Glucosamine

[stubbs]

Glucosamine has been mentioned on serveral occasions in this forum as a good cure for various joint problems.

Could anyone that knows of anything about this drug tell me the pro's/con's, cost, where to buy it (online) and would it be safe for myself(i'm 17 years old). Also anything on chondroiton as this is often mentioned with glucosamine.

thanks.
stubbs.

"satisfaction loses,and humility gains"

[Robinf]

The only way to get the right information about these things is to make an appointment with your doctor and talk to him/her about it. Being 17, I doubt you need those things. But, if you're in pain, your doctor should know--he/she and help you and should be the only one to help you.

Anything you hear from us is just from the articles we can get a hold of and/or have time to read. Doctors make it their living to keep up with all those things.

Please ask your doctor this question.

Robin

Surrender yourself to nature and be all that you are.

[wooha]

I've been taking glucosamine sulphate for a while now, and all I can say is the problem I had with my shoulder has improved. I can't say for sure that it's thanks to the glucosamine, but hey, I'm still taking it.

It's not a drug. It's a naturally occurring substance that is part of what makes up the cartilage in your joints. I don't think there's any reason it wouldn't be safe, but it can be fairly expensive.

I buy mine from Holland & Barrett (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com). They frequently do half price deals on supplements like this - they're doing one as I write this.

[Stranger]

By all means ask your doctor, if only in a phone appointment. He/she will give it the "all safe", but don't skip that step.

I disagree with the idea that you are "too young" to be taking it. Sooooooo many HS athletes have wrecked knees, ankles, shoulders, etc. (I know because I used to help in their therapy). Some people are just genetically prone to these conditions.

Of course pain should also make you take a serious look at what you are doing.

I don't get mad.
I get stabby.

[Wongsifu]

i saw youre in england go to holland and barret they are every where health food stores and they got a special offer rite now for glucosamine , dirt cheap

what do bin laden and general custer have in common????
They're both wondering where the fu(k all of those tomahawks are coming from. - donated by mojo

[Syre]

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance our bodies use to produce cartilage. We don't produce much of it, though, and supplementation has been shown to help the body regenerate cartilage more easily.

Here is a recent abstract. At the end, it states that glucosamine is beneficial for knee osteoarthritis.

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Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2001 Oct;15(4):583-93 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut


Pharmacological therapy of osteoarthritis.

Hochberg MC, Dougados M.

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA

In 2000, both the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European League of Associations of Rheumatology (EULAR) published recommendations for the use of pharmacological therapy in the treatment of patients with lower limb osteoarthritis. These recommendations are based on the level of evidence observed in systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of published randomized controlled trials as well as expert opinion. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is considered as first-line oral therapy for symptomatic lower limb osteoarthritis with mild to moderate pain because it is more efficacious than placebo and is generally considered to be safe and well tolerated. Data obtained in recent trials and the results of a meta-analysis, however, show that acetaminophen is not as efficacious as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain at rest and pain on motion. Furthermore, data from a recent epidemiological study suggest that use of high-dose acetaminophen (>2 g/day) may convey the same magnitude of increased risk for serious upper gastrointestinal adverse events as NSAIDs.NSAIDs have demonstrated efficacy superior to placebo in patients with osteoarthritis. The newer cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2-specific inhibitors (coxibs) have comparable efficacy to traditional dual inhibitor NSAIDs and have demonstrated a better gastrointestinal safety profile. Thus, for patients who have severe pain and/or signs of inflammation or who have failed to respond to acetaminophen, the use of a coxib should be considered, especially if the patient is at increased risk for serious upper gastrointestinal adverse events from a traditional NSAID.Compounds different from pure analgesics and NSAIDs are also used for the management of patients with osteoarthritis. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated statistically significant efficacy of such compounds (e.g. chondroitin sulphate, diacerhein, glucosamine sulphate) with the following characteristics: (1) the effect size seems to be of slightly lower magnitude than that seen for NSAIDs; (2) the onset of action is delayed for approximately 4 to 6 weeks; and (3) the symptomatic effect is maintained after stopping the treatment for periods of 4 to 8 weeks.The methodology for evaluating the possible structure-modifying effect of drugs has dramatically improved during the past decade. Two agents have demonstrated a beneficial structural effect: glucosamine sulphate in osteoarthritis of the knee, and diacerhein in osteoarthritis of the hip. The clinical relevance of such an effect needs to be further evaluated in long-term outcome studies. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

[popsider]

You can get better information of the internet than asking a doctor. A GP is a generalist - not a specialist. Unless they have a specific interest in this area of medicine they are likely to tell you that it's probably safe and you probably do not need it. At the most they'll have read something like the article posted above.

[stubbs]

yeah the trouble with most of the articles is that they can be biased because they usualy sell it as well. that's why i wanted to find out from the people on this forum, because alot posts have recommended glucosamine so i wanted to find out the effects it had on them personaly.

thanks for all the relies.
stubbs

"satisfaction loses,and humility gains"