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Glucosamine

18 years ago

Anyone tried this? My chiropractor suggested it and I started it today.

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Comments (15)

PeaBee4
18 years ago
It can do wonders. A lot depends on which joints are bothersome. It seems to work best for the large ones like knee and hip, but not as well for the tiny ones like the fingers and toes. You may not notice any difference for about four weeks. Don't give up!! Give it at least six. If you cannot detect any change after six weeks, it probably won't help you.
PB
marie26
18 years ago
When I had surgery on my big toe, my doctor had me take this. He swore by this medicine.
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There are also other, herbal products that might help, instead of or in conjunction with the glucosamine/chondroitin, which may allow you to use less of the expensive stuff. I don't remember all the names off hand, but if you look for products with Boswellia, Devil's Claw, Turmeric, these will also give anti-inflammatory effects. There's a product for horsess called Bute-less (or, it USED to be called that, may have changed) for those horse owners who were worried about the long-term effects of bute on the gastric system - I can attest to that one working for my brother's horse - and I think it can also be used for dogs, adjusting the dosage. There's another called DGP, which originated in Australia, but can be found here - the anecdotal evidence says it works. They all will probably take at least 3 weeks to work, maybe 4-6 weeks for the full effect to be seen. They might be less money than the glucosamine/chondroitin. Try googling Hilton Herbs products - I think they also make products for dogs as well as horses.
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glucosamine chondroitin??
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Vicki - The official recommendation is for a daily multi-vitamin supplement -- whatever has all of them, none in excessive doses -- so get something OTC. I have many friends on glucosamine, and except for a bit of nausea, no one is reporting side effects. If it works for you, start to reduce the dose to the lowest possible amount that keeps you comfortable.
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dosage for Glucosamine with MSM
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There is still no evidence that MSM does anything to help with arthritis. It is supposed to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but this has never been documented. It doesn't appear to cause any harm, but it also doesn't appear to do any good. Glucosamine and chondriotin are both substances that are required for healthy cartilage. The most effective forms are glucosamine HCL and chondroitin sulfate; they are most readily absorbed and used by the body. The most effective ratio is glucosamine HCL 500mg/chondroitin sulfate 400mg. The most common dose is 3-6 times that ratio in humans, starting with a higher dose during a 6-8 week loading period then decreasing to the lowest effective dose. If there is no improvement after 6-8 weeks, there is no use continuing to supplement. I use it and it helps with my knees, which I injured many years ago. I recommended it to my FIL and it didn't help him at all. It helped my husband, and I also give it to all of my dogs to prevent cartilage break-down (they are large breed dogs). In humans and animals, it seems to help about 50% of the time. I think it depends on how much cartilage-producing cells are still in the affected joints. Glucosamine and chondroitin appear to have a better effect when the cartilage damage isn't severe. Glucosamine and chondroitin are not pain releivers, but work by building up the cartilage in the joints. This helps protect the bones in the joints from rubbing against each other, which is the source of joint pain. One major problem with supplements in general is that there is no government regulation on them. Many brands have been tested and some have almost no glucosamine or chondroitin in them! Look for a symbol on the packaging that says USP, indicating the manufacturer follows guidelines from US Pharmocopeia, which is an industry self-regulatory board. The link below has more information on glucosamine/chondroitin. Here is a link that might be useful: Info on glucosamine and chondriotin
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Animals show pain by not doing things they used to do, like not being able to get up from lying down without help, not jumping, not playing, not running around like usual. They very rarely whine or cry except with acute pain, like being hit by a car. Even then, they aren't crying by the time we see them in the ER. Pain meds are great for older animals. Often people don't realize that their pet is in pain, and that pain is the reason that they don't do the things they used to do. It is more difficult to assess when the animal also has vision or hearing troubles, because that also makes the animal not want to move around as much as before. Pain meds are not without risk. Pets who will be on NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) need to have a complete chemistry panel and CBC prior to starting the medication to be sure the liver and kidneys in particular are able to metabolize the