Update On Fish Oil

Back in September I wrote about the benefits of fish oil, one of them supposedly being that it was good for achy joints.  I promised to report back after taking fish oil for at least 12 weeks so here it is.  First of all, let me say I have not taken the recommended 4 pills a day for joint pain relief.  If I have to take that many honking big pills a day, you can forget it.  There, confession is out of the way.

Second, I must also say that I have switched from Meloxicam, the drug which made my stomach hurt, to Celebrex, more expensive but easier on the stomach.  So I have been taking Celebrex at the same time as the fish oil.  I did that because I hurt so much in my lower back that I couldn't wait 12 weeks for the fish oil to take effect.  However, I ran out of Celebrex about 7 to 10 days ago, so I decided to see how I felt off the drug.  For the first several days I was amazed that I had no pain.  I was beginning to believe the fish oil was working, even on 1 pill a day.

But the last two days, I have started hurting again and will be headed to the pharmacy later today.  (It is now 6:13 a.m.)  This may be due to the fact that I went dancing into the wee hours at the Rhumba Room Saturday night plus had a few really vigorous workouts close together.  Maybe all that extra exercise finally put me over the edge.  Whatever the cause, I've got to get back to a pain free state again.

Constant pain really wears you down and makes it difficult to be in a good mood and to do your regular activities.  When I hurt, I tend to snap at people more and be really crabby, as do most people.  Therefore, it is so important to do something for constant pain.  You should consult with a physician first to find out what is wrong and to follow his or her advice.  Don't ignore pain, wherever it is, or try to treat it yourself if it doesn't go away after a couple of days rest and some Motrin or Tylenol.  If you have really severe pain, see a doctor right away.  And for heavens sakes, don't take someone else's prescription medication!

Exercise can be really good for certain types pain and helps keep achy joints moving more comfortably.  Obviously, pain from an injury needs rest, not exercise unless it is physical therapy from a licensed professional.  The more I sit around, the more my joints get stiff, so movement definitely helps.  Soaking in a hot tub also helps those stiff joints or muscles as does massage so consider both therapy, not an indulgence.

So what do I think about the fish oil?  I plan to keep on taking fish oil as I felt really good for several days off the Celebrex but I do plan to take two pills a day now.  Plus there are heart benefits to taking the fish oil and I'm not aware of any potentially harmful side effects.  I'll report back in another couple of months on the increased dosage.  I'm not convinced it works for joint pain for everyone but I'm willing to try.  I'm also thinking of visiting my doctor again soon especially the foot doctor to discuss my other foot which has begun to hurt in the bunion joint.  (I hate my feet.  I've worn sensible shoes, tennis shoes and flats most of my life and yet I have painful bunion joints.  It's just not fair!)  Anyway, here's hoping you have a pain free week!