Osteoarthritis in knee - Does anyone take Glucosamine and Chondroitin ?

Have just seen my X-Ray this week .....no doubt about it ....old age wear and tear in my left kneecap.

I've opted for Physio sessions as a first step before entertaining injections or surgery.

Does anyone take Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint problems?

I would be interested in the best thing to use and how much ?

I have already bought some Rose Hip capsules.

I've had many years of muscle and joint pain which I tended to blame on being left under medicated on 50 mcgs T4 for over 10years,which my GP ignored saying there was nothing wrong with my thyroid.Thankfully things have improved since then.

It has always been a problem knowing what is thyroid related and what is the ageing process once past the menopause.

Hopefully our doctors will start listening to our symptoms one day and stop treating their computer screens!!

I once had a GP who told me that when he goes upstairs to God,he was going to ask him why he made women's hormones so different to men!!!!!!!!!.............

Thanks for any information x

[Hidden]

I've been taking glucosamine for around 20 years. Started taking it when I was doing a lot of running and it made a big difference with reducing stiffness. Don't run now but have continued with it. Yes, it's controversial but it did work for me. Dosage is 1500mg and bought from Healthspan.

Agree with your comments re doctors, these days they appear dim and know little. In my experience obviously!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks for your reply I appreciate it...I have been reading about G&C on line and as always when you are on Thyroid meds you just need a bit of reassuring that other tablets aren't going to add to your problems.

Glucosamine certainly sounds as though it should help so will give it a try.

Thanks for the guideline on dosage too.I guessed it would need to be decent amount to take.I'd like to try and prevent this getting worse for as long as I can.

[Ruthi]

I have osteoarthritis in my left knee, following a tibial plateau fracture. The very best thing is to do the exercises your physio gives you diligently. G & C works for some, and is worth trying too.

[Hidden in reply to Ruthi]

Thank you Ruthi,I will definitely give G&C a try .I'm waiting for my letter for my first Physio Exercise Session......just have a couple of basic things to do while waiting.

I hope you are managing to keep active .This has been a bit of a surprise development for me having exercised in water for many,many years and can't think of anything accident wise that could have triggered it.

Will just have to put it down to age!!... I wish you well.

[Coastwalker]

I have been on the vitamindcouncil website and there is new evidence from a trial in India that supplementing with vitamin D may be helpful for osteoarthritis of the knee.

I found supplementing with vit D3 has helped my joints, hip, legs and stiffness problems and a friend who supplemented with all sorts of cures has found Vitamin D3 after a month of supplementing cured her 'joint clicking', painful knee, but symptoms come back when she forgets to take it.

Not saying it will work for everyone though.

[Hidden in reply to Coastwalker]

Thanks for your reply too Coast walker.I did try to open the link you gave but no luck yet ....." Server cannot be reached "keeps coming up.

However, I will take my D3 tabs more regularly now.My level was low last March at 49 ( 50- 250) but had risen in August to 81,so especially with Winter approaching I will give it more attention.Together with the C&G perhaps I can improve things.I hate not being able to manage the country walks I so loved,but must be grateful as there are many with worse conditions to worry about.

I'm always wary of overdoing the supplements,but may be it's now a "needs must " situation......I'm grateful for your input.

[Coastwalker in reply to Hidden]

Link did not work for me either marfit but still worthwhile to Google the 'vitamindcouncil' website as there is much information and new findings on it and D3 deficiency links to many other illnesses too.

I did not realize I was D deficient till a blood test, apparently It is reckoned 80-90 per cent of people are D deficient.

[Hidden in reply to Coastwalker]

I will do that now......have just sat down with a cup of tea.......so an opportune moment!

It always amazed me how with a good diet you could still be VitD deficient.

Last March I was just under the lower end of range and it took me 3 months to get hold of my results! So didn't know until June when I finally requested a copy from my Endo's secretary.( and incidentally then supplied my surgery with a copy! )

My GP 's attitude was so casual...........get out in the sun and just take a supplement in Winter.

I was annoyed to think I could have spent 3 months getting my level back up before Summer.

Many thanks for your reply.

[Coastwalker in reply to Hidden]

Pleased to hear you going on the vitamindcouncil website, it's so worthwhile marfit as they are doing new research and connecting more illnesses to vitamin D deficiency now.

I had some pre cancer spots removed and was told to stay out of the sun and wear long sleeves and trousers if I did venture out in the hot summer sunshine, which is all good advice, of which I did not strictly stick to

Unfortunately whilst trying to prevent one illness I unknowingly created another.

[Hidden in reply to Coastwalker]

I was sorry to hear of your skin problems.My husband had two spots removed from his back and face some years ago and never goes out without a hat now.........he's building a collection!

The Vit D council revealed some interesting facts.

