Role of glucosimine
Would appreciate hearing thoughts on effectiveness of taking glucosimine forgout and general arthritis.
Seems like there’s a lot of hype about glucosimine, and not much reputableinfo. Some doctors will tell you it might be helpful. None say it willhurt or harm you. Others don’t seem to believe in it.
I take it the glucosimine is supposed to help strengthen joints, therebyhelping them heal quicker and not suffer as much harm as a result of goutattacks.
I’d like to hear experiences of the gout group who use glucosimine, and howhelpful they feel it is.
Sabina Shamel on June 23rd, 2007
About five years ago, before gout but after my efforts at greatnessin tennis had to be discontinued because of terrible knee pain, painthat I now think was actually gout, I researched glocosamine.Actually, to be accurate to the recommended treatment you needglocosamine-condroitin.
The theory of why it should work looked pretty good, the testimonialswere of course outstanding, the clinical trials were -maybe- but thething that convinced me at the time was a conversation I had with agood friend of mine, an osteopath-bone surgon-when we sat and sippedmargaritas after a round of golf.
He recommended it, he felt that it might help, he believed that itdefinitely helped some of his patients and the final statement thatconvinced me came when I asked him if he would take it. His reply wasthat he had been taking it for three years. He has bad knees from hisbasketball days in college and he said that it helped him.
OK, so I went on to glocosamine-condroitin. And vitamin E and VitaminC and accupril and you know what-maybe it helped and maybe it didnothing but somehow, standing there every day, taking a wad of pillsjust didn’t sit right with me. I lost interest and now I don’t takeit. Perhaps I should but I don’t. I have long since given up hope ofbeing number one in California in my age group-smile please-that is ajoke-and when I don’t stress them, my knees don’t hurt. No knee pain-why mess with glucosamine????Idunnaknow…I’d like to hear from others.
So the list goes on—1. Accupril for hypertension,2. Allopurinol for gout,3.&4.Vitamin E and C for free radicle suppression,5.Multipurpose vitamin and mineral suppliment because my diet isterribly restricted and I’m sure I’m missing things I need,6.Glusosamine condroitin for joint ache and pain -a horse pill by theway in terms of size-Then of course when I have my unwelcome gout visitor-Celebrex andsometimes culchicine8 pills in a day–Gadddddd….Oh yes, by the way, not sure which one or ones do it but, I have tomake sure I have eaten something or I get terrible stomache pain if Ieat all of them on an empty stomache….