Glucosamine doesn't work, study finds

[Julieanne]

February 20, 2008

Popular arthritis treatment has no apparent effect

If you're taking glucosamine sulfate to treat arthritis in your hip, save your money. It doesn't work, according to researchers writing in the February 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
People in middle to old age have long taken the dietary supplement in the belief it would ease pain and inflammation in joints. Dr. Rianne M. Rozendaal at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, headed the research team that concluded the supplement was mostly ineffective as a means to treat hip pain.

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/02/glucosamine.html#ixzz1O3FI5LRc

(http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/02/glucosamine.html)

[Islander]

I've tried it three times for my trick knee, the last time with MSM included. Never worked for me either.

[Maurya]

According to a book I read about MSM, glucosamine sulfate usually is ineffective because people take it with a meal, as one would do with vitamins and with most other supplements. Glucosamine, on the other hand must be taken on an empty stomach, between meals to have any effect.

Glucosamine chloride is widely available, and is as useless as teats on a boar; the body that is in need of this in the first place has little ability to convert is to the sulfate form.

[Julieanne]

I will ask my son to send me the links - when we talked about this he mentioned that MSM had been found ineffective also. He found it on a biker forum! I'm giving this info to my doc, who recommended glucosamine. He also told me to 'stop reading' when I told him of something I read which questioned his advice. Huh!