Dry Eyes Part 5: Fish Oil Supplements

Once I quit using ointments with lanolin, my eyes seemed better, although I continued to struggle.

My Sjӧgren's has probably worsened, but I'm a bit perplexed.  My mouth dryness has been better, and I no longer get palpitations after I eat.

I continued to search online for remedies.  In my first post about my eyes, I wrote:

What I learned this weekend is that I need 2000mg to 4000mg combined of EPA and DHA.  The amount varies depending upon who is giving the advice, which is of course the problem with online advice.  It seems that people with dry eye need around 3000mg combined of EPA and DHA.  I've heard anywhere from 2000mg to 4000mg for Sjӧgren's.

In early June, I read more about omega-3 oils.  I read that people with rheumatoid arthritis (which I don't have) are recommended to take 4000mg to 5000mg combined of EPA and DHA.  I also saw some reports that people with Sjӧgren's could benefit from that same intake.

The quality of the fish oil matters, and the cheaper brands should be avoided.  Fish oil needs to be in triglyceride form, which is less likely to go rancid.  It should also be packaged in an opaque container so that it isn't exposed to light. An opaque container helps prevent the fish oil from going rancid.  Apparently, a lot of fish oil sold commercially is rancid.  

Even though I'd rather not have to pay for more expensive supplements, I also need for them to help me.  Taking rancid oil won't help.  I have read online that rancid fish oil can irritate the gut and promote inflammation.  My goal with fish oil is to reduce inflammation, not promote it.

I have taken Qunol fish oil for a number of years, and I feel like Qunol is a good brand.  However, I notice that the Qunol has an extremely strong lemon odor as compared to the two more expensive brands that I have tried.  This makes me suspicious about what they are covering with the lemon odor.  It's just too strong.  I am taking extra Qunol to use it up, and then I will take only the more expensive higher quality fish oil.

I switched to Sports Research Alaskan Omega-3 Fish Oil since it is slightly less expensive than Nordic Naturals.  Sports Research is said to be a high-quality brand.

I am also keeping my fish oil refrigerated to keep it from  going rancid.  If I'm going to take expensive fish oil, then I want to make sure that it is good quality.