Glucosamine for my knee?

carrieous
carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
my knee had been hurting when i bent it all the way. I work out 6 days a week but this didnt start until a little over a month ago. I hadnt fallen or anything. A friend suggested it might me runners knee. It doesnt hurt when i run, or lift or anything else. It only hurts when bent completely- like sitting criss cross, or in pigeon pose. Not bad enough for me to see a doctor.

I started on Glucosamine a week ago and it is getting better but now i'm reading scary side effects from glucosamine. Does anyone have any experience with it?

i am sorry if this is the wrong forum for this question- pretty sure its an overuse/overtraining injury. i've been working on increasing my sprint speeds (under 7 mins now)

Replies

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited January 2015
    carrieous wrote: »
    It only hurts when bent completely- like sitting criss cross, or in pigeon pose. Not bad enough for me to see a doctor.

    Um, I totally disagree. Ignoring "just when I do this" pain is how really bad things start. Nip it in the bud now and see a physiotherapist.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    eh, all kinds of things hurt from time to time but they usually go away. if it doesnt get better in acoupla weeks, ill see a doctor. but thanks
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Well, good luck.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    There are all sorts of potential issues with the knee. For me, my bend is limited due to arthritis, and I have to constantly work at stretching it. See a doctor or physio to get yours assessed. Could be ligaments, could be bones, could be tendons, could be misalignment elsewhere, could be ...
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    I agree see a Dr. But I take glucosamine / condroitron with no ill effects. I can really tell when I run out of pills my knee really starts to hurt... YMMV...
  • kevinmacpa
    kevinmacpa Posts: 84 Member
    I don't think glucosamine has any serious side effects. I did research and found that it's better to take glucosamine with chondroitin together for better effect. I bought my glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement from vitamins shoppe, you can also find similar supplement with all 3 ingredients at Costco as well. I developed a knee pain from leg workout, it's not serious and not an old injury, but after taking the supplement, it healed pretty quickly. I would keep taking it if I do a lot of running or heavy leg training, prevention is always better than correction.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    flatlndr wrote: »
    There are all sorts of potential issues with the knee. For me, my bend is limited due to arthritis, and I have to constantly work at stretching it. See a doctor or physio to get yours assessed. Could be ligaments, could be bones, could be tendons, could be misalignment elsewhere, could be ...

    PS ... I've been taking glucosamine/chondroitin for couple months now. My knee is a bit better, but is that the weight loss, the exercise, the supplements, ... ? I'm going to stop the course shortly, and see if there's any difference.
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
    I'm a runner and I've been taking Glucosamine with MSM for abou 18months and it seems to make a difference. If I go a couple of days not taking them I find my knees are stiffer (especially on stairs) and click more. Having read around I don't see any serious side effects but the science behind their effectiveness is mixed. They work for me and my Mum but my Dad doesn't notice any difference when he takes them. As a long term help they may be worth a go. However, that said, it sounds like you have some sort of injury rather than just wear & tear through age so I'd suggest you see a Dr/ Physio and get that sorted as a seperate issue.
  • deviboy1592
    deviboy1592 Posts: 989 Member
    To me it sounds like glucosamine is just masking an underlying issue, then again I'm no doctor, but my knees started getting sore a couple of years ago, then they really started to stiffen up and become more painful, I started changing my diet, knees got better, I've now narrowed it down to two foods I eat that usually triggers it, white chocolate, or products that contain soya, seems to be causing inflammation in my knees. Good luck, talk to a doctor though.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I will agree, glucosamine only maybe-sometimes works for arthritis, it's not for acute injuries, which you probably have.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Treatment and medication should follow diagnosis. Rest from what you think caused it makes sense though.

    Without a diagnosis you and everyone else are guessing - knees are very complex joints.
    Would suggest seeing a Physiotherapist rather than a general Doctor.
  • TheDoughnutTheif
    TheDoughnutTheif Posts: 349 Member
    I always take my bioflex. IMO, it helps a lot with knee/joint pains.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I fell about a month ago and hit my elbow. It was black and blue, but I have full ROM and it is painful when I put any pressure on it or if I try to do a modified plank. I finally called my doctor and have an appointment on Monday. It feels like there's fluid in there.

    If your knee is really painful, have it checked out.
  • jordy5forty
    jordy5forty Posts: 5 Member
    I got diagnosed with an overuse/overtrain injury in my left knee called osteochondritus dissecans. Read about it and see if your symptoms align. It has been fixed. To assist with the recovery I took glucosamine for about a year and a half straight with meals and had no issues Ü
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    You know, if something hurts outside, say, DOMS you should probably rest it.

    i did rest for 4 days over the holidays. no improvement

  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    josearle wrote: »
    I got diagnosed with an overuse/overtrain injury in my left knee called osteochondritus dissecans. Read about it and see if your symptoms align. It has been fixed. To assist with the recovery I took glucosamine for about a year and a half straight with meals and had no issues Ü

    interesting, will check that out thanks!

  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    Samstan101 wrote: »
    I'm a runner and I've been taking Glucosamine with MSM for abou 18months and it seems to make a difference. If I go a couple of days not taking them I find my knees are stiffer (especially on stairs) and click more. Having read around I don't see any serious side effects but the science behind their effectiveness is mixed. They work for me and my Mum but my Dad doesn't notice any difference when he takes them. As a long term help they may be worth a go. However, that said, it sounds like you have some sort of injury rather than just wear & tear through age so I'd suggest you see a Dr/ Physio and get that sorted as a seperate issue.

    thank you for your input. i do think its age and wear/tear. im 41 and have been working out consistently for 15 years, really bumping it up in the past year. ive never had any injury

  • Virkati
    Virkati Posts: 679 Member
    I tore the meniscus, at the posterior root, by WALKING. I ignored it. Rested. Changed diets, took supplements & finally saw a doc about a year later. It's been almost 18 months since the diagnosis and only NOW am I getting to use it properly and pain-free. So I wasted ALL that time by being stubborn. It's your call but seeing a doc COULD save you lots of time and money in the long run. Just my experience and food for thought. Good luck
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