I had pre-eclampsia at the end of my first pregnancy and was confined to bed rest.fortunately I was OK and my son was a treasure.incidentally we were both March babies so were both carried through the Summer.

I can't imagine my mother saw much sun though as I was born in the blitz of 1941 and she nearly died giving birth to me that night. She was very ill for 3 months and I often wonder how that affected my first few months of life,as my Dad only had brief compassionate leave from the RAF and then had to report back to Driffield in East

Yorkshire where he was serving.

I'm sure that the more we research,the more we would recognise things in our lives that we would never have associated with thyroid symptoms at the time.

I've always thought my problems started at the menopause but the more I see,the more think I had symptoms way back.

I will read more of the Vit D council reports.......Thank you.......hope you can stay well.

[Coastwalker in reply to Hidden]

Yes! marfit good to know that so much more is being learnt about thyroid conditions. It does make you question when looking back whether thyroid or vitamin deficiency's have been the cause of many problems in pregnancy.

(It must have been really difficult for your poor Mum back then.)

I too thought Menopause was to blame, but I think mine was a slow build up that was helped on more by the menopause perhaps ?

My spots seem to have halted since being on D3, not sure if it is connected and I now go out in the not too hot, sunshine to get my natural dose of D without worrying.

I have used same amounts of Virgin Coconut Oil mixed with Baking Soda on spots I don't like the look of and these spots have faded, again could be a coincidence.

Yes the Vitamin D Council website is definitely a website to keep your eye on from time to time along with the vitamin B12 deficiency site too.

Was also reading up about vitamin B17 yesterday by Dr Mercola, now that was an interesting read about Cancer Cures by B17 that were hidden over.

[Hidden in reply to Coastwalker]

Hi there,

Yes I think mums of the last generation had it tough.I remember my mum at menopause stage being constantly told by her GP " it's just your age "!!!

When he retired and her new young GP visited her in a bad bout of flu, he recognised her symptoms ( because he'd studied endocrinology) and sent her into hospital poste haste.

She spent over twenty years on hydrocortisone steroids which saved her life.( pituitary,adrenal and gonads not working)!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Me again to finish off ( maybe it's Apple playing me up to persuade me to update my IPad!!)

Anyway,I will tell hubby of your

"Spot remedy" ...sounds interesting.

If it works for you that's good.

He takes calcium tablets as he had 3 parathyroid glands removed .Also on warfarin so is regularly monitored which is good.( had heart surgery and has a pacemaker)

Will keep an eye on all these reports that are there to help us.

Have a good day .

[Coastwalker in reply to Hidden]

Your Mum was lucky, (eventually,) to get noticed by her new Doctor.

Doctors, (so I've read,) were much better at spotting thyroid problems in the good old days as they probably relied on symptoms, more so than the unreliable blood tests we have now.

There are still some 'clever' Doctors out there today that do listen to symptoms first as my Daughter's Doctor agreed it could be a thyroid problem and agreed to do all the thyroid tests I had listed, (thanks to TUK) Unfortunately all her thyroid bloods and vitamins etc., came back 'within range' so Doctor said he could not treat, (though we haven't finished the fight yet.)

Just thinking it must have been so much cheaper to diagnose and treat thyroid patients in the good old days.

X and X for Hubby too

[Hidden in reply to Coastwalker]

Thank you so much.It has been good to communicate with you ......but so sorry you have had a struggle to get treatment for your daughter and hope you soon get the help you need.

I am very fortunate to have one of the good Endo's who I can discuss things with.

I wish it was the same for everyone.

Never thought it would take one of his thyroid team to get me on the road to treatment for osteoarthritis in my knee though.

All good wishes for you and your family x

[Coastwalker in reply to Hidden]

Thank you marfit and hope you get your knee treatment sorted soon.

X

[5858]

I have a friend with RA and she swears by fish oil and she has it bad.... takes meds also. I just had a meniscus repair and a flap taken off my knee they saw a little wear on a bone and the Doctor also recommended fish oil. Keep moving we all know thats good. Make sure the fish oil is a good pure one. All the best to you. xo Susita

[Hidden]

Thanks for that Susita.

I had forgotten all about fish oil so that is another good suggestion.

Sorry to hear of your own problems and do hope you are managing to solve things.

As you say ...keeping moving is good advice,...just need a bit of help from something to encourage me into action.

I have been continually telling my GP of muscular and joint problems......his answer :

Take paracetomlo

[Hidden]

Sorry Susita ...my message was submitted whilst altering a spelling......I despair at this site sometimes!!

I was actually told to take paracetamol by my GP....Not that it would have done much good.

It took a registrar at my Endo appointment to point me to the X-Ray dept.

Thank goodness for Thyroid UK and all our friends and support here.X