anybody take glucosamine for their joints?

[asscherisme]

I am thinking of starting to take glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for my joints.

My knees are staring to bother me, I think from too many years of running. I asked my doctor if its safe and she said yes but not proven to work.

Basically she told me its OK to take but don''t expect anything from it.

I saw that Costco website has a good deal on it now witha $5 coupon and am thinking of ordering it.

I''m curious if anyone here has taken glucosamine and if they had good results, bad results, no results? Feedback please!

 

[katebar]

Date: 3/22/2009 11:55:09 PM
Author:asscherisme
I am thinking of starting to take glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for my joints.

My knees are staring to bother me, I think from too many years of running. I asked my doctor if its safe and she said yes but not proven to work.

Basically she told me its OK to take but don''t expect anything from it.

I saw that Costco website has a good deal on it now witha $5 coupon and am thinking of ordering it.

I''m curious if anyone here has taken glucosamine and if they had good results, bad results, no results? Feedback please!

Yes and have been for 10 years. I have osteo in both knees from unecessary surgery and i swear by 1500 mg of glucasamine with MSM and chondrotin.

 

[AprilBaby]

I tried and it didn''t do a thing. I started taking fish oil for my heart and as a side effect my knees started to feel great!

 

[Scorpioanne]

I have taken glucosamine for years and I have found it helpful. My doctor actually recommended it.

 

[cnspotts]

I take it too for my knees and shoulders along with Cod liver oil (capsules) which is a natural anti-inflammatory . I definitely notice a difference but I do think its more from the oil since I have taken Glucosamine off and on for years. Nice side effect of the oil is that it curbs sugar cravings. FYI There is controversy about the Vit A in it so read up or ask your doc.

 

[icekid]

No studies have shown it to have any benefit over placebo. But it can''t hurt to try it.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 3/23/2009 12:06:49 PM
Author: Scorpioanne
I have taken glucosamine for years and I have found it helpful. My doctor actually recommended it.

My orthopedist too; he has me taking 1500 mg a day. I buy Schiff 1500 mg Glucosamine 1 a day (from Costco); look closely because some require you to take 2 a day and this one is most bang for the buck and the coupon applies to it. I have had good results and been taking it for a year now; I was having knee pain and it has helped.

 

[ladypirate]

Ditto to everyone who says it hasn''t been proven to work. The one supplement that has been shown in clinical trials to improve joint health is Omega 3 (fish oil). If you really want to take the Glucosamine, though, it''s not going to make it worse.

 

[dianne]

I took it religiously for over 2 years and never really saw a benefit.

 

[scarleta]

Glucosamine works best if taken with MSM and Chondrointin.They work together better.
YOU have to take it for quite a long time( in most cases) to notice any difference ,but it does help.After you take it for several months and you stop then you notice the difference because suddenly the pain returns.

 

[:)]

The use of glucosamine (or chondroitin, et al), when used for joint pain, was generally intended for the wearing down of the joint space - djd (degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis - both terms refer to your basic, garden variety arthritis) and not for general aches and pains.

When metaanalyses were done **on properly blinded studies** (thus eliminating the placebo effect as a potential confounder of results), there has been no benefit shown with regards to pain in osteoarthritis.

The 'landmark' study (that everyone was waiting for - the NIH and the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine provided the funding) and that is generally cited is the 2006 New England Journal of Medicine article which also did not show a benefit. There was a caveat to that study, and it was that the group of patients with moderate to severe djd were not represented in a sufficient number (or power) to say for sure, but there is a possibility that there is a benefit in that subgroup (the severe djd group). Also part of that caveat is that in that group there still was not a response to glucosamine alone or chondroitin alone - it would be the combo if there were a response.

People with shellfish allergies should use caution with glucosamine.

There have been enormous inconsistencies in the formulations of commerical products (containing hundreds of percents more or tenths of the total amount of what the labels say they contain). I usually recommend any time a product like this is purchased, look for a USP (United States Pharmacopeia) or CL (Consumers Lab) label. It does not mean it works, but at least the (known) lab is certifying the ingredients in stated amounts.

HTH.

 

[anyname]

I just started taking it, but i''m not consistant. A friend suggested it to me, he said that taking it worked for him and his knees, so i guess we''ll see. The vet recommended it for my dog, though i can''t really tell any difference.