You know, that “glucosamine chondroitin” stuff? Goodness, who can remember such a name! [That’ll take a memory supplement ] Anyway, I’m asking about that supposedly all-natural, OTC supplement to help joints, etc. A guy at work swears by it to help his back pain. I’m trying it out of desperation for now other OTC drugs (naproxin and ibuprophen) have become too highly questionable for me to feel comfortable using. Anyway, what’s your story with this supplement, how long were you using it before noticing improvement, and please tell me the dose per day, if you know.
I should add a note about how the dosage is confusing. Get this: I’m taking what’s deemed a regular dose at 750mg/pill twice a day which works out to be the same as the higher does which claims 500mg/pill 3x a day!
Go figure that one out!
Last, tell me if yours contains MSM, and does it seem to matter?
So, what’s your story?
I don’t take it and I don’t know anything about the dosing, but I distinctly remember hearing of some studies a couple of years ago claiming that it does work to lessen joint pain quite effectively. I know a lot of older people that take it and all of them say that it works. I’ve heard that it can take up to a couple of months to notice any relief.
NSAIDS such as Ibuprofen are more effective, but if you can’t take them due to stomach irritation or whatever, then it’s an alternative.
After Vioxx and Celebrex came raised concerns about prolonged use of Aleve (Naproxin) and Advil (ibuprofen). I know Advil and Aleve are quite harsh on my intestines, but they do work. Still, I’ll have to get by with my back pain than experience serious internal organ problems!
Thanks for the info…I’ll stick with the Chondroitian supplement for now. I’ll see how it goes… - Jinx w/back “kinks”
We give glucosamine supplements to our large breed dogs for joint trouble and it seems to help.
I have a friend who swears by it. He started taking it and swears it regrew cartilage in his knees. He has before and after xrays, and something put cartilage where it wasn’t before!
A few double blind studies have proven effectiveness of certain glcosamine/condritin supplements in dogs and horses. The specific brands that were investigated were Cosequin and Corta-Flx. Both found positive results vs. placebo. I don’t have the Cosequin study to hand but the Corta-flex study was done at Michigan State Vet School, Dr. Hillary Clayton (DVM) was the researcher, and you should be able to find it on the net.
I don’t know of any effectiveness studies onhumans. Sorry.
I works for me. But my problem is that once I’ve been taking it for a few weeks and it takes effect, my joints no longer hurt and i forget to take it, thus starting the cycle again.
My experience is like Cynical Gabe’s. Remember it’s not an analgesic like aspirin or ibuprofen; it takes a while before you notice a difference. Also, it’s difficult to judge accurately for some conditions, like arthritis, which vary from day to day anyway. When you get a “good” day you tend to credit whichever remedy you’ve tried recently.
I was a catcher in baseball from middle school through college. My knees were so messed up I couldn’t stand up from a chair without audidle crackling coming from behind my kneecaps.
I couldn’t ride in a car or on a plane for longer than two hours without throbbing pain.
I took glucosamine (from my research, chondroitin is useless) for 6 months and every single one of my symptoms completely disappeared. That was six years ago and I have never had to take it again.
My 80-year old mom takes it, and swears that it helps…takes the edge off. But she also wants to believe that it works, because she is a big believer in natural remedies…anything to avoid spending money on drugs. So she also does a vinegar/apple juice/grape juice thing, and for a while she did the raisins steeped in gin thing. I’m not sure she takes it everyday, because she thinks you should only take drugs when you need them, and she’s got it priced down to the pill. Heaven forbid if Walgreen’s doesn’t have it in stock when it’s advertised at a good price…she will bug them daily! Since she doesn’t take it daily, I’m not sure she’s getting the full benefit.
My mother says that it took away her arthritis entirely; she used to groan getting up from chairs, all that stuff. Not anymore. She is 53 and has been on it for about five years.
She says her fingernails are much stronger since she started it, also.
My husband takes it and has done for about four years now. He still has some occasional trouble with his knees, but he’s pretty well convinced that it’s helping. When he asked his doctor about it, when he was first diagnosed with arthritis, the doctor told him it couldn’t hurt and if it seemed to help he might as well take it if he wanted.
He hasn’t gone without since he started, so I don’t have any really scientific evidence.
] Anyway, I’m asking about that supposedly all-natural, OTC supplement to help joints, etc. A guy at work swears by it to help his back pain. I’m trying it out of desperation for now other OTC drugs (naproxin and ibuprophen) have become too highly questionable for me to feel comfortable using. Anyway, what’s your story with this supplement, how long were you using it before noticing improvement, and please tell me the dose per day, if you know.
