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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 59. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by freedom2001 on November 18, 2002, at 21:17:10
Hi,
I'm glad more and more people are posting articles on fish oils, as well as their experiences and questions on fish oils. It's time for THE FISH OIL REVOLUTION.
We should be sending letters, emails, phone calls, STREET DEMONSTRATIONS, PROTESTS to the Pentagon, Senate, Democrats, Republicans, White House, Capitol Hill, drug companies, universities, hospitals, clinics to push all those people to
CONDUCT LARGE TRIALS ON OCD USING FISH OIL!
Shall we have a combined petition?What do you guys think?!
Posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 8:49:50
In reply to FISH OILS THE NEW GENERATION ANTI-DEPRESSANT, posted by freedom2001 on November 18, 2002, at 21:17:10
I will never take it again. It is not a panacea and people shouldn't feel bad if it doesn't work for them. I am not the only one that has had their sleep disturbed by fish oil either
Posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 10:11:38
In reply to FISH OILS THE NEW GENERATION ANTI-DEPRESSANT, posted by freedom2001 on November 18, 2002, at 21:17:10
I think it is necessary to know what
it does biochemically on the brain.I also think someone should synthesize
EPA and DHA so that it can be cheaper
and purer.Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 10:14:38
In reply to Fish oil really screwed up my sleep, posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 8:49:50
In what way has it messed up your sleep.
I have been having some sleep disturbances
that I'm not sure if I should link to the fish
oil or not.I felt tired at first so I lay down and
drifted into a semi contious state
where part of my mind was doing something
like talking or doing math problems or
trying to figure out someting that really
didn't need figuring out. It wasn't stressful
it's just I woke up and said, ..that makes
absolutely no sence at all just let it go.
Did your insommnia follow like this at all ?Linkadge
Posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 13:21:46
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep, posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 10:14:38
At first, I crashed real early and slept all night, but after a few days of taking it I started to wake up a few times per night and had very very vivid dreaming. Started to make me a little spacey during the day. It felt like my internal clock was out of whack. Things normalized after stopping it. Strange stuff if you ask me or maybe my anxiety/depression is not related to omega 3 fatty acids. I always thought the claim that such and such % of our brains are fats so we should eat that fat to "replenish" our brains seemed a little off target. I quite doubt it is that simple.
johnj
Posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 15:04:32
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » linkadge, posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 13:21:46
Just out of curiosity, do you take inositol ?
Linkadge
Posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 15:55:58
In reply to question for johnj, posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 15:04:32
No I don't take inositol, but I did try soy lecthin which is composed of choline and inositol and it messed up my sleep too. My brother who does not have an affective disorder is a health nut and he tried it and it screwed up his sleep too. We were just shooting the breeze one day and I mentioned lecthin and he said he threw it away after one day. Why do you ask about inositol? Do you take it too?
take care
johnj
Posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 16:40:05
In reply to Re: question for johnj, posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 15:55:58
I have tried it at verious occasions.
I am beginning to think I have certain
componentes of psychosis to my mental
state, I think that it may be the inositol
that is exasperating it.Was it standard fish oil you used or was
it cod liver oil or something.Linkadge
Posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 16:47:27
In reply to Re: question for johnj, posted by linkadge on November 19, 2002, at 16:40:05
I used the fish oil and bought it at Walmart. Like I said, the first day I felt really sleepy and had a very relaxed next day. But, soon my sleep became fragmented with vivid dreaming. It was the fish oil no doubt in my mind. Try giving it a rest and see what happens. take care
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 19, 2002, at 16:49:47
In reply to Re: question for johnj, posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 15:55:58
> No I don't take inositol, but I did try soy lecthin which is composed of choline and inositol and it messed up my sleep too. My brother who does not have an affective disorder is a health nut and he tried it and it screwed up his sleep too. We were just shooting the breeze one day and I mentioned lecthin and he said he threw it away after one day. Why do you ask about inositol? Do you take it too?
> take care
> johnjJohn, just thought I'd mention that virtually anything I take that improves my mood has an adverse effect on my sleep. So, I can't take a lot of any one thing at a time. I mix it up, this one day, that another. I'm hoping that as my body gets healthier over-all it will allow me to supplement without fear of insomnia. It seems to be going that way, but I can't yet make a firm conclusion.
Lar
Posted by bluedog on November 19, 2002, at 21:58:57
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » linkadge, posted by johnj on November 19, 2002, at 13:21:46
> At first, I crashed real early and slept all night, but after a few days of taking it I started to wake up a few times per night and had very very vivid dreaming. Started to make me a little spacey during the day. It felt like my internal clock was out of whack. Things normalized after stopping it. Strange stuff if you ask me or maybe my anxiety/depression is not related to omega 3 fatty acids. I always thought the claim that such and such % of our brains are fats so we should eat that fat to "replenish" our brains seemed a little off target. I quite doubt it is that simple.