drugs. Then they must be monitored on a regular basis. The owners must watch for signs of problems, such as decreased appetite, vomiting, increased lethargy. But most animals do great on NSAIDs. Without knowing the cause of the dogs pain, NSAIDs are a good first choice. For a GSD sometimes their pain can be neurologic, like with degenerative myelopathy or cadua equina syndrome. In these cases, NSAIDs alone may not be enough. My own rottie K'Ehleyr has a terrible back, and recently had trouble getting up from lying down and some other neurologic problems. I thought for sure she'd need back surgery or be paralyzed. But after 2 MRIs, they couldn't find a specific cause for her trouble, and we just switched out one of her pain meds for another. She was on rimadyl (an NSAID) and tramadol (a synthetic opioid) for over a year with good results. But since we thought that she was having neurologic trouble, we switched her tramadol for gabopentin, which originally was used as an anti-seizure drug but it turns out to be good for controlling neurologic pain. She's doing MUCH better now. She has also been on glucosamine HCL 1500mg, chondroitin sulfate 1200mg, duralactin, fish oil, and vitamin E since I got her 2 years ago. She was a wreck when I got her, but between all that and significant weight loss (she was also fat, which didn't help) she is doing really well. In short, there are a lot of options for pain control in dogs. Sometimes it takes a little time working out which options are best. I would definitely try some sort of pain management on a dog who was having the symptoms you described. Could make a big difference in the quality of life for the dog. I know GSDs who have lived to 16, so 13 is old, but not unheard of.
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Pawprint
Original Author
18 years ago
ItÂs for a degenerative disk, L4 to be exact. I hope it helps as it always hurts.
abreeze
18 years ago
A friend says she was told to take vitamin C with it. Anyone else hear that?
Pawprint
Original Author
18 years ago
I take vitamin C anyway so I'm okay.
Meghane
18 years ago
Been on it for the last 3 years and my knees don't hurt even with exercise. Also give it to my dogs, one of whom has severe rear limb deformities and it's helped her a lot.
Get the glucosamine HCL 500mg and chondroitin sulfate 400mg- that's the best chemical composition and ratio of drugs. I get it at Costco 250 tablets for $20 (Kirkland brand).
jenn
18 years ago
We had dinner with friends tonight who told us that after they started taking it, their aches and pains were MUCH better. Hubby suggested it to them several months ago. The wife said she felt much better over all (fewer aches and pains). It didn't help Hubby's shoulders much so I guess his problem is different than theirs.
Pawprint
Original Author
18 years ago
I wish it didn't take so long to work. I'm ready now!
PeaBee4
18 years ago
Please keep in mind that it isn't a pain killer like Tylenol or Advil. It works by helping the body rebuild damaged cartiledge in the joints. This takes a few weeks for you to tell the difference. Be patient! If it is going to work for you, it will. It just takes time for the body to do it's thing.
Pawprint
Original Author
18 years ago
Shoot, I forgot my dosage last night! I'm so mad at myself!
cheerful1_gw
18 years ago
Would it help the lower back?
gandbb
18 years ago
I just started taking it, but against the advice of my neighbor who took it and had an allergic reaction that has left her hands in a painful, cramped, constriction. I haven't a clue if this is at all common. I assume not and decided to take the risk, but I guess as with all things, nothing is good for everybody.
Pawprint
Original Author
18 years ago
It's starting to work! My lower back is feeling a little better each day!
Ina Plassa_travis
18 years ago
:) I tore that disc 4 years ago in a car accident...

the anti-inflammatories were important for pain control...but I think it was the calcium/maganese and glucosamine'/chondriton combination that actually did the healing...along with being pretty dedicated with the pilates to give more support to my back.

the unexpected side effect was that my ankles don't hurt so much- and 'crunchy' describes them pretty well. which has made biking (that and swimming are the only aerobic exercises that don't do more harm than good in my life) all that much more fun :)

my mom has degenerative disc issues, and I just nagged her into giving it a try- I'll keep you posted :)
chicagoerin
18 years ago
I am proof positive that it works. I am 34 and in good health but have achy knees and one finger that must be getting arthritis because it aches all the time. I started taking it and felt great. I fogot to bring it on my week long vacation and didn't think anything of it. Approx 7 days into my vacation I felt SO ACHY. My knees were killing me. I thought I might be coming down with the flu or something and then I remembered I hadn't taken it for a while. Started back on it and the pain left. My dog is on it for arthritis and if I forget to give him his he limps! It's very easy to pay good money for glucosamine pills that have little or no glucosamine in them, so buy only the best brands. I know the best for both humans and dogs through lots of research..EM me if you are interested.
Erin

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