Glucosamine Sulfate?
 

Anyone taking this supplement for their knees?

I did and it was useless.
The best thing I ever did for my knees was cycling on a properly fitted bike

While some people swear by Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements, they are declining in popularity as claims of reversal of joint damage and dramatic pain relief from arthritis have been exaggerated. The Mayo Clinic website still lists Glucosamine Sulfate as potentially useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis and it does seem to have some mild anti-inflammatory properties. From what I've read about it over the past few years (I have knee issues due to cumulative injuries) it falls into the "won't hurt, might help" category. Don't expect miracles.

I tried it for my knees and no results at all.BUT it stopped a very sharp pain in my wrist.I discontinued twice and the wrist pain came back in 2 days.Ive been on it about 9 months now.BTW I'm taking Glucosamine Chondroitin,2 pills daily is the recommended dose.I took the 2 pills for 2 weeks then backed it off to 1 pill daily.

I've found it to be effective in about 30% of my patients over the years. More importantly, though, I've found that reducing systemic inflammation generally has better results in reducing OA pain, particularly in the knees.

I take it regularly. I can't prove it helps but feel it does. My right knee gets a bit cranky at times but mostly they both are in fairly good shape. What does, for certain help it regular knee strengthening exercises. Pill can't do it all.

I have tried it and found that it didn't really help in my own case. My issues are severe left knee trauma (3 major injuries) - no longer have an ACL there. As a result the right knee is starting to get "the arther " from picking up the slack.

I manage the pain and swelling with ice and heat. Occasionally I'll take Advil, or if it's really bad, there's a anti-inflammatory with codeine I can get over the counter at the pharmacy.

Helped me. Been taking it for ~30 years. As above, it doesn't help everyone. My usually recommendation is to take 1500mg 2 X day for a month or two and see if it helps. It has to be the sulfate. Most studies showing no benefit used the hydrochloride form, which is of course not beneficial. And as above, working out helps more than anything.

I started taking it because my wife does. It was recommended by the ortho surgeon that did her meniscus repair. I had only minor occasion knee pain before starting. After taking it for years my knee pain was minor and only occasional. Since I stopped taking it a few years ago I have experienced only minor knee pain, and it occurs only occasionally.

It was recommended to me after the ortho here saw my last MRI results, lol.. I take it and it works to relieve knee pain from my osteoarthritis and meniscus injuries. Studies have shown pain relief compared to that of NSAID's which I can't take. I believe it. It does take a couple of weeks to notice the improvement.

As CarbonFiberBoy said, it's important to take Glucosamine Sulfate, not the Glocosamine HCl that used to be popular as an herbal supplement combined with Chondroitin. That never worked for me and in fact no studies show any benefit.

The Glucosamine Sulfate I take here in SE Asia is called Viatril, and comes in a 1500mg sachet, to be added to water. Good stuff. I take one packet every day.

I took Glucosamine/Chondroitin it for years because it seemed to help my dog and I figured a dog can't get a placebo effect. But then I read about carefully controlled RCTs that demonstrated pretty conclusively that it was no better than placebo. I stopped using it a few years ago and have noticed no change. Cochrane indicates that high quality studies show no benefit but lesser studies show benefits - a mixed conclusion.

New name for snake oil!
Save your money!

I talked to my foot doctor about that,,he's a bone grinder, he said there ain't no way anything in a pill is going to get into joint cartilage and repair damage.

Proper bike fit is all you got,

Any wear and tear on your joints is, well age or Injury...

Ever worn out ball joints in your car,, replacement is the only option.

A relative gave me a couple of huge bottles of the stuff, so I took it for a year or so for neck, back, hip, wrist and knee pain. Didn't make a bit of difference. One or two aspirins or ibuprofen worked better.

Topical analgesics work for me as well - salicylates, menthol, etc. I use them to minimize the ibuprofen. Gotta be careful with the topicals, especially salicylates - in rare incidents some people may experience serious reactions.

I'm hoping regular exercise will help, but I'm avoiding any hammering or grinding.

Perhaps you took Glucosamine HCl, or a poorly formulated brand. I just know it works for me. I can't take aspirin or NSAIDS due to strong allergic reaction and the Glucosamine Sulfate certainly helps me.

From the Mayo Clinic website:

"Evidence supports the use of glucosamine sulfate in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. It is believed that the sulfate portion may help strengthen cartilage. If this is confirmed, it would mean that the glucosamine sulfate form is more effective than glucosamine without sulfate."

The evidence for it is purely anecdotal.

I took glucosamine sulfate for a few years, starting about 2000. The glucosamine/chondroitin mix works a lot better for me. MSM is another additive, as is hyaluronic acid. MSM was largely useless either way, hyaluronic was a bad choice for me.

