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Bruising from Small amounts of Fish Oil?

TheMoonIsBlue

Senior Member
Messages
442
Anyone else get bruises from taking even tiny amount of fish oil?

I thought I'd give them a try again. I took only ONE capsules TWO times a week for two weeks (so only 4 capsules total). And they weren't high potency, just the usual 300mg EPA and 200 DHA in each capsule.

Once again, a largish bruise on my arm and thigh have appeared.

I stopped taking them.

Does this mean my blood is already too thin? Or a sign of anemia? My ferritin levels tend to be the low end of normal. I supplement during my period but iron supplements increase pain for me.

I know people who take 5-8 capsules of fish oil A DAY! I can't even take 1 capsule twice a week?
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
This does sound unusual. I take 8 capsules a day of EPA and evening primrose (I avoid DHA - that does me harm).
There is a warning about taking fish oils if you're already on blood thinners, in the leaflet than comes with them.
I'd go and see your doc about this.

On the other hand - do you get wild body/limb jerks sometimes? - could you have injured yourself in your sleep?
 

TheMoonIsBlue

Senior Member
Messages
442
Nope. I only get the bruises when I take fish oil. Flaxseed doesn't make me bruise. I don't take any blood thinners. Could being low in storred ferritin cause the blood to be thin already?

No wild body or limb jerks either. I always get the bruises in the same place when I take fish oil-on the side of my thigh, and my forearm. Weird. They go away fairly quickly after stopping the supplements.
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I know nothing about ferrratin and iron levels and clotting. Sorry.

I do seem to remember there are about 15 different clotting factors - it's a complicated cascade of reactions, but prothrombin is what is measured when clotting is looked at.
 

nanonug

Senior Member
Messages
1,709
Location
Virginia, USA
Anyone else get bruises from taking even tiny amount of fish oil?

Easy bruising is associated with MTHFR polymorphisms. Adding fish oil may simply exacerbate a natural tendency you already have. Do you know if you have the common MTHFR polymorphisms?

Also, as adreno suggests, vitamin K deficiency could also be an issue.
 

TheMoonIsBlue

Senior Member
Messages
442
Vitamin K could be it. When I can I stuff myself full of spinache and lettuces, in the summertime. Other than that Vit K is not very prevelant in my diet from the list of Vit K foods I just looked up online..

I was taking Organic wheat grass powder (amazing grass) for a while-it has vitamin K. Maybe I should try that again? I'm not sure how else to get it other than Supplements.

I was tested for the MTHFR polymorphism. I don't have it. I have been supplementing with Methylfolate on and off for years anyways. I don't know if it does anything.

I think anemia and low vit K are linked also?
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
Daughter and I both had bruising and excessive bleeding (or probably more like slow clotting) on fish oil. Enough so that we both had to quit taking it. Later, on the advice of my specialist, I started omega-3 again, but half as fish oil and half as flaxseed oil, which seems to work for me.

We tried vitamin K, but it wasn't enough help to justify taking vitK + fish oil instead of flaxseed oil.
 

TheMoonIsBlue

Senior Member
Messages
442
Thanks! I was only going to take the fish oil a few days a week because it makes me break out with acne terribly if I take it on a daily basis. I am shocked it caused bruising with such tiny amount now. Years ago I did take it much more frequently. I still think I may be mildly anemic. Oh....also forgot that ibuprofen/Advil could also cause more easy bruising if taking fish oil also. I take Advil for pre- emptive cramp relief before my period and once in a while for TMJ.