Glucosamine and Chondroitin: How I Took the Squeak out of My Knees

Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most popular supplements sold in the United States, and rightfully so. There are over 27 million of us osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers in the United States. The symptoms of OA range from the annoying and mildly painful to the debilitating.

For years I have had damaged cartilage in my knees from playing high school sports. It has always been most noticeable when I’ve gone up or down stairs, because my knees would creak and squeak almost in harmony. A few years ago I decided to see an arthroscopic surgeon. He did the full work up on my knees and concluded they needed to be scoped, but I was hesitant.

So I began discussing this topic with relatives, colleagues, and neighbors and I heard a lot of negative reports about knee arthroscopy. One acquaintance told me he was worse off after his scope and he wished he had never done it. So I began to do my homework for alternative remedies.

Glucosamine HCl with Chondroitin Sulfate Supplements

Two rather large clinical studies followed placebo-controlled groups with over 100 patients in each group for more than three years. Both studies showed an improvement in symptoms and in joint space narrowing. ^{1, 2}

Chondroitin sulfate is a structural component of cartilage. Commercially it is extracted mostly from the cartilage of cows and pigs, but some also comes from shark.  Several controlled studies have shown that chondroitin decreased pain and improved patient function. ^{3, 4, 5, 6}

Side Effects

Side effects are rare and usually mild. They include headache, upset stomach, constipation, and diarrhea (isn’t that a contradiction?). However, some people have been impatient with results and have taken a much higher dose than what is recommended. This could potentially have some damaging effect on the pancreas.

Dosage

The recommended dose of glucosamine is typically about 1,500 mg a day. For chondroitin it’s between 800 and 1200 mg. One caveat to look out for when buying this supplement is to look at how many tablets are required to get the amount of mg listed on the package. I have found some brands that have 6 capsules as their serving size, which can significantly change the price per dose. What may look like a decent price for 250 tablets may not be so great if it only lasts for 40 doses.

It Doesn’t Work Overnight

After taking the supplement for over five months, I began to notice an improvement. Both knees seemed to bend a little smoother and I could hardly hear the squeak in my left knee. The right knee, however, continued to squeal out loud but sometime after a year it quieted down too.

Sometime after I had taken glucosamine-chondroitin for about two years, I went back to the same arthroscopic surgeon. When he compared the new x-rays with the old ones he initially thought I had had my knees scoped by another surgeon. He said that the right knee wasn’t perfect, but the left looked great. I told him I had not had my knees scoped, but rather had taken glucosamine and chondroitin for a couple of years. He could hardly believe the glucosamine actually worked.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

MSM is a naturally occurring substance that you will often see mixed in with some brands of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. There are not a lot studies that can give credibility to MSM’s claims in helping with osteoarthritis. I took it for over six months and quite honestly didn’t notice a difference between glucosamine and chondroitin supplements with MSM and those without. If you have to pay more for glucosamine-chondroitin with MSM, my recommendation is not to buy it.

Glucosamine with Chondroitin for Dogs

I had such good results with chondroitin and glucosamine, I wondered if it would help my 10-year old German Shepherd that clearly has joint pain too. I asked my neighbor who is a vet and he said glucosamine with chondroitin worked in dogs and cats and I should try it. I did and after about eight months I noticed that my dog was much more active and mobile. The only thing I did differently was to give him glucosamine and chondroitin.

Conclusion

It’s not expensive, it has few, if any, side effects and it comes recommended by thousands of others who have had good success with it.

References

1. Reginster JY, Deroisy R, Rovati LC et al. (2001). “Long-term effects of glucosamine sulphate on osteoarthritis progression: a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial”. Lancet 357 (9252): 251-6.
2. Pavelká K, Gatterová J, Olejarová M, Machacek S, Giacovelli G, Rovati LC. (2002). “Glucosamine sulfate use and delay of progression of knee osteoarthritis: a 3-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study”. Archives of Interal Medicine 162(18): 2113-23.
3. Bucsi L, Poor G. (1998). “Efficacy and tolerability of oral chondroitin sulfate as a symptomatic slow acting drug for osteoarthritis in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis”. Osteoarth Cart. 6 Suppl A:39-46.
4. Pavelka K, Bucsi L, Manopulo R. (1998). “Double-blind, dose effect study of oral CS 4&6 1200 mg, 800 mg, 200 mg against placebo in the treatment of femoro-tibial osteoarthritis.” Litera Rheumatol. 24: 21-30.
5. Uebelhart D, et al. (2004). “Intermittent treatment of knee osteoarthritis with oral chondroitin sulfate: a one-year, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study versus placebo”. Osteoarth Car. 12(4):269-76.
6. Leeb BF, et al. (2000) “A metaanalysis of chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis”. J Rheumatol. 27(1):205-11.

photo credit: mike baird