Omega 3 & omega 6 supplementation in ME/CFS - what's the situation?

Just noticed this from another thread:

Is the advice that we should we be getting tested to see whether we're high/low in these things and dosing up accordingly? Or does it appear that we're weird and should leave our omega 3 & 6 levels alone?

Is there any general evidence that confirms this observation by Ron Davis?

 

Hi @Sasha

I know I started this thought so I hope someone more in the know steps up to confirm or deny this with more details because when I read it I found it to be an interesting finding.

Sadly that small detail is all that (I think) I'm remembering. Information flows through me like water through a tea bag.

 

When I was diagnosed 20 years or so ago, my consultant did a range of blood tests. In those days I was too naive to ask for the results so I don't have a list of what exactly we tested and what "normal" ranges would be.

I was told I was low in a range of things including omega 3 and 6. From the consultants comments this wasn't unusual for a patient with ME. This guy had a special interest in ME and was a pretty experienced consultant. He was one of the better ones.

Unfortunately, that's pretty much the sum total of my knowledge.

I was tempted to stop taking the supplement, but then I was advised that I should take omega 6 to manage breast cysts. I did occasionally run out and leave it and found that if I hadn't taken it continuously then the breast pain was noticeably worse at the end of that menstrual cycle.

Due to the breast cysts I have never come off it long enough to say for sure whether I feel worse in terms of ME symptoms or not.

 

I had an RBC Fatty Acid test done years ago. The report was 4 pages long(!).

Despite taking loads of plant based Omega 3's for years, my Omega 3 levels were down at 3%. The consultant (biochemist) advised me to take fish oils and I've been taking them ever since (17 years). My cognitive function has improved.

My Omega 6 was at decent levels, so no problems there.

 

@Invisible Woman - are you still taking Omega 3?

 

relying on only plant based omega 3’s such as from linseed or walnuts etc have been generally dismissed as inadequate ....but combine these with fish based omega 3’s then you get a much wider range of benefits from both the oils and nuts/seeds etc. (Vitamins minerals fibre etc)

Fish oil capsules are generally as good a source as oily fish if you can’t choke down 2-3 portions a week.

We should all be having these in our diet regardless of ME since the benefits are well documented, particularly for the EPA and DHA in fish oil.

 

You can get marine algal Omega-3 from Healthspan in the UK - that's what I have: https://www.healthspan.co.uk/products/vegetarian-omega-3#/?pack size=60

 

Yes. I still take the combination I was advised to.

Edited - I was initially told to take Efamol's Efamarine - 3 caps twice per day.
Last year there was a supply issue and so I tried to approximate the dose as best I could by taking a combination of Efamol Brain and Efamol Woman capsules. When I go to buy the next lot I'll see of I can get hold of the original efamarine again.

As my supplies started to run low I just took 4 capsules per day for about a month or so and can't say I noticed any real difference.

 

For those interested in the ME Association 's advice they do this downloadable information leaflet, it's £0.83 for UK and Europe and £1 for the rest of the world.

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/shop/medical-management-leaflets/fatty-acids/

It was possible to buy Efamarine from the MEA at quite a good price, but then the supply issue started and they couldn't get hold of it either.

 

Has anyone found a source of the Efamarine that MEA used to sell, or an equivalent with the same make up?