This is not thyroid related ( I don't think!!!!) I have hashimotos (autoimmune), so maybe another symptom of Thyroid disease! I have recently had a lot of hip, knee and hand discomfort so took myself to the docs who sent me for an X-ray. It shows osteoarthritis. This is not autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) but wear and tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) I thought it may have been rheumatoid as my mum has it badly and being hashi's thought there was a strong possibility I may have it too.
I was wondering if anyone has first hand experience of glucosamine? I've recently be diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis and I'm considering taking supplements to help prevent further damage. If this is possible!
My GP has suggested glucosamine as it is a natural/herbal remedy with no side effects unlike painkillers and other drugs. Research suggests that 50% of people in a trial feel benefits from taking it.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also any brand names/products. I've been looking on the net and flexacil ultra keeps popping up as the best!! Has anyone tried this?
Thank you in advance
Wendy
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I think a RCT for glucosamine in RA showed there were no appreciable effects but maybe it is more helpful in OA.
Have you had your vitD tested? Deficiency and low-in-range can lead to muscle weakness and joint pain. I resumed vitD supplements recently as knee and hip pain resumed after stopping supplementing for a month and it seems to have done the trick.
Thanks clutter, I had VitD levels check a year ago and it was at the low end of normal so I started supplementing with 5000iu daily. Not had them checked since but would imagine my levels would be good now. Hope you are pain free now after resuming VitD after your month of not taking them. I notice if I don't take VitD for a few days too. So I'm good at not missing!
That's interesting reallyfedup123. Do they have OA (osteo arthritis)?
I would like to try NDT/Armour. I'm on T3/T4 combo.
Which brand and strength of glucosamine do they take? Also does it have other things in it too? Eg:- omega3, MSM, chrondit????something or other and other things? Thanks for reply
I used to take glucosamine as had OA for a few years but it hasn't helped me. There is an interesting pod cast about it on radio 4 inside health feb 11 th .
I shall have to look to see if I can use the 'listen again' facility to hear this. Sorry it didn't work for you. Research suggest it's 50/50 on wether you get benefits or not. I'm hoping it's a yes for me. I'm hoping it will slow the decline of the deterioration if I supplement. X
Thanks hesb. Glad it works for your mum. I'm hoping it will for me too. Please could you tell me What product/brand does she use? What other ingredients it has and strength? Thank you x
She doesn't have any brand loyalty & tends to get any that are on special offer. She's never mentioned any preferance. There might be an element of placebo, but if it works does that matter?
Thanks Aurealis :-). Do you still used despite the constipation, or has the addition of T3 completely cured the joint pain? Have you got OA? I'm on T3 20mcg and T4 125mcg. I've not noticed an improvement since taking T3 (8months now). Are you on T3 only? What dose do you take? Glad you are pain free now.
It definitely helped but I stopped using it because of the dreadful constipation, by which time the flare up had passed and pain was much less, think mine is time of year related and I had a period with no pain, then I started T3 and have had no more joint pain since (sorry I don't know what OA is). I'm on 50mcg T3 and take T4 also
Moggie posted a good link recently about the similarities between RA and Osteo-Arthritis in the way it works in the body. There was also a link to a product about cartilage renewal... sorry I have not kept it. Will PM Moggie and ask her to post it...
Thanks Marz. That would be good if she can post the link again. The Flexacil product I've been reading about suggests this is possible. But I'm skeptical!!!! Would be great if it could. At best it probably just halts the progression of the deterioration. Which again is good if it does.
was a huge thing on tv over here in Canada that said glucosamine doesn't work...They did before and after xrays on peoples knees...I guess the folks took glucosamine for quite a while to test it out.
Umm interesting. My doctor said the 'trials' suggested 50% of patients felt benefits from glucosamine after a few weeks. The other half did not. So I guess I will try and see if I'm lucky enough to be in the 50% who do feel benefit from taking it. 50/50so nothing to lose if it doesn't work but good news if it does. Thank you for replying
You can see if you can find the article if you like...He calls himself Dr. Art and he is on "Global Tv news" in BC...They feature him on there all the time...His name is longer than that, but they call him Dr. Art...
I've taken it since my running days where I used to run 6 days a week up to and including Marathon distance. I found that my recovery was better, ie far less aches and pains.
I use Healthspan Optiflex and take 1500mg daily.
Of course it's a controversial topic but, quite frankly, anything is if it hasn't been sanctioned by the medical profession.
This is a link to amazon with product info and ingredients.
The reviews for this seem too good to be true (so probably not as good as they portray) but I'm willing to try anything to halt or slow the progression of further degeneration before it gets too bad. Hope you continue to get relief from optiflex. Thanks again.
Can I suggest Rosehip? I used to take it years ago and only stopped because of the cost but now since taking Levo I have had to buy it again. How come something that is supposed to cure causes pain??
Not sure if I can advertise but the brand I use is really good (or at least is was pre thyroid!)
I too have recently been diagnosed with arthritis. GP looked at my hands and said "yes, arthritis". That was it. No meds, no advice. I tried cod liver oil capsules, which seemed to help, then someone said to try glucosamine, so I bought some. I was really ill. Anyone who is allergic to shellfish should not take them, no idea why, but I spent a day hugging the big white telephone!
