Knee pain and glucosamine

J

Jamesh Bond

Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
1,760
My knees have always bothered me. Usually just by cracking and popping a lot. But irritation and pain are common too. Had a former buddy hook me up with some glucosamine years ago. It worked perfect. My knees felt like they had been bathed in 3 in 1 oil and didnt make a sound ! He also had other great supplements that killed everything id ever tried. Only catch was, i couldnt just buy some. I had to join his retarded multi level marketing "business" and sell so much just to have access.

Hence the use of the term "former."

Anybody else had good luck with glucosamine ?

What is your favorite brand? Any other recommendations for sore knees?

Mine dont hurt me so much when i move around, but if i spend an hour or so training fairly stacic stances, THEY ABSOLUTELY KILL ME !!

Id love to do a slow kata without being sore the rest of the night. Id also like to get back into hiking and backpacking, if my years of sedentary life haven't already caused irreversible degradation.

Advice plz?

Thx.
 
I have been rough on my knees. 15 years of football - 7 years in the ARMY jumping off tanks - and now I walk all day- every day delivering mail. I have knee pain. I had surgery on one (meniscus) and the pain was worse after. I wish I'd never have done it. My Dr. had me take a Chondroitin-Glucosamine supplement. It helped a lot. It doesn't work instantly like a pain pill, but over time it does ease up.

Glucosamine is a protein that is suppose to help re-build cartlege. Chondroitin is a chain of sugars that is suppose to help put moisture back in the joint for flexibility and lubrication. I was taking Osteo Bi-Flex which has both. There are other supplements that have even more ingredients that are suppose to help.
 
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I've been taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin for about 5 years after my doc recommended it for my arthritic ankles. I haven't had any problems since. I buy whatever's on sale.
 
I can only speak for myself, but FWIW I'm 64yo and have been riding and racing bicycles for over 40 yrs and I suffer from severe arthritis in most major joints...hips, knees, feet, elbows, spine, etc. I have a great pain management Doc, and routinely (approx every 3/4 mos) get (mostly) dextrose injections in my hips and knees (cortisone in smaller joints that are so degraded I'm merely looking for pain mgmt...as opposed to lubrication). It has been the best thing I have found and has worked great in the 5/6 years Ive been using it.

*My Insurance covers the injections and I believe most do...further, there isn't much pain at the actual injection site since they numb the area first.

It literally takes away 90-95% of my hip and knee pain and I haven't built up a tolerance to it like steroids. It has virtually staved off hip replacement surgery for me. I'm a lay person so I have no idea if this would help you specifically, but there are many sports physicians performing these types of procedures "in office" these days so it may help to check around in your area and schedule an appointment to discuss it? Best of luck!
 
Dextrose injections? I'm going to tell my brother about this, he has some wicked knee pain, cartilage is all gone in his right knee.
 
RevDevil said:
Dextrose injections? I'm going to tell my brother about this, he has some wicked knee pain, cartilage is all gone in his right knee.
Click to expand...

Yep...it's relatively benign substance as I understand it. Google it...it's a fairly common alternative procedure, and gets to the joint(s) immediately.
 
There are two main kinds of glucosamine:
  • Glucosamine hydrochloride -
    - this is normally synthesized and is more expensive.
  • Glucosamine sulfate
    - this is normally made from shellfish. It is normally less expensive. There are Vegan forms of this which are not made from shellfish and which are more expensive.

As Monofletch said, you need to take it for a few weeks and let the body absorb it before you notice much effect. I've used both forms and found them helpful.
 
Dextrose? This is the first I have heard of that. I know someone who has OA in both knees. I need to do some research. It is amazing what we can learn on a knife forum.
 
I use Nature Made's Triple Flex Formula, Glucosamine Hydrochloride+Chondroitin+Methylsulfonylmethane, which in my experience helped faster then similar Glucosamine/Chondroitin only supplements, but the overall effect once I began to see results was negligibly different.
 
Jamesh Bond said:
My knees have always bothered me. Usually just by cracking and popping a lot. But irritation and pain are common too. Had a former buddy hook me up with some glucosamine years ago. It worked perfect. My knees felt like they had been bathed in 3 in 1 oil and didnt make a sound ! He also had other great supplements that killed everything id ever tried. Only catch was, i couldnt just buy some. I had to join his retarded multi level marketing "business" and sell so much just to have access.

Hence the use of the term "former."

Anybody else had good luck with glucosamine ?

What is your favorite brand? Any other recommendations for sore knees?

Mine dont hurt me so much when i move around, but if i spend an hour or so training fairly stacic stances, THEY ABSOLUTELY KILL ME !!

Id love to do a slow kata without being sore the rest of the night. Id also like to get back into hiking and backpacking, if my years of sedentary life haven't already caused irreversible degradation.

Advice plz?

Thx.
Click to expand...

For what it is worth, I suggest taking a supplement with hyaluronic acid. I have that same "cracking knee" thing, myself and I squat +400lbs for reps every third week. I have been supplementing with Osteo-Bi Flex (the orange trim). I have had pretty good results with it and it keeps my joints pretty lubricated (no pain). Only thing is, one's body has to "load up" for a little while before the pain is totally gone. The other thing that I can suggest is that you limber up and just have a chiropractor look you over to see if there is any physiological imbalance in the way you stand, move, etc.

Hope you feel better.
 
