So…what is the SD on Glucosamine+Chondroitin? Are there more studies that support it being good for joints vs. not?
Thanks. My left thumb is falling apart because of <mumble mumble> years of guitar playing.
So…what is the SD on Glucosamine+Chondroitin? Are there more studies that support it being good for joints vs. not?
Thanks. My left thumb is falling apart because of <mumble mumble> years of guitar playing.
My doctor doesn’t believe the chondroitin does anything, but is a fan of glucosamine. I’ve been taking glucosamine (+/- chondroitin, +/- MSM, depending on the bottle I happen to grab at the store when I run out) for quite some time because of some discomfort in my elbow and shoulder. I mentioned at my last checkup that the discomfort seemed to be getting worse again; he told me to double my glucosamine. Doing so does seem to have helped quite a bit. I’m hoping to put off “graduating” to COX-2 inhibitors as long as possible, given the issue with Vioxx.
I reviewed the two meta-analyses that KarlGauss refers to above, at the time they came out. I seem to recall both showed a statistically significant effect for glucosamine/chondroiton, but also that this effect was modest. My take on it at the time is that the combination helps a bit.
I do want to mention that the glucosamine often increases cholesterol. My doctor pointed this out to me so I stopped taking the supplement and had another test in 6 months, and cholesterol had gone down about 40 points. But, I also had a lot more aches and pains. Dr. said, go ahead and take the supplement; the aches and pains cause my blood pressure to go up etc, let the cholesterol be higher (I still have high good cholesterol so …) But if your cholesterol is a concern be aware the glucosamine often does raise it.
Glucosamine+chondroitin=better joints!
Yes, it works for us for over 4/5 years. Started twice a day for two months, then once a day since. Well worth the cost.
I had a total left knee replacement a year ago due to advance deteriorization prior to starting on G+C.
Right knee was indicated as also in need of a replacement but is doing well on the once daily dosage of G+C.
My wife looked into it when she started taking them. The consensus was that it had some effect on some people. She found that the combination worked for her. I found that it did nothing for me.
That’s just saying the same thing as KarlGauss’s links, only in layman’s terms.
My vet recommended glucosamine+chondroitin for my horse when he (the horse) was experiencing some joint problems. It seemed to work well. Being human, your mileage may vary.
I’d be interested a cite for this. Anything’s possible, but it’s not documented to occur (AFAIK).
AFAIK, it’s well accepted to be of use. Having said that, I take it in the hope of alleviating tendon problems (achilles - from running, finger tendons - rock climbing) and I think there’s no evidence for its efficiacy in that application, other than a few anecdotes.
Have any studies been done to confirm this? I’m curious as my father has been taking glucosamine on a doctor’s advice for years (with great results) and is at high risk for heart disease (family history).
FWIW, his doctor did not recommend chondroitin. He felt studies were insufficient regarding its benefits.
i’ve been diagnosed with “hypermobility syndrome”…i’m flexible in places that are not beneficial. i’ve found the glucosamine chrondroitin (i take it in the form of Emergen-C in water) causes me to have less days of pain and uncomfortable inflammation, but i have to take it consistently. just my experience with it.
My vet recommended it for my cat, too. He was gnawing the fur off of his front paws and the vet said it was probably arthritis.
He’s been eating gloucosamine-spiked food since June and he has improved in some areas. He still gnaws on his paws, but he’s stopped other things. Before he was taking it, and Calgary weather had a mood swing, he would be crouched around under the furniture with a look of pain in his eyes for some days. It corrosponded with the flare-ups of arthritis in the rest of the family (My whole immediate family has arthritis, so it’s ironic that my cat got it too).
Also, he used to shift uncomfortably from paw to paw when he sat on the windowsill each morning. He’s stopped that.
My vet recommended it for my cat, too. He was gnawing the fur off of his front paws and the vet said it was probably arthritis.
He’s been eating gloucosamine-spiked food since June and he has improved in some areas. He still gnaws on his paws, but he’s stopped other things. Before he was taking it, and Calgary weather had a mood swing, he would be crouched around under the furniture with a look of pain in his eyes for some days. It corrosponded with the flare-ups of arthritis in the rest of the family (My whole immediate family has arthritis, so it’s ironic that my cat got it too).
Also, he used to shift uncomfortably from paw to paw when he sat on the windowsill each morning. He’s stopped that.
I find that it is some help for my arthritis. However, it is not a cure. If I stop taking it the aches & pains come back after a few days, but if I take it every single day, I feel better.
geneva12 I keep hearing more and more negative stuff, but I refuse the cox-2 inhibitors because of the side effects
IANAD, but this is my own experience with arthritis & pain meds for several years. At one point I thought the cox-2 inhibitors were doing me a lot of good. I developed a digestive disorder (TMI, you don’t want to know) and in a search for the cause my doctor advised that I eliminate various meds for a while. To my surprise, when I stopped the c2i, there was no difference in my pain levels.
On the OP, I have found consistently that the discomfort is less or gone when I religiously remember to take the glucosamine-chondroitin twice a day every day. For flare-ups, I’ve found that aspirin or ibuprofen works just as well as the c2i. YMMV.
From what I’ve read, one has to weigh one’s own *other * risks for the cardiac & other problems vs. one’s own predisposition to digestive problems, vs. the arthritis symptoms.
Also, remember that the statistics in the popular press can be misleading. As an example, if it’s reported that X doubles the risk of a side effect, we need to ask is the risk doubling from one in a gazillion billion to two in a gazillion billion, or from one in ten to two in ten.