slight chest pains from fish oil...why ?

[chip douglas]

I've noticed (although this was totally unexpected) that 20 minutes or so after taking fish oil (im talking two gels caps or even one a day here, not mega doses) I get ever so slight chest pains, which feel like a jolt pain, that is, it's only the duration of a hearbeat. Like 20 minutes ago I had a fish oil gel cap, and just had 4 of those but spread over 5 minutes, and they're very slight in nature. It only happens soon after taking the fish oil, then I'm ok. Although they're slight chest pains, and don't last, this got me VERY worried the times it happened. When i do not take any fish oil then all is fine.

Would you be so kind as to help me with this ? What could it possibly be from ? Should I be allarmed over this ?

On a scale of 1-10, those chest pains are a 1.

Thanks in advance
Marc

[Megazoid]

What the hell? The chances of this must be pretty slim. I also had chest pains today, dosen't feel like it's coming from the heart though (or lungs) but more the entire muscle/bone setup in that area. Got me worried like hell too though considering i'm only 23. I take fish oil alot also, wonder if their is some kind of connection? I am pretty confident this is T or E2 related though.

[chip douglas]

Um, interesting to hear from you.

I noticed that after those chest pains, which to me felt like it was in the heart, I had fish oil burps seconds following those very slight pains. I think fish oil can bring about GI disturbances, so could it be this ? I don't know yet.

Last summer I had a treadmill/stress test and it didn't reveal any trace of angina whatsoever. The internist even said I was at the top of my age group, which was excellent.

I'm also aware that chest pains don't automatically mean it's in the heart, as there are a very long list of issues that can cause chest pains--that's what my PCP told me, as well as another M.D. once.

I'm thinking it may or may not GI disturbances--can GI disturbances be mistaken for heart pain ?

[drimmdave]

Hello
Well I don't know about the fish oil problems,I do know about Reflux and chest pain.A couple of years ago I thought for sure that I had a blocked artery or something,I woke up in the middle of the night with a weird pressure in my chest and just didn't feel right,so I figured if it didn't go away I would go to the ER,well it lasted all day,and till the next, so off to the ER I went ,nitro took the pain away,and they did every heart test possible,no blocked arterys or heart problems(WHEW!!!) So when I saw my Gastro Dr. he said sometimes Reflux can cause heart pain like symptoms.It's never happened again but I took it as a warning sighn to change my eating habits,and to get fit.
Any way are you taking the caps on an empty stomache? it coud be giving you some trouble that way?

Dave

[chip douglas]

Hi Dave,

well first thanks a lot for posting your experience--I didn't know acid reflux can at times cause heart pain like symtoms.

To answer your question, no, I don't take the gel caps on an empty stomach, I take those with food, after a meal.

The pains i get are very mild-- a 1 on a 1-10 scale, and they never last more than a second each. ....and they're spread apart, and I have also noticed that they pretty much only happen when I'm sitting something in a slouched way with my back being arched while at the computer desk. At least today that's where it happened. While sitting in that stance internal organs are kind of compressed, and after most each pains I noticed I either burped or felt gurgling in the intestines.

[role model]

Originally Posted by chip douglas

Um, interesting to hear from you.

I noticed that after those chest pains, which to me felt like it was in the heart, I had fish oil burps seconds following those very slight pains. I think fish oil can bring about GI disturbances, so could it be this ? I don't know yet.

Last summer I had a treadmill/stress test and it didn't reveal any trace of angina whatsoever. The internist even said I was at the top of my age group, which was excellent.

I'm also aware that chest pains don't automatically mean it's in the heart, as there are a very long list of issues that can cause chest pains--that's what my PCP told me, as well as another M.D. once.

I'm thinking it may or may not GI disturbances--can GI disturbances be mistaken for heart pain ?

You must be careful your fish oil is not old or got hot some how. Fish oil can go rancid, It must be fresh or it will cause you all kinds of problems. You should not be burping up a bad fishy taste, This tells me its bad fish oil. Bad fish oil will give you GI disturbances also. If you just purchased it, take it back.

[JustOne]

From my experience, the gel caps usually go soft with hot weather and stay soft, this tells me its not fresh, the harder the caps the more fresh the fish oil is I asume.

[chip douglas]

Originally Posted by role model

You must be careful your fish oil is not old or got hot some how. Fish oil can go rancid, It must be fresh or it will cause you all kinds of problems. You should not be burping up a bad fishy taste, This tells me its bad fish oil. Bad fish oil will give you GI disturbances also. If you just purchased it, take it back.

The burps I get are citrus flavored, it doesn't taste of fish oil at all. However I do get those burps many hours after having the gel caps.

[pmgamer18]

Originally Posted by chip douglas

The burps I get are citrus flavored, it doesn't taste of fish oil at all. However I do get those burps many hours after having the gel caps.

Chip you need to get the coated FIsh OIL I get mine at Costco they sell 2 kinds get the one that costs more. These dont go to work until there in the small intestate so no heart burn or Reflux. I take one 3 times a day.

[plowboy50]

i use liquid lemon flavored oil from carlsons never gives me any aftertaste or burps

[chip douglas]

Thanks guys.

I'll go with your recommendation Pmgamer18.