Is there any Glucosamine/Chondroitin capsule that isn't the size of your big toe? I can't deal with that, but would like to take the stuff. I have no joint pain, but my knees have started to crunch.
 
powernoodle said:
Is there any Glucosamine/Chondroitin capsule that isn't the size of your big toe? I can't deal with that, but would like to take the stuff. I have no joint pain, but my knees have started to crunch.
Click to expand...

Someone at work was telling me recently that there's a liquid Glucosamine, but it's more expensive.
 
I've taken a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM combo. Got it at Costco on the advice of one of the many practitioners in my portfolio. (Back issues)

The MSM is supposed to be in there for an anti-inflammatory purpose. I can neither confirm nor deny that purpose, I just get it because it's the same price as the Glu/Glu without the MSM added.

I've tried the Copper Stretchy Band thing...this one's called CopperFit or something. Maybe I'm feeling the Placebo Effect, or maybe the band just adds support or warmth to the joint, but it seems to help, and it's cheap at any wal-mart or rite-aid or amazon or whatever.

My advice is not professional, merely anecdotal. But it's cheap to try.
 
Jamesh, my heart goes out to you, dude. Cigarettes, knee pain. In addition to all the great advise, you might ask your Doctor to prescribe Voltaren gel for you. Celebrex may help, as well.
 
I have taken Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM tablets for years.Takes a few months to feel the benefit tho.
 
I have been taking it for going on 20 years now. If I go a couple weeks without I really start feeling it in my joints.
My knees still crack a little when I stand but there is no pain from going up and down or when I stay in one position too long.
I have taken the Joint Juice and really like it even though it is a bit on the expensive side. Normally I just buy the bulk bottles at Sam's Club.
 
powernoodle said:
Is there any Glucosamine/Chondroitin capsule that isn't the size of your big toe? I can't deal with that, but would like to take the stuff. I have no joint pain, but my knees have started to crunch.
Click to expand...

PW,
I take the Nature Made brand, I trust you have a sharp knife? :)
Just cut them in half if you are having trouble with the large pills.

Velitrius said:
I've taken a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM combo. Got it at Costco on the advice of one of the many practitioners in my portfolio. (Back issues)

The MSM is supposed to be in there for an anti-inflammatory purpose. I can neither confirm nor deny that purpose, I just get it because it's the same price as the Glu/Glu without the MSM added.

I've tried the Copper Stretchy Band thing...this one's called CopperFit or something. Maybe I'm feeling the Placebo Effect, or maybe the band just adds support or warmth to the joint, but it seems to help, and it's cheap at any wal-mart or rite-aid or amazon or whatever.

My advice is not professional, merely anecdotal. But it's cheap to try.
Click to expand...

I have arthritis in all of my joints, especially my hands and arms from knife making etc.. Along with the Glucosamine/Chondroitin I take Salmon oil as a lube, it seems to help and the Salmon oil makes my skin soft and lovely!

Sometimes the muscles are the cause or a contributor to joint pain and discomfort and I get muscle cramps so I take Magnesium/Calcium as well.
 
I was running marathons and 100k also did swimming, biking and martial arts.
Yeah sport is healthy. The more the better? :rolleyes:

I guess I did a bit too much at my weight. After one marathon my knee felt like complete poo. I gave it a break and tried to get back. I increased the length of the breaks between major distances and did more biking and swimming instead. I didn't do any marathons for a whole year, trained only small distances and took it slow. Still, after about 20miles the same pain. Also tried some joint stuff from the pharmacy but no diffeeence. Now I stopped running completely and have no knee pain ever. Still swimming, biking, hiking and martial arting with no problems at all. Still can press 250 pounds per leg. Strength training seems to be much less strenuous on joints than easy repetitive motions. Not something I could have guessed.

If it's not to late, don't use pain killers and listen to your body. Don't do too much of what it doesn't like. :p Maybe the supplements don't restore permanently but only help temporarily and let you do more stuff which injures your joints even more?

Of course if you are an operator or professional athlete you have to power through but for us lucky normal peeps there is no reason to destroy ourselves beyond hope.

Btw my mom (fit but not in a crazy way) now with 60 developed similar knee issues which I had with 32...
A good surgery removing some folded or pinched? cartilage 2 years ago seemed to have helped but no telling yet if the effects will last.

My daughter is is only 6 but shows great promise in every sport she does. I will have to fight to keep her out of the body wrecking professional stuff. Even with her kids taekwondo I see how they are not taught to prevent their joints from snapping and stuff :rolleyes:

Everybody take more care of you and your loved ones and teach the young ones early on so they don't end up like me and you.
 
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A herb I like to use is called cissus. It has worked great for me. I do not use it all the time. Just when I have some pain. After the pain starts to feels better then I stop using it. I usually buy the bulk powder by Primaforce and mix it in a juice or protein shake. This herb helps strengthening tendons.
 
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powernoodle said:
Is there any Glucosamine/Chondroitin capsule that isn't the size of your big toe? I can't deal with that, but would like to take the stuff. I have no joint pain, but my knees have started to crunch.
Click to expand...

MRAllank59 said:
Jamesh, my heart goes out to you, dude. Cigarettes, knee pain. In addition to all the great advise, you might ask your Doctor to prescribe Voltaren gel for you. Celebrex may help, as well.
Click to expand...

Plus one on Voltaren and ask the doc about Mobic. A prescription med.
 
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