Phildozer
New member
I have moderate Osteoarthritis in my knees and have heard glucosamine can do wonders for it.
Any of you folks using it and what was your experience?
Any of you folks using it and what was your experience?
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glucosamine?
- Thread starter Phildozer
- Start date
ctenidae
Active member
I took it for a couple of months when I blew out my shoulder last year. It seemed to speed the healing, anyway. May have been all in my head, and I may have been drunk at the time.
Nothing better than anecdotal evidence, huh?
Nothing better than anecdotal evidence, huh?
RISkier
Active member
Certainly seems to help some folks and seems to have a very safe side effect profile. I had an MD tell me that it actually builds cartilidge. And I know MDs that basically tell everyone to take calcium and who routinely recommend glucosomine to older patients. In short, I'd give it a try. It's not a fast acting pain reliever so you need to take it regularly for an extended period before you'd likely notice any benefits. I'm talking 2000 mg / day or so for 6-8 weeks. I've been taking it for a couple of years. I don't suffer from arthritis but was injured a couple of years ago and after looking at X-rays of my knee my MD recommended regular glucosomine supplements.
Dr Skimeister
New member
In theory, glucosamine and chondroitin provide builing blocks for the body to repair damaged joint cartilage. The reality, though, is that the body has very little if any ability to rebuild damaged joint cartilage.
We do know that these nutricuticals are safe, with little chance of side effect. Hence they are sold over-the-counter in pharmacies and health food stores.
It pretty much comes down to the old adage that if you think it's helping you, it's helping you.
We do know that these nutricuticals are safe, with little chance of side effect. Hence they are sold over-the-counter in pharmacies and health food stores.
It pretty much comes down to the old adage that if you think it's helping you, it's helping you.
Marc
New member
ctenidae said:
I'll tell you what, alcohol can turn just about anything into a placebo. Even alcohol itself!
I love the stuff myself...
hammer
Active member
Alcohol, glucosamine, or both? :wink:Marc said:
Glucosomine
Isn't this an Amino acid? I believe I took regular amounts of it for a period while windsurfing. It was supposed to help with the soreness one feels in the muscles after a long work out. I didn't find that I could determine if it helped me. When it comes to joints and cartilage therapy, I have seen a number of home remedies mentioned like Sea Cucumber. I tried chondroitin, but again I saw little difference in my condition.
Isn't this an Amino acid? I believe I took regular amounts of it for a period while windsurfing. It was supposed to help with the soreness one feels in the muscles after a long work out. I didn't find that I could determine if it helped me. When it comes to joints and cartilage therapy, I have seen a number of home remedies mentioned like Sea Cucumber. I tried chondroitin, but again I saw little difference in my condition.
Bumpsis
Well-known member
Waste of money or placebo, at best. Didn't work for me (knee tendon and cartilage issues).
ctenidae
Active member
Alcohol, glucosamine, or both?
Yes.
Yes.
bigbog
Active member
........
As mentioned, It's not a 24hr popping wonder. As far as my skiing, I'd like to think(and really do) that it's my skiing that's making the difference 8) :lol: , however I CAN vouch for the fact that if I were even thinking about plopping right down on my canoe kneeling pads without it...I simply wouldn't even try it...with a little bit of floating cartilage(I think) and something else..?..since ~1990..it's been really painful to just drop on anything....but after ~2 weeks of glucosamine, I can do it on any hardwood floor without pain!...and I'm not a teenager;-)...now 51yo...and have no ambition to be a commercial...but it has worked 4me.
As mentioned, It's not a 24hr popping wonder. As far as my skiing, I'd like to think(and really do) that it's my skiing that's making the difference 8) :lol: , however I CAN vouch for the fact that if I were even thinking about plopping right down on my canoe kneeling pads without it...I simply wouldn't even try it...with a little bit of floating cartilage(I think) and something else..?..since ~1990..it's been really painful to just drop on anything....but after ~2 weeks of glucosamine, I can do it on any hardwood floor without pain!...and I'm not a teenager;-)...now 51yo...and have no ambition to be a commercial...but it has worked 4me.
RISkier
Active member
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded a large scale clinical trial testing the effectiveness of Glucosamine/Chondroitin, it's called the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT). I believe the results have been submitted to peer reviewed journals but have not yet hit the press. I know of at least one company that sells supplements who report information on their website that indicates the combination of glucosamine/chondroitin performed better in this study than any of four other treatment arms -- one of which included a Cox-2 inhibitor. Not sure where they got there info concerning study results but they do describe the GAIT study. There's also considerable European research that indicates glucosamine can be effective. I don't think it's fair to dismiss it as quackery. That doesn't mean it will fix every ache and pain and as noted, it doesn't act as a fast acting pain killer -- it needs to be taken regularly for several weeks. But, if you suffer from arthritis, it's certainly worth trying.
