Drug & supplement interaction

Calcium + Fish Oil Triglycerides

Fish Oil Triglycerides brand name: Omegaven.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Calcium has a moderate interaction with Fish Oil Triglycerides. Calcium citrate might increase aluminum absorption and toxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Calcium and Fish Oil Triglycerides

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ALUMINUM

Why this applies to Fish Oil Triglycerides

Fish Oil Triglycerides falls under ALUMINUM — the group Calcium interacts with.

Calcium citrate might increase aluminum absorption and toxicity. Other types of calcium do not increase aluminum absorption.
Calcium citrate can increase the absorption of aluminum when taken with aluminum hydroxide. The increase in aluminum levels may become toxic, particularly in individuals with kidney disease. However, the effect of calcium citrate on aluminum absorption is due to the citrate anion rather than calcium cation. Calcium acetate does not appear to increase aluminum absorption.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's something worth clearing up. The interaction on file is really about calcium citrate and aluminum-based products (like aluminum hydroxide antacids), where the citrate part can pull extra aluminum into your body. That doesn't describe fish oil triglycerides at all. Omegaven is an omega-3 fatty acid product, not an aluminum compound, so this particular concern doesn't transfer over to it.

In plain terms, I wouldn't expect a meaningful problem between calcium and fish oil. They work in totally different ways. If you're taking both, the main thing to watch for is mild stomach upset or a fishy aftertaste from the fish oil, not anything caused by the calcium. Still, since Omegaven is often used in clinical settings, it's smart to run your full supplement list by your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Coburn JW, Mischel MG, Goodman WG, et al. Calcium citrate markedly enhances aluminum absorption from aluminum hydroxide. Am J Kidney Dis. 1991;17(6):708-11. PubMed
  2. Nolan CR, Califano JR, Butzin CA. Influence of calcium acetate or calcium citrate on intestinal aluminum absorption. Kidney Int. 1990;38(5):937-41. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Calcium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Calcium has 7 major, 142 moderate, 18 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Fish Oil Triglycerides one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Calcium

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Calcium. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Calcium or Fish Oil Triglycerides

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Calcium or Fish Oil Triglycerides, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Fish Oil Triglycerides

This page covers Calcium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Fish Oil Triglycerides page lists 206 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 186 moderate · 18 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Fish Oil Triglycerides page

“Nearly everything on this page points at one danger for anyone receiving Fish Oil Triglycerides (Omegaven): bleeding. Omega-3 fats can slow clotting somewhat on their own, and 202 of the interacting supplements and herbs add their own blood-thinning or antiplatelet effects on top of that, so combining them casually is a real mistake.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Fish Oil Triglycerides interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Calcium as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 38,397 real supplement products containing Calcium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Calcium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Fish Oil Triglycerides too, on top of Calcium — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Calcium and Fish Oil Triglycerides Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Calcium
Top 10

#2 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Fish Oil Triglycerides
Top 25%

#349 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Calcium

What is Calcium?

  • Bone health and osteoporosis prevention
  • Dietary calcium deficiency
  • Heartburn relief (calcium carbonate antacids)
  • Supporting healthy teeth
  • High blood pressure support during pregnancy

Calcium is an essential mineral your body needs for strong bones, nerve signaling, and muscle function, and supplements can help fill gaps when diet falls short. Most people do best getting calcium from food, and supplements should be used at the lowest dose needed. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have kidney problems or take other medicines.

Read the full Calcium monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Calcium

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Calcium — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

7Major
142Moderate
18Minor
2,662No known interaction
Major

7 interactions

Moderate

142 interactions

Showing 60 of 142 moderate interactions — see all 142 on the Calcium page.

Minor

18 interactions

No interaction 2,662 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Calcium and Fish Oil Triglycerides Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calcium with Fish Oil Triglycerides?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calcium and Fish Oil Triglycerides interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Fish Oil Triglycerides and Calcium?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.