Interactions

Flaxseed or flaxseed oil may lead to problems if you're taking the following medicines:

• Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medicines. These medicines lower the blood's ability to clot. Flaxseed also might lessen blood clotting. Because of that, it's possible that taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil along with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicines might raise the risk of bleeding.
• Blood pressure medicines. Flaxseed may lower blood pressure. So taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil along with medicines that lower blood pressure might lower blood pressure to a level that isn't healthy.
• Diabetes medicines. Flaxseed may lower blood sugar. Taking flaxseed along with diabetes medicines might lower blood sugar too much. The same is true if you take flaxseed along with other medicines that have the potential to lower blood sugar.
• Estrogens. Flaxseed may hinder the effects of estrogen. That means taking flaxseed might lower the effectiveness of birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy.

Talk to your healthcare professional before you start taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil to make sure it's right for you.