Fish oil (Omega) supplements raise blood pressure

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hello,  so I started taking fish oil supplements just to try and be more healthy. I started taking them a month ago and I have noticed that they increased my blood pressure (before my blood pressure was always 130/75 and now  after one month of using these supplements my blood pressure started getting at 150/90) . I used to take one pill a day and that's about it.

Some of you might say this is impossible because fish oil lowers the blood pressure and not raises it but both of my parents started taking it at the same time with me and they both noticed a spike in their blood pressure  as well.  I eat healthy and work out occasionally and I tested my cholesterol levels which turned out just fine.

Has this happened to anyone?

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi chrisuuu,

    As far as I'm aware, fish oil has no immediate effect on BP either way. One takes fish oil for its general benefits for the cardiovascular system, not specifically to reduce BP.

    Have you tried stopping the fish oil to see whether your BP dropped back to its earlier levels?

    I'm also wondering when you had the last reading of 135/70. I mean, was it immediately before you started taking fish oil or, say, a year before that? And did you get just one reading of 150/90 or did it stay there for several days? Everyone's BP varies quite widely from one day to another.

    Finally, I'm wondering how old you are. Most of us find our BP starts rising after the age of about 50.

    I suppose there's a possibility that your reaction might be due to allergy to the kind of fish oil you're taking. The only way you'll find out whether that is true is to stop taking it altogether for at least a month.

    • Posted

      Hi Lilly ^^

      Thx for replying to my post.

      Actually my blood pressure was always withing the normal range, sometimes it would get to 140/90 but that would be on a really terrible and stressful day not usually. When I started taking the fish oil a month ago I started noticing that it has risen bit by bit ( after a week or so my readings were mostly 140/90 or 130/90 in the last week it got to a 150/90 - 160/90) in which the doctor gave me some blood pressure medicine to lower it a bit. I'm a 23 year old female who exercises and eats healthy most of the time. I have also cut salt and i eat meat( chicken) only two times a week and that's the only meat I consume besides fish. 

      What's more confusing is that both of my parents and my little brother noticed an increase in their blood pressure to dangerous levels.

      Me and my family stopped taking it and immediately noticed difference ( for example while taking the supplements my blood pressure would always be 140/90 or 150/90 unless I take the blood pressure pill then it would lower it to 135/90, but today all throughout the day I measured it and the readings were 130/80 and 125/ 75. This has also happened to both my parents and little brother. 

      I really can't explain why but maybe these supplements affect hormones or maybe bcz they have too much toxinis ( fish from Mercury). Idk rolleyes

      I would like to note that when the blood pressure used to rise really high I wouldn't feel a thing ( no diziness not nothing) the only way I would know that it was high was only bcz I measured it. as I know if the blood pressure rises or drops significantly there will be some symptoms untill the body adjusts to that pressure). 

    • Posted

      If I may ask, do you happen to take fish oil supplements at the moment?
    • Posted

      Yes, I've taken the same fish oil supplement every day since I had a very severe - and somewhat mysterious - attack of rheumatoid arthritis that came out of the blue and affected my whole body 36 years ago, at the age of 37. It cleared up after about six months, after taking homeopathic remedies prescribed by a fully-qualified doctor, and also by following some simple dietary advice he gave me - which included taking fish oil for the rest of my life. I have a very occasional flare-up to this day, but nothing serious.

      I have to say I don't quite see what the problem is. If fish oil is sending your BP up, stop taking it. You might want to try krill oil, which I understand contains less mercury, though I know it's more expensive than fish oil.

    • Posted

      I think fish oil supplements are really good overall. But I guess I'm just trying to figure out if there is someone out there who had a similar experience like mine because I haven't found anything online about fish oil increasing the blood pressure.

  • Posted

    hello,

    I found sometimes  my pressure rise 10-15 points when I take multivitamine caps.

    It comes back to normal when I skip them for couple of days.

    Ben

    • Posted

      Thank you for your reply Ben !

      Do you happen to know  why that happens?

  • Posted

    Yes,  I've had the same experience.  I usually buy a years worth of capsules at a time and when I finally ran out I bought three different types.  I found that one type, salmon and some other fish gives me nosebleeds.  Another salmon only has no noticeable effect. And a blend of oils without salmon raises my blood pressure to dangerously high levels- today I went to the hospital for it after it increased daily for the last week.  My BP ran 160/108.  I'm not overweight, eat right and have an average BP of 135/80 or so...

    im guessing contanimation... but have no idea.

  • Posted

    Yes, this happens to me also.  My normally OK -ish  blood pressure  ( 134 over 75 ) raised to 169 over 90 for about 5 days until I realized what was causing it.   I could feel the blood pulsing through my veins at night and it was very disconcerting.  This started when I started taking fish oil capsules.  I stopped taking them and it is now back down where it was.  

    I am so happy to find that I'm not the only one with this issue.  I have a feeling it is caused by this new fish oil I'm taking, as I never noticed it with my previous brand which is liquid in a bottle flavored with peppermint and you measure it out to take it.  The new stuff is gel capsules.  I'm going back to the old stuff to see what happens, but I'm throwing away the capsules!

    • Posted

      Please post updates after you go back to the "old stuff" who knows what manufacturers are adding to their products.  GOOD LUCK!!

  • Posted

    I think I have the same issue too. I didnt notice this until last week. My body feel wierd. Did a BP test and was at 136/82.

    Then I stop taking it for few days, BP go down to 120/79 which is around my usual reading.

    Today I took 1 pill again, and got that feeling again. BP show 135/80

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