Glucosamine is commonly a prescribed drug for alleviating Osteoarthritis (OA). It is regarded as an essential building block for the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. It is a natural chemical compound in the human body. It is an amino sugar synthesized from glutamine and glucose. It popularly comes as a dietary supplement. There are mainly two types-sulfate and hydrochloride. This element is found in cartilage and when used as a dietary supplement is either derived or synthetically prepared from shark or bovine cartilage.
According to numerous research conducted on Glucosamine, its nature and scope, supplementing the body with the additional amounts of glucosamine (1500mg daily) reduces pain, increases joint function and also promotes the production of chondrocytes. The position statement by the American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons indicates that there is good evidence that it may help symptomatically with little or no side effects.
Prescription Name and Overview
There are several forms of glucosamine and when it comes to treating arthritis glucosamine sulfate is mostly prescribes for oral consumption as a remedy to treat the painful condition of joints, inflammation and eventual loss of cartilage. Glucosamine is available without prescriptions. It is taken as a single supplement but is commonly combined with other supplements, especially chondroitin, a protein that comes from the cartilage of shark or cow. Once consumed and ionized in the stomach, it stimulates the metabolism of chondrocytes in particular cartilage and synovial tissues.
As already mentioned that the standard dosage is 1500 mg per day, no matter consumed at a time of divided into three times, however, before starting the dosage, it is better to consult a doctor and let him know about if you have any o medical history. Also, glucosamine consumption is restricted during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Generic Name and Overview
The generic name is glucosamine (glue Koe Sah mean). It is available in the form of oral medications. Glucosamine supplement is also prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis apart from osteoporosis. To treat patients with rheumatism, the oral use has been beneficial to reduce painful and swollen joints.
OTC Name and Overview
Manufacturer
Glucosamine supplement has been increasingly in demand in the markets around the world. Medical research conducted on this chemical compound suggests that it has also helped to improve the quality of life apart from being the key medicine for OA patients. There are numerous manufacturers of this supplement yet there are a few premium ones who are trusted for their state-of-art quality and commitment.
The first name that tops in the list of glucosamine supplement manufacturers is Schiff. It is one of the oldest companies in the nutritional supplement industry. It is trusted for its high quality and bioavailable glucosamine at an affordable price. Some other manufacturers of Glucosamine supplements are Doctor’s Best, Now Foods, BlueBonnet, Nature’s Way, Nutrilite, Nature’s Bounty Co., Solaray, Twinlab, Throne Research etc. All these manufacturers have build years of trust for manufacturing herbal medicines that have no or negligible side effects.
Labeled Indications
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Therapy, the National Health Interview Survey conducted on 2007 showed 17.7 percent of adults residing in the USA regularly took some health supplements out of which glucosamine ranked after fish oil, omega 3. The National Institute of Health considers the following reasons why people should use glucosamine:
- It reduces joint pains for patients with osteoarthritis (OA)
- Patients suffering from Glaucoma, a condition of increased pressure with the eyeball which affects vision
- Obesity or weight loss
- Jaw Pain
- Interstitial cystitis, a bladder condition
- Back pain
- HIV and AIDS
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Used by people with ulcerative colitis and bowel disorders.
Active Ingredients
In some dietary supplements, glucosamine may be combined with other ingredients, like chondroitin sulfate, shark cartilage or MSM. Chondroitin is a substance similar to glucosamine and is naturally found in joints.
What Is It Used For?
Glucosamine supplement has been practically used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis. According to a study when osteoarthritis patients were given a combination of glucosamine chondroitin and hydrochloride for six months, it also decreased stiffness and joint swelling. Also, it is the most commonly used supplement by athletes.
Glucosamine has an anti-inflammatory action and suppresses inflammatory cell activation in animals. Children with chronic inflammatory bowel disorders can be treated with glucosamine in the form of glucosamine N-acetyl orally.
Another study revealed that glucosamine consumption substantially reduced the risk of lung cancer. Glucosamine hydrochloride has considerable radical scavenging ability that makes it a great antioxidant. Not many people know that it is also very good for skin especially it is great for healing wounds. These supplements are often prescribed by dermatologists as anti-aging skin care.
How does it Work?
