# Glucosamine & chondroitin, any luck with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491 "2003-06-13T02:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/1 "2003-06-13T02:14:44Z")
Ever since i started doing step aerobics (laugh if you will, dammit) my knees have started to hurt to the point where i had to stop doing step aerobics and now i do bicycling. I am thinking of buying some glucosamine & chondroitin on ebay and trying it. 1. did it work for you 2. do i need the stuff that is combined with MSM or will the glucosamine & chondroitin suffice. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/2 "2003-06-13T02:48:50Z")
I take it for arthritis and it seems to help, but it’s really difficult to tell, since arthritis is a thing that comes and goes anyway. It isn’t a pain reliever, and needs to be taken for a while before having any alleged effect. Maybe you should just stop doing step aerobics and leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/3 "2003-06-13T02:54:43Z")
**Elenfair** ’s dog Valen has an old hip injury, and she adds glucosamine to his food. If he goes without for a while, it’s clearly evident that his hip is bothering him. Just another data point. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/4 "2003-06-13T02:55:39Z")
I haven’t taken it myself, but I belong to a fitness board where many of the other members do take it (glucosamine that is). I’ve heard very good things about it. I like Glutamine, it seems to really help the soreness the day after a workout. ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/5 "2003-06-13T03:02:03Z")
I asked this a few months ago, and the users of those supplements all said they’d noticed no improvement. I was getting runners knee (would feel stiff when I sat in one position too long, hurt sometimes while exercising). Anyway, a friend who does yoga recommended some stretches that really helped. One was kneeling, then sitting as if you were going to sit on your feet, but splay your feet out to the sides a big so that if you were to sit all the way down, your feet would be at the sides of your hips, if that makes any sense. Of course only do what you can without hurting yourself. That totally got rid of my runner’s knee, though. ---
**Author:** ![Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horrifying_Howler_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/6 "2003-06-13T03:10:29Z")
I’ve used it with some of my older sled dogs, and have noticed a great improvment in some, and no difference at all in others (I know you didn’t ask about dogs, but that’s what I know 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Master\_Brewer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Brewer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/7 "2003-06-13T03:11:27Z")
Both my wife and I have had knee surguries (I had ACL reconstruction, and she had ortho mcl repair). We both take glucosamine and we have found that it does help some with join pain and strength. As **MLS** said, one thing to keep in mind is that it takes a while for the glucosamine to build up in your blood stream, so if you decide to start taking it, dont give up on it for a couple months. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/8 "2003-06-13T04:45:00Z")
I tried it for a while (2-3 months) for post-traumatic ankle arthritis and didn’t notice any difference, so I gave it up. Eventually my ortho doc prescribed orthotics, and they have been a HUUUUGE help in improving my endurance and reducing my pain levels. My grandmother swears by the stuff for her arthritis, though. It’s worth a try; it’s sure less invasive than surgery! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/9 "2003-06-13T12:08:30Z")
My mom takes it for her arthritis and she swears it makes a difference. She said she used to have trouble combing her hair, and now she has almost full range of motion for both arms and hands. Dunno if it’s psychological or physiological, but Mom’s happy, so that’s something. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/10 "2003-06-13T12:20:04Z")
My husband takes both MSM and Glucosamine/Chondroitin. He swears by it. I saw a program last night about James Coburn, who was crippled by arthritis until he got on the MSM. He was a big public voice in favor of it until his death. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/11 "2003-06-13T13:14:57Z")
I’ve used Glucosamine/MSM and it has really helped with joint pain. Chondroitin is expensive and may actually interfere with Glucosamine absorption (sorry, don’t have a cite right now). ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/12 "2003-06-13T13:38:17Z")
I took it for knee pain and it made no difference at all (I took it for several months). What _will_ make a difference is losing about 20 pounds and putting that much less pressure on my knees! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/13 "2003-06-13T13:54:24Z")
Consumer Reports had a cover story on “Mystery Cures” 3 or 4 years ago. Glucosamine was one of the few things reviewed which they approved of. Chondroitin was not. It seems to help me. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/14 "2003-06-13T16:17:05Z")
I’m having knee pain right now, and I’m thinking on going on it for a while, just to see if it will work. ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/15 "2003-06-13T16:56:08Z")
I looked on the archives of this message board for this same information. One kind poster linked to a medical review of double-blind tests on people with joint pain and cartilige problems. (Dose 1500 mg for 1 year was pretty standard.) The experiments indicated that it does have beneficial effects. However, the journal pointed out that experiments which didn’t produce results would probably be less likely to be published. I figure that studies which showed nasty side-effects would have been published, though. So I started taking it. At worst, it is placebo. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/16 "2003-06-13T17:50:54Z")
Gluco works nicely for my feet & knees. I’m overweight & have a congentital knee problem to boot. Taking this stuff seems to reduce the pain I feel in my joints. I notice I don’t snap & pop at much straight out of bed, too. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/17 "2003-06-13T20:49:49Z")
Glucosamine works for arthritic pain - not muscular pain. For muscular pain, you can take MSM. There’s little research on the effects of glucosamine in humans - nothing more than the anectodal stuff, at any rate. With animals, we do see a difference in many subjects, but not all - most though, yes. The nice things about dogs is that they don’t suffer from psychosomatic disorders and/or aren’t subjective about the pain. I can see that Valen moves better, runs, and can jump up on my bed when he’s on glucosamine/MSM. When he’s off, it shows. The GOOD news is, it can’t hurt to give it a shot! ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/18 "2003-06-13T21:36:01Z")
One of the problems with glucosamine, as well as most such supplements, is that they are very loosely regulated. I read recently (I’ll do a search for a cite, but can’t lay my hands on it at the moment) that researchers pulled some bottles of glucosamine off store shelves, and tested them for the active ingredient. Almost none contained as much as the label indicated, and some had _no detectable active ingredient at all_. Given that the stuff is fairly pricey (especially if you really do take the recommended dose), those findings would worry me. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glucosamine-chondroitin-any-luck-with-it/181491/19 "2003-06-13T21:41:50Z")
Here’s the article I was thinking of: [problems with glucosamine, and chondroitin even worse](http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/22/1728_56163). While we’re on the subject, _topical_ application of these supplements (i.e., rubbing them on your skin) is truly worthless, according to [this](http://www.drtheo.com/htopic4.html).