> johnjI am curious to know if the very vivid dreaming and other problems with sleep will subside if you don't give up and decide to persist and continue to take the fish oil? In other words is it merely a matter of your body adjusting to having the correct ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 in your system?
As a comparison, every anti-depressant I have ever started on initially screwed up my sleep and gave me vivid and extremely violent dreams initially but this would settle down after 2-3 weeks when the anti-depressant effect would kick-in.
Do the native inuits (those that still eat a traditional diet) suffer from sleep diturbances due to their very high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids?
Posted by linkadge on November 20, 2002, at 5:52:04
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep, posted by bluedog on November 19, 2002, at 21:58:57
Since Fish oil is so intrecatly related to
Dopamin production and dopamine production
the vividnes of dreams, it is concievable,
however, if it did happen I can't imagine
it lasting long. Perhaps like the skin flushing
effect of niacin, which well goes away (I think)Linkadge
Posted by johnj on November 20, 2002, at 8:34:13
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep, posted by bluedog on November 19, 2002, at 21:58:57
I don't know about the eskimos, but taking a supplement is different than getting the nutrients from the direct food source. Who knows what other nutrient combinations they are getting while getting their omega 3's. Hey, if they work for you take'm but I tried twice and once as long as two weeks because I thought it would normalize. Well, it just got worse and if I slept better before it dosen't seem to be in my best interest to continue it. The spacey feeling was really disturbing and reminded me of the feeling remeron gave me. I would rather be depressed and have anxiety than to be a space cadet.
I was mostly responding to the post regarding fish oil as being called a "new AD". I should also add I took flax seed meal everything morning and had the same effect albeit at a slower development. I had good sleep for two weeks and then the fragmenting began and after 2.5 weeks I gave it up. However, it took longer to get my sleep back. For me, side effects do not really improve much after I start a med. I am the type of person that has to find somehting that either doesn't have a SE or has ones I can tolerate. I do find as I age some side effects actually have gottten a tad worse.
Maybe it works on dopamine, but too much dopamine production doesn't suit me??? I have no idea
Posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 9:06:13
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » bluedog, posted by johnj on November 20, 2002, at 8:34:13
Johnj
Thanks for your input. I am not personally taking fish oil supplements (yet) but have been following the various threads on this topic with great interest.
I appreciate posts giving both positive OR negative experiences with fish oil as it gives me both sides of the coin to decide whether or not to give it a try.
I will probably decide to give it a try, but at least if I start getting adverse reactions (such as disturbed sleep) I will be prepared and know that the fish oil is a possible source of these reactions.
I agree fully with you that eating the whole foods is always better than taking a supplement as the fuel that you give your body is exactly as nature intended it(I wonder if the eskimos get the same level of omega-3 in their native diets as people that generally take fish oil supplements get or whether the supplements actually provide higher amounts of EPA and DHA than even the eskimos eat?).
Unfortunately I make lots of mistakes in my diet (usually due to a lack of discipline) and I hope that supplements will fill the gaps that I leave in my diet.
Posted by freedom2001 on November 20, 2002, at 9:18:26
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » johnj, posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 9:06:13
> Johnj
>
> Thanks for your input. I am not personally taking fish oil supplements (yet) but have been following the various threads on this topic with great interest.
>
> I appreciate posts giving both positive OR negative experiences with fish oil as it gives me both sides of the coin to decide whether or not to give it a try.
>
> I will probably decide to give it a try, but at least if I start getting adverse reactions (such as disturbed sleep) I will be prepared and know that the fish oil is a possible source of these reactions.
>
> I agree fully with you that eating the whole foods is always better than taking a supplement as the fuel that you give your body is exactly as nature intended it(I wonder if the eskimos get the same level of omega-3 in their native diets as people that generally take fish oil supplements get or whether the supplements actually provide higher amounts of EPA and DHA than even the eskimos eat?).
>
> Unfortunately I make lots of mistakes in my diet (usually due to a lack of discipline) and I hope that supplements will fill the gaps that I leave in my diet.Hi, I'm taking 5000 mg of EPA+DHA but experienced no sleep disturbance. Perhaps it could be due to the trazodone I'm taking at night. I took 50 mg trazodone at night and slept peacefully.
Eskimos took 18 g (18,000 mg) of fish oils per day, far more than any supplement on the market.
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 9:30:24
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » johnj, posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 9:06:13
> I agree fully with you that eating the whole foods is always better than taking a supplement as the fuel that you give your body is exactly as nature intended it(I wonder if the eskimos get the same level of omega-3 in their native diets as people that generally take fish oil supplements get or whether the supplements actually provide higher amounts of EPA and DHA than even the eskimos eat?).
Estimates of Inuit daily intake of EPA and DHA are 14-20 grams/day, total. That's EPA and DHA, not crude fish oils (which have other fatty acids in them besides DHA and EPA).
Posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 10:10:35
In reply to Re: Inuit omega-3 intake, posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 9:30:24
Posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 10:16:53
In reply to No, posted by linkadge on November 20, 2002, at 5:52:04
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 10:52:19
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » bluedog, posted by johnj on November 20, 2002, at 8:34:13
> Maybe it works on dopamine, but too much dopamine production doesn't suit me??? I have no idea
Since we're being speculative......