I still take the gluco-chon triple strength, 1x/daily; I can tell the difference after a few days if I don't.

I have minor occasional knee pain. But my theory of medication is the less the better. I get along fine without the glucosamine, so I don't take them.

My good friend and Nurse has put a lot more Avocado into my diet claiming it lubes the joints. I have found some relief with Capsaicin creme applied directly to my knees post MCL tear. But mostly knee discomfort is just a part of getting stronger on your bike. As you progress you will experience bouts of knee discomfort. Also, and I see it all the time, keep your feet straight with the bike. This imposes the least possible stress on your knees. You don't notice while riding because you are warmed up but, post ride it creeps in and the next thing you know you are posting knee pain problems. Heating pad, followed by ice bags will promote blood flow for quicker healing. 95% of supplements are "Snake Oil" and only line the pockets of the makers. Real food has all the extra substances to help you digest and use the nutrients. A well balanced diet provides everything you need. Remember to " eat many colors" and try and limit "Red Meats" and Sugar. Sodas and highly processed foods are the enemy. Look up the ten foods everybody should avoid. Best thing I ever did was get off those.

I have used a variety of glucosamine supplements for my chronic knee pain over the years and thought they helped. When the bottle ran out and I would go a few days without, I could feel the difference each morning coming down the stairs. I felt curcumin helped also. Now I am 99% vegan, take no supplements and my knees do not remind me of my age(rising from a squat doesn't count).

I take an occasional glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. I am pretty sure I get positive results.

I can't remember the last time I chewed on hard cartilage or small bones (like EVER). So I figure taking one occasionally (maybe once or twice a month) to bolster my otherwise purified diet isn't a bad idea. My doctor said studies show they can assist in the healing of tiny cartilage fractures.

I take a multiple vitamin just about as often. I also take a low-dose aspirin after a hard work-out... to prevent soreness (inflammation)... but only like one or two a week at the very most.

Somehow... somewhere... people got the idea that food or food-like products/supplements that may be useful for our bodies must be ingested daily... or at every eating event (meal). I can't imagine that is the case. Of course... humans require doses of high protein that will likely ONLY be found in eggs and meat. But do we need meat every meal?!?! Or even everyday? I wouldn't guess we would. The same could be said about dairy, leafy greens, or fruits. Maybe getting all the food groups crammed into a day... would be just as good as every group at every meal.

I take the same attitude with food supplements. Maybe after a extra long hard day of exercise or work... a little extra hydration, a vitamin/aspirin/supplement/beer, and/or a nap... might be a good healthy bit of preventive care,

Being a speedskater, I know all abut back pain. I also have a bad ankle which is very troublesome.
So for decades I took heavy duty NSAID's for my ankle. But the NSAID's never did anything for my back.
Later I started taking a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for my back. It works within hours but only lasts a about day. It doesn't do anything for my ankle.
Last year I had to stop taking NSAID's. So I switched to Tylenol which works much better than the NSAID's for the ankle but not the back.

My thought is that glucosamine/chondroitin is pain specific, either it works or it doesn't and if it's going to work on a problem, it's going to do so quickly. None of this 30 day nonsense.

Intresting variation in responses.

It was useless for me. Both my GP and osteo-doc just shrugged when I asked sbout it.

I have severe chondramalacia patella & crepetis in both knees, plus a minor tear in my left ACL. Been taking Glucosamine supplements on & off for the past 10 or 15 years. While I'm taking it I never feel like it's really making much difference, but after I stop taking it for ~2 or 3 weeks I start to notice the aching in my knees more, so that generally triggers the on & off cycle to resume.

I'm perfectly willing to believe it's a placebo.

It can help. I've taken it for years, and, like it has been mentioned above, I mostly notice it when I stop taking it. You might want to add SAM-e. I did, and that seems to be the only thing that helps with my neck & shoulder "crunchies" that can get pretty painful. You have to take it on an empty stomach and not eat for 30 minutes or so for the best effect. A good combination for overall inflammation is boswellia serrata (frankincense), ashwaghanda, and turmeric. This is an old Ayurvedic remedy that is also used in traditional Chinese Medicine for pain, especially joint pain, and generalized inflammation. You can get these at a local herb store. As with any herbal supplement, it may take several days or up to 2 weeks before you know if it's going to work, though if it IS going to work, you should notice improvement in 2-3 days.That combination works for a higher percentage of people than just the Glucosamine, in my experience. You can take both, or all 3, if you count the SAM-e.

Well I have been taking it now for about a week +. And I must say I have noticed a difference. The pain/discomfort is effeminately much less.