Some Info About Glucosamine

Glucoamine and Osteoarthritis :
Glucosamine has hardly been evaluated in conditions other than osteoarthritis. Hence it is not clear whether glucosamine is helpful in those with damage to cartilage or joints due to musculoskeletal injuries. Cartilage cushions human joints, and when it wears down over time and the body's ability to replace it slows or ceases, the result is osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. This painful and potentially disabling condition often goes along with aging. Glucosamine does help rebuild cartilage in osteoarthritis patients, but it is unlikely that it would help joints where the cartilage has been surgically removed. Similarly, glucosamine has not been tested in autoimmune diseases involving joints such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Those with artificial joints are not likely to be helped by glucosamine since they have no cartilage.

Combining Glucosamine with Drugs :
Glucosamine may be taken together with acetaminophen or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen. After glucosamine starts working in a few weeks, hopefully the dose of the drugs can be reduced or eliminated. There has been no case of glucosamine interacting with other medicines.

Glucosamine and allergies :
Those who are allergic to sulfates may take glucosamine hydrochloride and not glucosamine sulfate, and they should avoid chondroitin sulfate. Glucosamine is derived from shrimp, oyster and crab shells and chondroitin is derived from cartilage of cows, pigs, and sharks. There is no synthetically made glucosamine on the market.

Long term safety :
Based on our current understanding, glucosamine can be taken for extended periods, months and years. Thus far, after being on the market for quite a number of years, there have not been any reports in the medical literature of any significant side effects resulting from the use of glucosamine. However, as with most nutrients and medicines, long term effects are not clearly known. It is best pregnant women not take glucosamine until more is known about this interaction.

Timing of Glucosamine ingestion :
It's difficult to say when the best time or frequency to take glucosamine, whether with or without food, but a good option is to take glucosamine before meals. All 1,500 mg a day can be taken at one time or split in two or three divided doses throughout the day.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin :
Glucosamine can be combined with chondroitin and other nutrients for enhancing its effect for relieving arthritic symptoms. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements are used to slow the progression of osteoarthritis - the deterioration of cartilage between joint bones - and to reduce the associated pain. Glucosamine is thought to promote the formation and repair of cartilage. Chondroitin is believed to promote water retention and elasticity in cartilage and inhibit enzymes that break down cartilage. In veterinary medicine, glucosamine and chondroitin, often in combination, are commonly used in the treatment of degenerative joint disease - typically in older dogs and cats as well as in horses.