Glucosamine can work wonders.

The secret is to take it long enough (4-6- weeks)until you can feel the effects. If it hasn't helped in that length of time, it most likely will not be of any value to you. Even doctors are of the opinion that it works often enough to try. There don't seem to be any side effects to worry about.

Osteo-flex is a good brand made by a reliable firm. Please don't waste your time with the El Cheapo brands.

There is some dispute as to whether or not you need Chondrotin along with the Glucosamine. I can't see that it does anything extra, but for some people, it may.

Thanks for the reply...I've only been taking it a few days; I'll persevere. I've done quite a bit of reading on it - it's very commonly prescribed for dogs & horses with arthritis or dysplasia. Taking MSM concurrently is, according to some, a good idea because it helps absorption. Or something.

Oops. All I have on hand is store brand. There's a subscription website called consumerlab or something - they test all sorts of supplements & nutraceuticals. I haven't subscribed for about a year, I should do so again. One notable thing is that many of the store brand supplements are actually a higher & more consistent quality than name brands. But if Osteo Flex is made by the same company as Syn Flex, it's apparently a very good product.

Anyhow, thanks! I work out regularly & am going to start yoga classes soon, that may help too.

Sounds as if you are on the right track. It seems to be more helpful in the large joints like the knees and less helpful in the small ones like the fingers. My ankles were so painful, I could hardly walk. It was a huge improvement. I no longer take it as it seemed to fix the problem. I may have to start again, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

When I said "El Cheapo" brands, I meant those you see advertised in tabloids, on on the internet or by mail order only. Those that you find in reputable stores do vary a great deal in price, but all seem to be of good quality. Some labels state that they are made from shark cartledge. There is a feeling that those are not as effective as other kinds. I don't know.

Anyway, wishing you the best. Just don't give up on the stuff too soon.
PB

DH has had knee joint problems for years. He started taking MSM (500 mg daily)and no longer has any problems at all with his knees.

PB, gotcha on the infomercial/tabloid ones. I'd never buy anything at all from these sources. If anyone is interested in the consumerlab site, I linked to it below. I'm going to renew my subscription, they just got a write up in the NYT, a pretty respectable outfit.

Anyhow - Lydia, I've heard a lot about MSM, too. I researched quite a few supplements & various treatments two years ago when my S.O. was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. (It's an autoimmune disease, not like osteo.) None of these products make much of a difference for him, unfortunately.

So it's off to the HFS to get the G/C + MSM, and I'll throw in extra C vites as well, while I'm at it! Sheesh, I just don't want to be feeling too creaky at my age. :)

My dad and husband use Chondroitin/Glucosamine + MSM and it really helps! I disagree about the El Cheapo brands...I get it from Puritan's Pride and it works just fine. (is PP el cheapo?) They are having a buy one get two free sale right now, so maybe they are ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: PP

Glucosamine has been salvation for my DH and me. When taking auto trips or sitting at my desk at the office for house, I could hardly get out of the of the car or the chair. So several years ago we started taking glucosamine daily and now can drive from home to Atlanta (7.5 hours) with no stiffness at the end of the trip. Or I can sit at my desk at the office for hours and get up without looking like I'm 90 years old.

The problem I have had, as mentioned above, is getting the right brand. Since I have had some ineffective brands before, I asked the vitamin store manager if she knew for sure that her brand was effective before I bought a jumbo bottle. She was agitated that I questioned it. Well, it was totally ineffective so I took it back after using 3/4 of the supply. The store was in another town so it wasn't convenient but I wanted to take it back because of the manager's attitude. Well they took the bottle and said okay. No refund, no explanation, no recommendations, no apologiesÂzilch.

I have had the best and quickest relief from Flexium. The problem with this brand is it's very expensive.

Here is a link that might be useful: Good Stuff

Well, I have something that worked wonders for me and my dogs. I've had the most horrible backpain for the last few years and my mom has osteoporosis. One of my dogs was limping and had to walk on three paws every time I played with her or took her to the beach. The vet wanted to do surgery but I tried the glucosamine first and after that I tried a product called OsteoProCare. It's 100% natural and comes in liquid form. It contains glucosamine, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc...
There is another one that is called FlexeoPlus and I'm going to order this one for myself as well. It's highly concentrated and contains 500mg glucosamine, 500mg MSM & ipriflavone and comes in drops.
It has worked wonders for my dog and me so far. She doesn't have any problems running and playing anymore and my back pain has gotten sooooooo much better. It's a little pricey but I don't feel like being stingy when it comes to my health. And also, it doesn't happen over night so you've got to be a bit patient. If anybody is interested, I have attached the link.

Does anyone know if this works for shoulders, or is it effective only on weight-bearing joints?

My orthopedic (back) doctor recommended glucosamine for hips and knees. When I asked him about a possible placebo effect in the studies done, he said the placebo effect was less effective than the glucosamine.

Jen

I meant, the placebo was less effective than the glucosamine. (Why do I catch typos the instant I hit the Submit button???)

try flex-force. it is the same joint pain medicine for pets, except its made for humans

go to www.flexforceworks.com to get more information on flex-force

What about Spring Valley? I have been taking it for years, and feel that I do get some relief from it. What is the difference between this and the Flex Force?

Not sure what the difference between Flex-Force and spring valley is. I googled the ingredients for spring valley and it looks like it would do the same job as Flex-Force. As far as price goes looks like they are about the same, Flex-Force may come out to be a few dollars cheaper though, since it has 60 capsules taken once daily and would last 2 months for $36. Spring valley 2 month supply would be about $40 but you get 90 capsules but have to take 3 daily. Ive been taking Flex-Force for about 15 months and its worked well for me. Since everyones body type is different it may or may not work for you. If you decide to try flex-force, they do send a 10 day sample and if your not satisfied then you can get a refund. Where do you buy spring valley from? I may try it out.

My husband buys it at a local grocery store or Wal Mart. He does the shopping since I hate it, so I am not sure where he goes, but it isn't to an elegant store.

I've heard that glucosamine is good for your joints, I've been taking Joint Advantage Gold since I run to stay fit. I don't know what the long term effects are, but I take it to help my joints and more of the preventative side.

Here is a link that might be useful: glucosamine