "bad" bottle. I know a dozen other people who take fish oil pill supplements on a daily basis, and I have never heard any of them complain about a "fishy" taste or whatever it is. They should just be like multi-vitamins-- swallow them, no taste, and that is that.

I would imagine that Whole Foods would be really good about exchanging them if you took them back. They would probably make you get another bottle of the same stuff, though. If those are bad, then at least you know it's just the brand. Have you tried any other brands of Fish Oil?

And to answer your last question, the liquid stuff should not upset your stomach whatsoever, acid reflux disease or not. Just make sure you get a flavored version.

Also, do you take them with fat (in other words, what are you eating with them)? Fish Oil is a fatty acid, which means it dissolves in fat. If you google fish oil or talk to the guys at Whole Foods (by the way, most of these guys know quite a bit of stuff about supplements), there is lots of stuff out there that says you should take Fish Oil with some type of "fat," the most popular of which is probably coconut oil (probably the healthiest for you, too. Some people say coconut oil by itself reduces acne-- helps clean out your blood or something-- not totally sure-- just go google "coconut oil acne"). Taking it with fat my help dissipate it in your stomach and dissolve some of that taste.

[shavingwoes 0]

I came across this article by popular nutrition expert Jonny Bowden; it might help you.

http://www.jonnybowden.com/answers/2008/07...e-fish-oil.html

Beyond sticking them in the freezer you should always keep omega-3 fats in a cool, dry and ideally dark place to prevent rancidity. I always keep my fish oil in the fridge.

[dadob 0]

Hmm... I have been taking them with large meals. You might be right about them being rancid. I paid $21 for the bottle from Whole Foods, and this is the first bottle of them I've ever tried. Maybe they'll let me exchange it. I really can't know for sure though since I hate the taste of fish... fishy things taste sort of rancid to me anyway. It's now been 2 days since I last took a Fisol tablet and I'm still getting traces of the the nasty taste in the back of my throat.

Do you know whether the liquid stuff will upset your stomach or give people with acid reflux disease any problems, like the gel caps do?

Thanks!

slips and tangles --I have big problems with nausea and fish oil too. I don't think you have a bad batch but try opening one up and have someone who likes fatty fish smell it and give their opinion about rancidness. A lot of fish oils come from liver which definitely has a small pool of american devotee's. I'm determined to get a source of epa or dha I can tolerate. I am looking for a supplement that has natural or artificial dha and epa without the oil. I know that's difficult because dha and epa are fatty acids and by definition oils. But I can't help thinking their are bad oils from my point of view along with the good oils. At least I hope so. I am thinking highly refined.

The taste in your mouth may not be from your stomach, or mouth. Sometimes you can taste what you ingest, even subtances you put on your skin via systemic dispersal through your blood stream and lymph system to your tongue. In other words taste can get to your tongue from the blood stream not only by the substance directly in your mouth or stomach. That's why, I think, it's possible you are tasting it for days, well past the digestive system processing it. So enteric wouldn't help in that situation, if you are extra sensitive to the substance. If I find an answer I will post it here.

I'll also pray for you

dadob

[dacheese 0]

Hmm... I have been taking them with large meals. You might be right about them being rancid. I paid $21 for the bottle from Whole Foods, and this is the first bottle of them I've ever tried. Maybe they'll let me exchange it. I really can't know for sure though since I hate the taste of fish... fishy things taste sort of rancid to me anyway. It's now been 2 days since I last took a Fisol tablet and I'm still getting traces of the the nasty taste in the back of my throat.

Do you know whether the liquid stuff will upset your stomach or give people with acid reflux disease any problems, like the gel caps do?

Thanks!

slips and tangles --I have big problems with nausea and fish oil too. I don't think you have a bad batch but try opening one up and have someone who likes fatty fish smell it and give their opinion about rancidness. A lot of fish oils come from liver which definitely has a small pool of american devotee's. I'm determined to get a source of epa or dha I can tolerate. I am looking for a supplement that has natural or artificial dha and epa without the oil. I know that's difficult because dha and epa are fatty acids and by definition oils. But I can't help thinking their are bad oils from my point of view along with the good oils. At least I hope so. I am thinking highly refined.

The taste in your mouth may not be from your stomach, or mouth. Sometimes you can taste what you ingest, even subtances you put on your skin via systemic dispersal through your blood stream and lymph system to your tongue. In other words taste can get to your tongue from the blood stream not only by the substance directly in your mouth or stomach. That's why, I think, it's possible you are tasting it for days, well past the digestive system processing it. So enteric wouldn't help in that situation, if you are extra sensitive to the substance. If I find an answer I will post it here.

I'll also pray for you

dadob

THe first bottle of fish oil i ever tried gave me bad fish burps. I have since switched to trader joes fish oil capsules and havent had that problem at all. It also has 400 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA.

[slipsandtangles 0]

hey thanks dadob, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I actually ended up throwing out that Fisol bottle, after coming to the conclusion that it was definitely rancid. I gave up on fish oil for awhile because I didn't want to spend money on another bottle that probably wouldn't agree with me... but the other day I went to my grandma's house and saw that she had a bottle of fish oil in her kitchen (it was just Longs drug store brand). So I took one to experiment, and it didn't seem to bother me at all! It felt a bit weird in my stomach, but I didn't get any of the nasty taste or any fishy burps.

I think I'm going to order a bottle of Carlson's fish oil off the internet to try again with, since I've heard a lot of great things about that brand... they sound pretty reputable.

Thanks again for all the advice!