Phildozer
New member
I'm going to give it a whirl.
I miss the Vioxx that I was getting. That stuff was like magic. Too bad it had that nasty side-effect:
Death.
D'oh!
I miss the Vioxx that I was getting. That stuff was like magic. Too bad it had that nasty side-effect:
Death.
D'oh!
HDHaller
New member
On the glucosamine fence.
I've been taking glucosamine-chondroitin for a couple of years now and just can't decide if it's helping or not. My knees feel better, but maybe that's because of my new workout or the stretches I've been doing.... And the g/c I buy (supposed to be good stuff) costs $32 for only 40 days worth! Could I have done better things with my $563 over the last two years? Maybe. Hard to say. I want to do everything I possibly can for my joint health, but I partly believe that g/c has done nothing for me.
-HDH
I've been taking glucosamine-chondroitin for a couple of years now and just can't decide if it's helping or not. My knees feel better, but maybe that's because of my new workout or the stretches I've been doing.... And the g/c I buy (supposed to be good stuff) costs $32 for only 40 days worth! Could I have done better things with my $563 over the last two years? Maybe. Hard to say. I want to do everything I possibly can for my joint health, but I partly believe that g/c has done nothing for me.
-HDH
I've been taking a glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement (Cosamin or Cosequin - both by Nutramax) for about two years now with very good results. It used to be I'd finish a hike in the mountains using poles, both knees braced, and still feel like there were chunks of glass in my knees and hips. With the supplement, that's gone. Unless I go off it, I find I've forgotten that my knees used to hurt ALL the time.
Since this is considered a nutritional supplement, rather than a drug, it is not as stringently regulated. The chemical make up of each brand is not necessarily the same. For that reason, if one does not work for you, another may.
Back to the original question - I don't know how effective this would be for an osteoarthritis. As far as I'm aware, osteoarthritis consists more of damage to the bone (like osteophytes) rather than abnormal joint structure (cartilege, synovial fluid) which this supplement is supposed to help.
With that said, I am not a doctor nor am I trained in health issues, beyond research I've done as a layperson. Do some research, talk to your doctor, talk to your pharmacist.
Since this is considered a nutritional supplement, rather than a drug, it is not as stringently regulated. The chemical make up of each brand is not necessarily the same. For that reason, if one does not work for you, another may.
Back to the original question - I don't know how effective this would be for an osteoarthritis. As far as I'm aware, osteoarthritis consists more of damage to the bone (like osteophytes) rather than abnormal joint structure (cartilege, synovial fluid) which this supplement is supposed to help.
With that said, I am not a doctor nor am I trained in health issues, beyond research I've done as a layperson. Do some research, talk to your doctor, talk to your pharmacist.
pedxing
Member
My Vet recommended Glucosamine and Chondroitin for my dog (now 13). I get the cheapest stuff available at CVS - it seemed to help significantly, but no miracles. She could tolerate longer walks and her mobility has since pretty much stabilized (it's on a very slow downward trend, but is a bit better than when we started her on it a year and a half ago). I'm taking it, too as a preventative after seeing the results with my dog.
I also started us on flax seed oil a couple months later, which may or may not be a factor.
I also started us on flax seed oil a couple months later, which may or may not be a factor.
HDHaller
New member
pedxing said:
My sports medicine guy warned against the cheap stuff, said that quality and effectiveness can vary a lot from brand to brand. Also said that GNC had the good stuff.
-HDH
HDHaller said:
As far as I'm aware, the only glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement that has been included in clinical studies is that manufactured by Nutramax. Their brand names are Cosamin for people and Cosequin for animals.
It's been a couple of years since I last researched this type of supplement, this may have changed since then.
I originally chose Cosequin four years ago to trial for an ageing dog for this reason. After I decided to try one for myself, I chose Cosamin for the same reason. I usually purchase Cosequin for myself because it's the same thing as Cosamin (except for the content of magnesium ascorbate) but a little cheaper.
smitty77
New member
I saw a specialist and had an MRI last June for a possible rotator cuff tear and after finding out it was only wear and not a tear, I asked the doctor about taking glucosamine to prevent further damage. He said there was no concrete evidence that it actually worked, but it wouldn't hurt me either.
OTOH, my dad has been taking it for the same problem for a few years and has reported favorable results. As always, your milage may vary.
Smitty
OTOH, my dad has been taking it for the same problem for a few years and has reported favorable results. As always, your milage may vary.
Smitty
HDHaller
New member
Took my last dose of g/c this morning... no more left in the bottle. And I won't be buying another $32 bottle. Just not convinced that it's done anything for me.
-HDH
-HDH
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