Side Effects of Glucosamine Chondroitin

What are some of the side effects of glucosamine chondroitin?

That is a great question?

You would think that with the success of glucosamine chondroitin when used for osteoarthritis that there would have to be some side effects to go along with it.

After all, the wonder drug for arthritis, Vioxx, was pulled from the market for significantly increasing your risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Well here comes the good news. The side effects of glucosamine chondroitin are relatively non-existent!

But there are a few benign side effects of glucosamine chondroitin and some indications that a few folks may want to be aware of. For instance, some folks may experience increased stomach gas and soft stools. Also...

- If you are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant, be aware that no studies have been perfomed to measure the effects on your unborn child.

- Because glucosamine is what's called an amino sugar, folks with diabetes may want to check their blood sugar levels frequently. However, after a placebo-controlled, randomized trial, no relationship could be found between glucosamine use and elevated blood glucose levels.

- A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine titled "The Effect of Glucosamine-Chondroitin Supplementation on Glycosylated Hemoglobin Levels in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus" states that "This study demonstrates that oral glucosamine supplementation does not result in clinically significant alterations in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus."

- One of the side effects of glucosamine chondroitin that folks on blood thinners might want to consider is chondroitin's chemical similarity with some blood thinning drugs like warfarin and heparin. Folks on blood thinning medications might want to consider having their blood clotting checked on a regular basis. The combination of chondroitin and blood thinning drugs could cause bleeding in some folks.

- Another of the very small potential side effects of glucosamine chondroitin that folks with shellfish allergies may want to consider is that glucosamine is extracted from the shells of lobster, crab and shrimp. Most times though, shellfish allergic reactoins are caused by the proteins contained in the shellfish. Glucosamine, on the other hand, is produced from the chitin which is a carbohydrate.

- Most important of all - don't quit the other medications that you may be taking without talking to your health care provider.

To learn more about glucosamine chondroitin stop by our page on glucosamine chondroitin sulfate studies.