[madge]

I'm in my late sixties and my right knee is really bothering me lately. It's stiff and kind of painful, but if I rest it's somewhat better. I've stopped taking walks, since that also makes it hurt. My husband takes glucosamine for his painful joints and it really helps him. So did my mother when her knee used to bother her. It's supposed to really help with arthritis and also help to rebuild cartilage.But I read somewhere that one of glucosamine's side effects is heartburn. I take Nexium each day, but only 20 mg. (doctor's orders to reduce the dosage...it's a long story). I really need to take care of my knee, because (as many of you here know) with the serious antibiotic allergies I have, doctors tell me I'm a surgeon's nightmare. They say it's risky to do surgeries on me without antibiotics, and also risky to use them with me, so it's a bummer either way. (There's a fairly high risk of staph infection after knee surgeries too, and a friend of mine died after having knee surgery (due to staph). So I have some emotional baggage to deal with on this too.The most sensible thing to do would be to take glucosamine, but I don't want my GERD to get worse either.Any of you with GERD taking glucosamine successfully? I could use some encouragement and advice.

 

[annie7]

hi madge i have arthritic knees too (since 1998) as well as reflux. i've been taking glucosamine/chondroitin tablets for my knees for years now and yes that supplement has really helped alleviate my knee pain--tremendously. it did take about a month before i noticed any improvement in the pain but yes it sure does help. i developed reflux this past summer. fortunately i have been able to mostly control it with a strict diet but i still have flares when i have to take prilosec. but i really haven't noticed that glucosamine has made it any worse even during a bad flare. i do make sure and take glucosamine with food and a full glass of water.of course we all are different in our reactions to meds and supplements so your experience might be different but i would say glucosamine is worth a try. take it with food and a full glass of water. it sure made a difference for me. knee pain is definitely no fun. another thing that helped my knee pain was physical therapy. the therapist gave me simple exercises to do to strengthen my quadricep muscles--the muscles around the knee. strong quads help stabilize the knee joint. i've been doing those exercises faithfully for years and they have helped quite a bit.good luck! i hope you can find some relief from the pain.

 

[madge]

Thanks very much, Annie, for replying. I'll be sure to try the glucosamine. It works well for my husband, so we have some in the house. I appreciate your input.

 

[MrBumwe]

Hi All,I am quite a bit younger at 25 and have a bad elbow and hip from an accident i was in which were both operated on, I suffer IBS and am pretty hesitant to take any additional medications for fear of disrupting my system...When my joints are sore i use an athritic cream with glucosamine in it which i find pretty good,,, just another option.

 

[annie7]

good luck, madge! hope it works for you. most people i've talked to told me they felt results in anywhere from a few days to a week or so. it took me about a month but it was well worth the wait--reduced the pain considerably in my knees and in my shoulder as well.keep us posted!

 

[overitnow]

It took me about a month for results, as well. (I had a hip that would go out after about an hour of walking. Now, I can quite literally walk and bike all day without any problems.) While I had my digestion and GERD under control before I started using the glucosamine, I have continued to take it for almost 10 years, now, without any change in my digestion.I hope it works as well for you.Mark