Research at my alma mater has shown that suppression of REM (dreaming) sleep totally inhibits learning. Perhaps, then, dreaming is an essential component in the healing of the brain? As a means of consolidating improvements in brain function?
Posted by oracle on November 20, 2002, at 11:26:10
In reply to FISH OILS THE NEW GENERATION ANTI-DEPRESSANT, posted by freedom2001 on November 18, 2002, at 21:17:10
Well ?!?!
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Pn31/pn31p19c.htm
DDT and PCBs in cod liver oil
Recent collaborative studies have been carried out by Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University (UK) to analyse twenty two samples of fish oil. Seventeen of the samples (mostly cod liver oil) were obtained over the counter, marked as dietary supplements. This is apparently the first time that fish oils from retail outlets have been subject to independent scrutiny.
Twenty one of the samples were found to contain detectable residues of organochlorine pesticides including DDT and lindane, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). Highest contamination involved PCBs. DDT was found in nearly all samples [at levels up to 148 µg/litre (parts per billion)] which are all below the limit specified by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, in the UK there are no specific limits set for pesticide residues for fish oils. The FAO Codex Alimentarius, (the international body which establishes maximum residue levels) appears to contain no recommendations for limits on organochlorine pesticides in fish oils, although oils derived from fish and marine mammals are recognised as a commodity group.
Greenpeace say that under certain circumstances, such as for therapeutic purposes, fish oil could contribute significantly to the dietary intake of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides. In addition, since the substances analysed in this research only form part of the possible persistent organochlorine pollutants in fish oil, other chemicals such as chlorinated dioxins, toxaphene, chlordane and heptachlor should be included in future in order to asses the full scope of the problem.MN Jacobs and PA Johnston, Greenpeace Research Laboratories, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE.
Posted by linkadge on November 20, 2002, at 12:19:02
In reply to Does anyone reall give a damn that they contain DD, posted by oracle on November 20, 2002, at 11:26:10
Oracle,
there are processes which effectivly remove harmful metals and toxins from fish oil. Molecular distillation is one of them. 'Now' brand uses this process. Winterization is another. Buy from a reputable brand and do a little reasearch on their quality controll. Some companies will even give you a statistical analysis of the final product.There are many plant sources of ALA and GLA but virtually none that contain EPA and DHA. As mentioned, it is proposed that some people have an inhibited ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.
Some people may not respond to plant Omega 3 sources and respond well to marine sources.
Note that all all mental illness studies involving Omega 3 have been done with fish oil or other marine oils.Another option is omega 3 eggs. By feeding the chickens flax oil, the chicken themselves produce EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA go right to the brain.
Linkadge
Posted by catmint on November 20, 2002, at 14:20:47
In reply to Does anyone reall give a damn that they contain DD, posted by oracle on November 20, 2002, at 11:26:10
Hi,
I get a brand of fish oil from Nordik Naturals that is *not* cod liver oil but purified deep sea fish oil that has been molecularly distilled. They do have a web sight and I e-mailed them about their testing. They responded promptly, and said they did third party testing and would be willing to send the reports to me. Of course, you just have to trust them I guess.The studies that you have shown us are mainly for cod liver oil. It is my understanding that the good fish oil on the market is from fish bodies, not from cod liver oil.
Your concern is appropriate, since you can't avoid toxins seeing as how industrial waste is dumped into our oceans and lakes at an alarming rate. Did you know that coal burning plants are now dumping over 40 tons of mercury per year into oceans and lakes?
Posted by johnj on November 20, 2002, at 17:00:51
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » johnj, posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 10:52:19
Interesting, I never thought of that. I don't know if I could gut it out again, but maybe more DHA might be better?
take care
johnj
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 19:03:12
In reply to Re: Fish oil really screwed up my sleep » Larry Hoover, posted by johnj on November 20, 2002, at 17:00:51
> Interesting, I never thought of that. I don't know if I could gut it out again, but maybe more DHA might be better?
> take care
> johnjJohn, your descriptions of the effects of meds and supplements strikes a chord with me; we seem to be very similar.
When I try a supplement, and it adversely affects my sleep, I try smaller doses, and occasionally increase them to see if I'm still as susceptible to insomnia or vivid dreams. First and foremost, I need good quality sleep. But also, over time, I seem more resilient and have a greater intellectual capacity. I was totally disabled, once upon a time, but now I can accomplish much more. Not what I once did, but hell, that might be why I got ill.
I don't know about the DHA/EPA balance, really. Even though I am a trained scientist, there's another part of me, apart from the rational-deductive. I trust my intuition. We don't have the phrase 'gut feeling' for nothing.
Posted by freedom2001 on November 21, 2002, at 0:42:26
In reply to Does anyone reall give a damn that they contain DD, posted by oracle on November 20, 2002, at 11:26:10
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