Oh dear serenfach. I'm sorry to hear you had a bad reaction. I think I'm ok with shellfish as I eat prawns and mussels without any reaction. I already take omega3 vitaminD and magnesium, all of which are reportedly beneficial to joint pain as well as us thyroid patients. Hope you find relief for your arthritis.
What strength does he take? Or does it just come in one strength? Does it contain other ingredients? I've heard MSM and chondroitin sulfate are beneficial ingredient. Thank you for replying.
It works very well for me, in combination with chondroitin, MSM and vitamin C. I take the dosages used in the positive clinical trials: 1500 mg glucosamine, 1200 mg chondritin and 5400 mg MSM, plus 1000 g vitamin C daily. Don't know what's available in the UK, but in the US the Rite Aid drugstore chain has its own brand of which 3 tablets provide the correct amounts of glucosamine & chondroitin plus 900 mg MSM. Additionally, I take three 1500 mg MSM tablets daily and 500 mg vitamin C twice daily. Not only has this regimen virtually eliminated my knee pain, but also pain of 4 years' duration from a twisted hip and a tendency, since the birth of my son 28 years ago, for my hips to slip out of their sockets.
It's important to continue taking the supplements, as they are just that and not a cure. They replace chemicals our bodies normally make that, as we get older, we make less of. The wear and tear on our joints is a continuous process, so we need to continue providing the materials to repair them. The MSM provides sulfate that is necessary for cross-linking the cartilage strands; without sulfate, the glucosamine and chondroitin are ineffective. Un-cross-linked cartilage is like a bowl of oiled spaghetti noodles, the strands just slipping past one another instead of holding together to support the joint.
hey wombatty. This is a great response. Just what I've been reading about flexoplex (American brand) and Flexacil (British brand). Both of these have the ingredients you've mentioned and a couple of others. Is this what you take? It recommends 3xdaily initially then 2xdaily after a couple of months or when symptoms ease.
It does also say it needs to be continued or symptoms will return and deterioration will progress. It would be good to know (if their claims are correct-I'm a bit skeptical to be honest) that It can halt further damage to the joints and I can live like this with the damage already done. I can cope with this level of pain/discomfort if this is as bad as it ever gets!
It is encouraging to hear you take something similar to Flexacil and it works for you. Hope it continues.
I don't use any of the regular brand-name products. I usually take Rite Aid brand glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM, which I buy in a Rite Aid pharmacy (a drug store chain here in the US). It is available for purchase online. The bottle says 1500 mg glucosamine, 1200 mg chondroitin and 900 mg MSM; those are the amounts in three tablets and also the amounts (except for MSM) used in the positive clinical trials. For the additional MSM, I buy whatever brand is available in the pharmacy or health-food store that will provide 4500 mg daily (in two or three tablets). I'm not fussy about the vitamin C. It is important for maintenance and repair of joint cartilage and of collagen elsewhere in the body, but the source doesn't seem to matter. I take one of each pill - G/C/M, MSM and vitamin C - morning, noon and evening.
I cannot tolerate any of the NSAIDs, so to prevent inflammation I take two 500 mg capsules daily (morning and evening) of a curcumin phytosome complex with Meriva; I believe the brand I've been using is Doctor's Best, which I buy online, but there are many brands available. It's important to use the Meriva/phytosome form, in which the curcuminoids are conjugated with phosphatidylcholine to improve absorption and biological half-life (the time in which half the dose is cleared from the body, which in unconjugated form is only about 30 minutes). If I experience pain, I sometimes take one or two additional capsules.
I would not take any of these at the same time as levo. I take my levo when I'm preparing for work in the morning and don't eat breakfast or take my supplements until I've settled in at my desk about an hour later.
I suffer with hand/knee osteoarthritis - I hate taking different tablets in case they clash with levo (I always ask the pharmacist if I purchase anything regarding tablets etc). My pharmacist recommended I try FLEXISEQ gel - it is really helpful but I think expensive at £18 a medium tube. After three weeks of use it really has helped with the pain and heat in my hands and foot. As it is comparatively new , from Germany, the chemists are asking for feedback. Hopefully, if more people use this gel the price might possibly come down!!!
Really interesting. It does mention glucosamine being good for cartilage and osteoarthritis.
Also surprisingly it suggests OA is autoimmune just like Rheumatoid!, and not just wear and tear but autoimmune too! Perhaps then, my Hashimoto's IS playing apart in the deterioration!
The old wives tale about "Chicken Broth" Being the best medicine seems to be true! (according to this study.) It just endorses my grandmas health remedy :-). Chicken broth for whatever ailed you.
Thanks again for taking the time to find this for me. It is really appreciated. x
Have kept it on file in case my knees play up ! I think of my body as a marquee - the guy ropes holding it up are my muscles ! - so have to keep the muscles flexible and strong-ish to support the bones - if the guy ropes sag then the marquee collapses... Have a yoga class here today so must go and prepare - and stretch those guy ropes !!
Yes I thought the OA v RA bit was interesting too....
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