Get Informed: Flaxseed Oil
Active Ingredient(s)
Flaxseed Oil
What does it do?
This product is used as a supplement for additional Omega-3 Fatty Acids, thought to promote brain function and healthy heart function.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 11:23 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:53 PM
Other Names
- Flaxseed Oil
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- N/A
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 21 Nov 2009
- Est US Patients*
- 1,134,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Flaxseed Oil or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Flaxseed Oil
There have been no alerts regarding Flaxseed Oil during the past year.
Flaxseed Oil Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
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What is Flaxseed Oil used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 6,600 patients that use Flaxseed Oil (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | 37% | 
|
| Heart Disease Prevention | 18% |
|
| Immune Support | 10% |
|
| Dietary Supplement | 8% |
|
| Menopausal Symptoms | 6% |
|
| Skin Health | 4% |
|
| Constipation | 4% |
|
| Fibromyalgia | 2% |
|
| Osteoarthritis | 2% |
|
| Dry Eyes | 2% |
|
| Other | 25% |
|
How well does Flaxseed Oil work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 6,600 users taking Flaxseed Oil (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 80%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Flaxseed Oil outweigh the bad things.
- 7%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Flaxseed Oil.
Common Side Effects of Flaxseed Oil
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 6,600 users taking Flaxseed Oil (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
14% of patients experience side-effects on Flaxseed Oil
< 1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Flaxseed Oil
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Bloating/Gas
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Flaxseed Oil ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I take flaxseed oil pills once a day. A friend introduced me to it back in 2007 and after i started taking it i felt better. Then i stopped. But i am taking it again and i am starting to feel more energetic.
30 year old Female
Posted: 2009-10-09 17:23:31
Question/Comment:
Have been taking flex seed oil in capules, and fish oil omega-3 once a day. Have not seen any
better changes in my cholesterol reading. Have stopped taking my Vytorin, (cause this was giving me muscle pains) and stayed on these two vitamin, but my total reading on my cholesterol was 259 and my Cardiologist want me back on Vytorin, even if it means taken only one a week. Can't win and don't know where to begin!! Thanks for listen to my situation.
God Bless each and everyone and a Very good HEALTH also.
71 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-20 22:52:20
Question/Comment:
To get the most benifit from flax oil, do the following two things:
1. Use only "cold milled" flaxed oil that has been keep "refridgerated" since manufacturing. This process retains the most benifits of the oil. Capsules have lost a lot of their benifits because it require a more extinsive processesing procudure and has not been keep cold.
2. Mix the flax oil with cottage cheese. 3-tbsp/1/2 cup cottage cheese .This does two things. One, it breaks the oil down into a water soluable form, allowing more of it to be easily digisted. Two, this prevents a lot of the oil from staying in the digestive system and passing out unused and causing a laxative effect.
57 year old Male
Posted: 2009-06-29 23:04:24
Question/Comment:
Flaxseed has helped me lower my triglcrides.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-04-20 21:08:42
Answer/Reply:
I had a very bad case of triglycerides and a doctor told me to take one pill a day of 1000mg. of Flaxseed Oil with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Ever since then, my triglycerides are normal and I feel much better. Of course, I watch what I eat as well.
Claudette Boucher - 72 yrs. old.
74 year old Female
Posted: 2009-05-15 19:40:51
Answer/Reply:
I had a very bad case of triglycerides and a doctor told me to take one pill a day of 1000mg. of Flaxseed Oil with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Ever since then, my triglycerides are normal and I feel much better. Of course, I watch what I eat as well.
72 yrs. old female
74 year old Female
Posted: 2009-05-15 19:50:31
Answer/Reply:
Flaxseed oil has helped ease my chronic dry eye symptoms.
57 year old Female
Posted: 2009-05-15 21:47:14
Question/Comment:
My eye doctor recommended flaxseed oil capsules for my dry eyes. The capsules help my eyes retain moisture.
39 year old Male
Posted: 2009-03-31 15:04:03
Answer/Reply:
Orally or topically? I've been taking them orally for a while
and had to get cologen plugs put in my eyes since
nothing was helping. Now, I have leaky eyes. Can't win.
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-04-21 16:25:49
Answer/Reply:
I use flaxseed oil capsules for high cholesterol. I have been taking for 5 months now, 1 capsule a day and my cholesterol number have been extremely great compared to before.
61 year old Female
Posted: 2009-04-23 15:54:20
Answer/Reply:
I started taking taking Fish Liver Oil which does the same thing as Flaxseed Oil capsules over 2 years ago after I got my LASIK surgery. My wife who is a pharmacy student told me to take it after I got occasional dry eyes after the surgery. Only problem with Fish Liver Oil for me is that when I burped I got mouth full of fishieste taste. I switched for over to Flaxseed oil bit less than year ago and I have less cases of dry eyes.
Other benefits told by my wife and my doctor is that Fish Liver Oil and Flaxsee Oil is lowering of cholestrol. My cholestrol level has always been high and my doctor recommended a prescription drug. I'm stubbone and don't like to take medicine because I don't like the idea of foreign chemical entering my body. I'm glad I didn't take the medication because during my last checkup my doctor told me that my cholestrol has dropped to normal. Due to my work, I actually have been exercizing less and I can only credit taking 1 Flaxseed Oil pill a day for lowering of my cholestrol. I believe it helps out the heart, although you should verify this and not take my word for it. And when I spoke to my Optomologist he told me it does help with health of the eyes and I should keep on taking it.
I keep a bottle at my work and start my day off with taking a pill. Now I tell my parents who are in their 60's to take it daily for health of their eyes and to lower the cholestrol naturally.
So if your doctor recommended it, I say take it. It's natural supplement. Helped me out with my dry eyes and cholestrol.
31 year old Male
Posted: 2009-05-05 10:56:52
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11
Patient Comments about
Flaxseed Oil