Glucosamine sulfate is one of the most common forms of the supplement that is used by clinical studies. This chemical compound is found in the human body and is used to produce a wide variety of other chemicals that are involved in building cartilage, tendons, ligaments and the thick fluid that encircles joints.
The fluid called synovial help cushions the friction in a joint and cartilage that surrounds the joint. The most common thing that happens with osteoporosis patients is that the cartilage breaks down and become thin and that results in stiffness and pain. Many peers reviewed and research papers available in the WebMD shows that glucosamine supplements help prevent the breakdown of the cartilage and also help the fluid to sustain.
The increasing importance here is given to the ‘sulfate’ part of a glucosamine supplement. The reason for this is that sulfate is required in the body to produce cartilage. Probably this might be the reason why this supplement is mostly preferred in comparison to the other forms of this supplement, i.e. hydrochloride and N-acetyl glucosamine. Even though these two forms also contain sulfate, but when it comes to treating OA, glucosamine sulfate works best according to the researchers.
What are the Approved Uses?
Although glucosamine supplements in its different forms are prescribed to be used during different health problems, most researches show that it is an approved medication for people suffering from osteoarthritis. However, a patient should never start taking the medication without the prescription of the doctor. Glucosamine sulfate is, therefore, the one form that is used to heal joint pain, especially knee pain. For some people, glucosamine sulfate works as an over-the-counter as well as prescription pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. But what makes it different from pain reliever medicines is that glucosamine might take 4-8 weeks to heal pain while the former can cure faster.
Production Anecdotes / History
Glucosamine has a long history dating back to the 1970s. During that time it was only used as a veterinary medicine also was available only in injectable form. An Italian company named Rottapharm received a US patent for glucosamine in the early 1990s. The brand came to be known as Dona and even though not many Americans knew about glucosamine almost 90% of research has been done on Dona glucosamine. By 1994, a supplement was available in the market and soon it became one of the most prescribed medicines to improve joint health.
Any discussion on Glucosamine is incomplete without knowing about the GAIT trial. Glucosamine Arthritis Intervention (GAIT) trial is indeed the largest and most precise investigation done on glucosamine. It was conducted by NIH, America and took place in 16 universities across the country. As many as 1583 patients were filed.
Precautions
There are a few precautions that should be taken while consuming glucosamine supplements. However, there is no need to avoid any food or beverage while taking it. Those allergic to shellfish or iodine, it is better to avoid glucosamine supplements that are made from natural ingredients. As an alternative, the one that is manufactured in laboratories is safe to use.
Also, it is better to stop taking glucosamine supplements two weeks before a surgery or a dental procedure. It is said that glucosamine might increase the risk of bleeding during such operations.
Drugs that interact with glucosamine should not be taken while under the medication glucosamine supplement. Researches prove that these drugs become less effective when used with glucosamine.
Long-Term Use Considerations
Of course, numerous research studies conducted on glucosamine has substantially proved that it is an amazing medication to heal joint problems but unfortunately there is no reliable source of information regarding the benefits of its long-term benefits. Glucosamine sulfate has been increasingly used by the patients of osteoarthritis and also in some cases used as anti-inflammatory medications.
A research study was conducted on long-term effects of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate on the sequence of structural changes in knee osteoporosis. The findings of the data collected by evaluating the results of six years proved that the combination significantly had a positive effect on knee pain.
Drug Interactions
Can Interact with the Following
According to WebMD, there are few medicines that interact with glucosamine. Therefore, it is necessary to have a closer look at the medicines that interact with glucosamine sulfate to avoid further health risks. Glucosamine sulfate interacts with other drugs at three different levels-major, moderate and minor.
Major Interactions
Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE
Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow down blood clotting. There are numerous reports that show that glucosamine intake with or without chondroitin increases the effects of warfarin on blood clotting. It can lead to serious bleeding and therefore it is not suggested to take glucosamine if you are taking warfarin
Moderate Interactions
Medicines of cancer (Antibiotic chemotherapy) interact with Glucosamine sulfate.
Taking glucosamine along with some medicines of cancer might decrease the effectiveness of the medicines of cancer. Some of the medicines are teniposide (VM26), Etoposide (VP16) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
Minor Interaction
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) interacts with Glucosamine Sulphate
Even though there is not much evidence, but taking these two combinations together might not work well in each case.
