Glucosamine sulphate and gout
I’m new to this board. I’ve just experienced my second (verypainful) attack of gout. After three and a half weeks it stillhurts but the pain is now receeding. I’ve had this before and knewwhat to take, ie. Indomethacin, drink lots of water etc. and I cutout all alcohol and high purine foods. However, the attack did notsubside and if anything got worse the longer it went on. Aftervisiting my GP I found out that a common food supplement GlucosamineSulphate was to blame. This supplement I took to aid, ironicallyenough, a joint problem (achilles tendonitus) in my right foot as ithelps to repair cartilage.
Glucosamine Sulphate tablets are made out of the shells of shellfishand just one 500 mg tablet a day was enough to raise the uric acidlevels and bring on an attack.
The onset of gout came on after about three weeks of taking thesetablets and as soon as I ceased taking them the pain began to ease(slowly).
I’m sure that there are other reasons why gout came on such asexcess Real Ale (!) and a love of prawns and cockles (I don’t eatfish) but the food supplement was the trigger.
Just thought I’d pass this on.
Moral of the story: always check the contents when you buysomething!
Columbus Luthe on July 25th, 2007
I have noticed a connection between taking glucosomine/ chondroitin and gout outbreaks, but never made the shellfish connection. This should be made COMMON KNOWLEDGE. After all, it makes sense to take the “joint rebuilding” supplements, as every gout attack damages a joint to some degree irrepairably. Good post. I shall avoid that stuff like the plague.