Fish oil as anti-inflammatory

Joe Graedon, Teresa Graedon
The People's Pharmacy

April 28, 2008

I am a registered nurse and am constantly on my feet. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis two years ago and had steroid injections in both heels several times, without much relief.

A couple of weeks before seeing the podiatrist who would do surgery on my heels, I began taking fish oil for my cholesterol. I was embarrassed when I went to the podiatrist, because at that time I wasn't having any discomfort. I told him about the fish oil, and he told me that it has anti-inflammatory properties. I take four a day; I don't need surgery, and have no pain!

Your podiatrist is right that the omega-3 fats in fish oil have anti-inflammatory activity. Other conditions that might respond favorably to fish oil include attention-deficit disorder, arthritis, heart disease, depression and dementia.

My wife thinks I have gynecomastia. I may, but it could be from being overweight. If I do have it, I guess it could be from some medications I take and/or the weight.

Gynecomastia is the medical term for enlarged male breasts. Some adolescents develop this temporarily but usually outgrow it. Weight can contribute. So can medications, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), eszopiclone (Lunesta), leuprolide (Lupron), spironolactone (Aldactone) and finasteride (Proscar).

This condition requires medical diagnosis. Your doctor will check your hormone levels and rule out tumors. If a medication is the cause, your doctor might prescribe an alternative.

Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon can be reached at www.peoplespharmacy.com or care of this newspaper.