Medications for diabetes (Anti-diabetes drugs) interacts with Glucosamine Sulphate
There has been a concern that glucosamine sulfate might increase blood sugar levels, but the research studies conducted later has proved that there is no such effect. However, if these two medications are taken together, it is best to monitor your blood sugar often.
Can’t Interact with the Following
There have been evidence and references of the drugs that interact with glucosamine sulfate however there is no such release available on the non-interaction of the above drug. However, if you are on medication, no matter it’s for blood sugar or pressure, you must consult your physician before starting your dosage of glucosamine supplements. There are numerous medications that can simultaneously be taken and doesn’t promote any health risks. But your consultant is the best person to prescribe you with solutions for your well-being.
When To Stop Taking
It is not a valid idea to stop taking glucosamine supplement without your doctor’s advice. Nevertheless, there have been some reports that consumption of glucosamine during certain occasions or health conditions has generated adverse effects. Let’s have a look –
- It is not suggestible to take these supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- There is one report that links an asthma attack due to taking these supplements. Until more is known, it is better for patients with asthma, not to take these supplements.
- Diabetes has been one concern when it comes to taking these supplements. However, people with type2 diabetes are not affected by taking these supplements. If you take, it is necessary to monitor your blood sugar regularly.
- According to animal research studies, glucosamine might lead to high cholesterol. Yet it does not seem to increase cholesterol in human. To be in safe side, consult your physician and make sure you check your cholesterol levels quite often.
- According to early research conducted on the drug, there has been a report that suggests that these supplements can increase insulin level that might cause blood sugar high blood pressure. Although there has been no loss of life, it is always the safest way to be under the medication with the suggestion of your physician.
- People who are allergic to shellfish must not take glucosamine supplements as glucosamine sulfate is made from the shells of prawns, crabs, and lobsters. Consumption of the drug might cause allergic reactions.
- Two weeks prior to surgery, it is better to stop taking glucosamine supplements.
Long-Term Side Effects
There are a few side-effects of taking glucosamine supplements and the most common ones are- bloating gas, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, and stomach upset. In certain cases, this supplement may also cause skin reactions, headache, palpations, heart rate etc. The long-term effects might be elevated blood sugar and also those who are allergic to shellfish.
FDA Warnings (History Of)
Dietary supplements containing glucosamine have been claimed to effectively treat joint pains and arthritis. This is, however, problematic because dietary supplement cannot be marketed to mitigate, heal or prevent any disease. If they do, they are considered drugs and subject to regulation by the FDA under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Unless there is any compelling evidence that insists FDA approve glucosamine for joint pains, distributors and manufacturers cannot claim it to be a pain reliever of joints. Even some of the manufacturers have been given warning letters by the FDA.
Other Common Side Effects
As already stated above, taking glucosamine supplements can lead to –
- Heartburn
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach Crams
- Acid
Lawsuits
In 2013, a class action lawsuit was filed against glucosamine supplements alleging that Walgreen Co.’s products contained falsification about the effectiveness of the product. It was filed by Marc Group that claimed that it was impossible to rebuild cartilage with the medication of glucosamine supplements that Walgreen Co. Advertised.
A similar suit was filed against Walgreen Labels that advertised that their product would restore lost cartilage. Apart from this, Osteo Bi-Flex is among the products that have faced at least one lawsuit for false marketing regarding glucosamine supplements. Also, many other lawsuits have been filed by consumers that have been taken into considerations. There is an immense need to conduct both clinical and laboratory research to come up with more solutions to the usage of glucosamine supplements.
Sources Cited (3)
Tracy Everhart
Tracy Everhart is the Editor for Drug Law Journal. A highly-trained and certified medical professional, Tracy is also an accomplished medical writer. After spending years on the front lines of the medical profession, Tracy now devotes her expertise and skills to researching and reporting on new drugs and devices that enter the market, as well as their side-effects and the real-life stories involved. Prior to joining Drug Law Journal, Tracy wrote for benchmark online healthcare resources focused on families and, in particular, women’s health issues. Tracy holds post-graduate degrees from both the American College of Healthcare Sciences and the Yale School of Nursing. She is also a graduate of both Hampshire College, where she studied microbiology and the University of South Carolina school of nursing.