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- Peripheral Neuropathy (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/)

- - Vascepa (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/222414-vascepa.html)

Hello,
I told my GP that I was taking Krill oil. So, I was given samples of Vascepa.
I have not started taking it yet.
Any thoughts on this with any of the SFN folks.
TIA

Did he say why he was giving you the samples?

Vascepa is currently only approved in the U.S. for people with severely high triglycerides. The company that makes it has been trying to for a long time to get FDA approval for expanded use, but the FDA hasn't budged.

Just looks like an ultra pure omega 3. I always find these companies a little bit interesting. They try to get their supplement product through the drug development process so they can label it for an indication. Often times, the don't make it to or get stuck during the clinical trials process. They don't get the indication and thus, don't get to market it.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to take it, but at monthly cost of about $200, I also certainly wouldn't accept a prescription for it unless triglycerides were visibly pouring out of my eye sockets.

Baba, I'd consider it a gift from your doc as freebie replacements for your krill oil. Just understand it's very highly concentrated omega 3's, and if you don't have hypertriglyceridemia, you might not want to take recommended dosage.

That product was chemically changed in a minor way so they could patent it. A patent means $$ to a drug company.
But it remains EPA. (esterified). Lovaza is an ester form too.

Fish oil has EPA and DHA in it. The DHA has some use for nerves and the brain. I agree with Janie that it is just a freebie of nothing new.

They claim that DHA raises LDL's , so this has been made to exclude DHA.
http://www.vascepa.com/different.html

Quote:

In studies that directly compared DHA and EPA, mean placebo-corrected triglyceride levels decreased by 22.4% and 15.6%, respectively. In head-to-head comparisons, DHA increased LDL cholesterol by 2.6% whereas EPA decreased LDL cholesterol by 0.7%. In trials comparing each agent alone,

from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/743305

DHA probably has this small action to move cholesterol into the nervous system where it has important uses. Human breast milk is high in cholesterol because babies need it to continue to form the brain and nervous system.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fee...in-development

Adults to still repair the brain cells, so DHA is useful beyond infancy.

This whole product looks rather like the "emperor's new clothes" to me.

Who is Amarin corp?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarin_Corporation

Amarin's stock price is $2.52 currently. So expect doctors to be heavily detailed by sales reps to sell this product.

There are no natural forms of long chain EFAs, that exclude DHA... Hmmmmm... "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"

Wow, so now I understand the sample situation.

What can I say to my neurotalk friends:

"You folks really ROCK!"

Your brilliance is incredible.

:grouphug:

Baba,

Did you happen to try the Vascepa yet?