Glucosamine recommendations

[VeeVee]

I injured my left knee in a car accident many years ago. My knee would usually only hurt when the weather changed and got colder. A few years ago, though, it started hurting all the time. I couldn't sit on the floor or cross my leg without excruciating pain. I saw a knee doctor who told me to take glucosamine and chondroitin. The bottle says you have to take it for awhile before you get the full effects, but I noticed almost immediately after taking a pill that the pain was better. Now I only take them when the pain flairs up, which it hasn't done in awhile.

My mom suffers from really bad arthritis. She asked her arthritis doctor about taking it--Mom was told that her type of arthritis would not respond to glucosamine.

The only other affect that I ever noticed was that it made me have more bowel movements. I took the chewable kind, in raspberry flavor that I got from The Vitamin Shoppe

Hope you get to feeling better!

[salsabike]

Even my family doc, a young, very smart mountain climber and cyclist, recommends this stuff because there's research to back up its effectiveness. I take Move Free, bought at Costco, on her recommendation.

[Duck on Wheels]

I take it for osteoarthritis in my ankle (after a bad fracture some years back). Seems to work pretty well. I take whatever's cheapest and haven't noticed any differences in effectiveness. Usually I get a G + condroitin combo, sometimes G alone, sometimes G + MSM, sometimes all 3. Never have been able to sort out if one works better than another. I also take ginger and turmeric (against inflammation). Have totally done away with stabbing pains in the ankle/leg/knee/hip ... and without getting stomach pains (as I would have done from daily doses of aspirin or NSAIDs).

[Trek420]

What sis said. 'cept I like to take the ginger and turmeric in the form of Cambodian or Thai food

[RoadRaven]

I use it for 3-4 days when my knee feels old - dunno whether it is a placebo or has a physiological effect - but the relief I have is quick and genuine

Good luck in finding the right thing for you