Glucosamine

loulou41

Please I am sure a lot of members in this forum take glucosamine. I believe, they are made with shellfish. The reason I am asking is that my blood cholesterol came very high 8+, I eat very healthy, not over weight and exercise and doing the right thing and still cannot understand why it is so high. I am wondering whether it is possible because I take Glucosamine and it contains shellfish which is high in cholesterol. Any advice, pl. Thanks

Ted_Hutchinson

Glucosamine and an elevated cholesterol levelCompared to the large number of patients treated with glucosamine only few reports (6 in total) exist on raised cholesterol levels. The reports are published in the literature or submitted to the authorities.
The reports show that the cholesterol level falls when treatment with glucosamine stops and that the cholesterol level rises again when treatment with glucosamin is resumed. Hence, there is no doubt that glucosamine can affect the cholesterol level in some patients
There is a Vegetarian source of Glucosamine. It has the same effect on joints but I do not have any information of whether or not it has the same effect on cholesterol. Other readers should take note of the fact that the Danish research above was looking at 40937 glucosamine users with only 6 reported cholesterol raising incidents.

It would be very interesting if you could report back after a wash out period to see if not taking glucosamine reduces your current level. The half life of glucosamine in the blood is quite short so 4 days abstinence should be sufficient to see a change.

loulou41

Thanks for this info Ted. I will take the vegetarain ones as it does not contain shellfish. Due for another test in 6 months. In the meantime I will monitor my diet and cut down on saturated fats.

loulou41

Ted, I e-mailed CS and this is what he told me, so I guess I can still use the Glucosamine as sthe vegetarian is more expensive.

"The glucosamine that is marine sourced is made using the shells of shellfish. The cholesterol content in shellfish is found in the flesh. I can confirm that if there is a cholesterol content to the tablets, it would only be a trace."

Thanks

Ted_Hutchinson

Five ways to drop your cholesterol by 30 points in 30 days without pharmaceuticals or statin drugs

Ted_Hutchinson

Lack of Evidence for Recommended Low-Density Lipoprotein Treatment Interesting new research finding no high-quality clinical evidence to support currently proposed treatment goals for LDL cholesterol.

loulou41

Thanks Ted, very interesting and I am going to take this on board. Any more on articles how to lower blood pressure?

mouseymousey99

Hi all - still very new to this so please bear with me - I read on an earlier thread that glucosamine was avalb on prescription, the thread was dated last year so I wonder if anyone can tell me if that is still the case? many thanks...

Biggles

I read on an earlier thread that glucosamine was avalb on prescription, the thread was dated last year so I wonder if anyone can tell me if that is still the case?

I think it's not very common. It was previously suggested by a GP that I bought some, which I did; but last time I saw my own he did prescribe 3/12 supply of the 1500mg but the physiotherapist was amazed it was on prescription, so I doubt I'll get any more that way.

Ted_Hutchinson

mouseymousey99 wrote:

Hi all - still very new to this so please bear with me - I read on an earlier thread that glucosamine was avalb on prescription, the thread was dated last year so I wonder if anyone can tell me if that is still the case? many thanks...

The decision as to whether your local practice prescribes glucosamine or not is made by those GP's. If it's that practice's policy to prescribe it then it should be available to anyone With painful knee oseoarthritis however as this link shows it isn't helpful for everyone with this condition, therefore it is reasonable for GP's to limit the prescription to 3months to check if it is helpful.
The cost of a prescription is currently £6.65 in England so it's worth checking out Free or Reduced Cost Prescriptions - Patient UK
Basics about help with NHS charges
Help with health costs -HC11 Leaflet in English and various other languages (opens new window)
Prepayment of NHS prescription charges

weewilliewinkie_2

I realise that what I am about to write is purely anecdotal evidence, but neverthless I am convinced that Glucosamine and Chondroitin are beneficial to the joints. I do not suffer from osteoarthritis of the knees, but I have been a floorlayer for nearly 40 years and my knees have undergone some brutal punishment in that time.

A few years ago the pain in my knees had got so bad it was genuinely debilitating and I was forced to go to my GP seeking help. He sent me to the Physiotherapy department of St Helier hospital near Sutton in Surrey. They got a little machine on wheels with a metal arm sticking out of the side, which reminded me somewhat of a Dalek, and pointed the arm at each knee in turn for half an hour on one day of each week for three months.

I was told that the device emitted short wave and that this would assist in opening up the blood vessels and capillaries which had been compacted by so many years of severe abuse in my trade. I must admit that a very distinct improvement was evident. However, at the end of the course of treatment I was told that the best advice they could give me was to change my trade. Well, that's fine in theory, of course, but in practical terms it is less than inspiring. And then, after a few months, I could feel the old symptoms coming back.

At that point a neighbour of mine told me her joints had improved beyond measure since she started taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin. I obtained a supply from a local shop and within a couple of weeks I was feeling a considerable improvement. These days I operate at an almost normal level. I can work on my knees on floors again without severe ill effects. Of course, I exercise common sense and never get down on my knees unless I am wearing tradesmens padded knee trousers. Also, my wife came up with some stuff called Arnica Gel, which I rub into my knees every day. But in my opinion what really turned the tide was the G & C tablets.

The ones I take are 500mg Glucosamine plus 400mg Chondroitin, two tablets each morning. I used to buy them locally, which would cost me £21.95 for 90 tablets. Then it occurred to me to have a look on Ebay and I found a firm called Medishop on there selling the same dosage tablets at £13.99 for 185 tablets. So far thats the cheapest I have found.

Interestingly, I happened to get into conversation with an elderly customer the other day who told me he had been due to go into hospital to have both hands operated on (one at a time) which had started to go clawlike with arthritis and that, during a conversation between himself and the surgeon, the surgeon had said to him "While your waiting to get an appointment for the surgery you could try using Glucosamine. You never know it might help". Well, it helped alright, the customer told me as he held his hands out and opened and closed them with ease. Then he said "Well, I must get back down the garden and get on with that bit of cementing", and he picked up his trowel and toddled off to wield the trowel on his new section of garden path. Needless to say, all thoughts of an operation had been abandoned and, like myself, he had never looked back. And if that is not a testimonial to the efficacy of this stuff I don't know what is.:j