Drug & supplement interaction

Fish Oil + Verapamil

Verapamil brand names: Isoptin SR, Verelan, Isoptin, Calan SR, Verelan SR, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Fish Oil has a moderate interaction with Verapamil. Theoretically, taking fish oil with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.

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

Fish Oil and Verapamil

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

Why this applies to Verapamil

Verapamil falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Fish Oil interacts with.

Theoretically, taking fish oil with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Clinical evidence indicates that fish oils can modestly lower blood pressure and might have additive effects in patients treated with antihypertensives.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

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

Here's the simple version: fish oil can nudge your blood pressure down a little on its own. Since verapamil is already working to relax your blood vessels and lower your pressure, putting the two together can have a small additive effect. This isn't about fish oil changing how your body processes verapamil. It's just two things pulling in the same direction.

For most people this is mild, but it's worth knowing. If your pressure drops too far, you might feel dizzy, lightheaded, tired, or a bit faint, especially when you stand up quickly. The evidence here is modest, and ordinary amounts of fish in your diet are unlikely to matter much. Before adding a concentrated fish oil supplement, check with your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on your numbers.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Prisco D, Paniccia R, Bandinelli B, et al. Effect of medium-term supplementation with a moderate dose of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood pressure in mild hypertensive patients. Thromb Res 1998;1:105-12.
  2. Toft I, Bonaa KH, Ingebretsen OC, et al. Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on glucose homeostasis and blood pressure in essential hypertension. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1995;123:911-8.
  3. Sacks FM, Hebert P, Appel LJ, et al. Short report: the effect of fish oil on blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in phase I of the trials of hypertension prevention. J Hypertens 1994;12:209-13.
  4. Vandongen R, Mori TA, Burke V, et al. Effects on blood pressure of omega 3 fats in subjects at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Hypertension 1993;22:371-9. PubMed
  5. Bonaa, K. H., Bjerve, K. S., Straume, B., Gram, I. T., and Thelle, D. Effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids on blood pressure in hypertension. A population-based intervention trial from the Tromso study. N Engl J Med 3-22-1990;322(12):795- DOI
  6. Singer, P., Melzer, S., Goschel, M., and Augustin, S. Fish oil amplifies the effect of propranolol in mild essential hypertension. Hypertension 1990;16(6):682-691. PubMed
  7. Knapp, H. R. and FitzGerald, G. A. The antihypertensive effects of fish oil. A controlled study of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements in essential hypertension. N Engl J Med 4-20-1989;320(16):1037-1043. PubMed
  8. Lungershausen, Y. K., Abbey, M., Nestel, P. J., and Howe, P. R. Reduction of blood pressure and plasma triglycerides by omega-3 fatty acids in treated hypertensives. J Hypertens. 1994;12(9):1041-1045. DOI
  9. Appel, L. J., Miller, E. R., III, Seidler, A. J., and Whelton, P. K. Does supplementation of diet with 'fish oil' reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Arch Intern Med 6-28-1993;153(12):1429-1438. DOI
  10. Morris, M. C., Sacks, F., and Rosner, B. Does fish oil lower blood pressure? A meta-analysis of controlled trials. Circulation 1993;88(2):523-533. PubMed
  11. Morris, M. C., Taylor, J. O., Stampfer, M. J., Rosner, B., and Sacks, F. M. The effect of fish oil on blood pressure in mild hypertensive subjects: a randomized crossover trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1993;57(1):59-64. 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

Fish Oil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Fish Oil has 206 moderate, 120 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Verapamil one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 206 Minor 120 No known interaction 2,504 (incl. Verapamil)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Fish Oil

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Fish Oil or Verapamil

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Fish Oil or Verapamil, 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 Verapamil

This page covers Fish Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Verapamil page lists 295 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Beer (major) and Coleus (major).

By severity: 10 major · 245 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Verapamil page

“This is one of the longer interaction lists we publish, and with verapamil (Calan, Verelan) it warrants genuine care, starting with the ten major-rated entries. Verapamil lowers blood pressure and slows the heart, so most of the 295 ingredients on file either push that effect further than intended or change how much of the drug reaches…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Verapamil interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,777 real supplement products containing Fish Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Fish Oil. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Verapamil too, on top of Fish Oil — 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 Fish Oil and Verapamil 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 Fish Oil
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Verapamil
Top half

#804 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 Fish Oil

What is Fish Oil?

Fish Oil
  • High triglycerides
  • Heart health
  • Joint pain and inflammation
  • Brain and eye health
  • Dry eyes

Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that are best known for lowering high triglyceride levels. The evidence for other heart and health benefits is mixed, and it is generally well tolerated. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you take blood thinners or have a fish allergy.

Read the full Fish Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Verapamil

What Is Verapamil Used For?

Brand names: Isoptin SR, Verelan, Isoptin, Calan SR, Verelan SR, Calan, Covera HS, Verap, Veramil

Verapamil tablets and film-coated tablets are used to treat angina — including vasospastic (Prinzmetal's) angina, unstable angina, and chronic stable angina — as well as certain abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and high blood pressure (essential hypertension). For arrhythmias, regular-release tablets are used alongside digoxin to control heart rate in atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation, and to help prevent episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a type of rapid heartbeat.

Extended-release and sustained-release oral forms (tablets and capsules) are indicated specifically for high blood pressure. Verapamil hydrochloride injection is used in hospital settings for rapid conversion of SVT to normal rhythm and for temporary control of fast heart rates in atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation.

See full Verapamil drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Fish Oil

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

0Major
206Moderate
120Minor
2,503No known interaction
206 Moderate 120 Minor 2,503 No interaction
Moderate

206 interactions

Showing 60 of 206 moderate interactions — see all 206 on the Fish Oil page.

Minor

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 minor interactions — see all 120 on the Fish Oil page.

No interaction 2,503 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Fish Oil against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,503 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Fish Oil list.

See the full Fish Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Verapamil, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Fish Oil monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Verapamil supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Verapamil, ranked by severity Verapamil drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Fish Oil and Verapamil Together: Common Questions

Can you take Fish Oil with Verapamil?
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 Fish Oil and Verapamil 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 Verapamil and Fish Oil?

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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.