Chondroitin has also been shown to be both safe and effective in the treatment of arthritis. Some groups should not take glucosamine due to potential side effects in these groups only, but for the majority of people glucosamine side effects are practically non-existent.

Numerous double-blind placebo-controlled studies have been done on glucosamine and the studies have shown glucosamine side effects to be mild. Glucosamine has been shown to rebuild cartilage, decrease the pain of arthritis and slow the progression of the disease.

Glucosamine side effects have been studied for 40 years and the placebo sugar pill reportedly showed more side effects than the glucosamine. Glucosamine occurs naturally in the body, so it is expected that glucosamine would have fewer side effects than drugs that are not naturally found in the body.

Eliminate Arthritis Pain Immediately

It is important to find glucosamine of the highest quality in order to make sure it is safe and effective. It is also important to buy glucosamine in combination with other supplements for the greatest effectiveness in treating osteoarthritis.

Glucosamine side effects are nothing compared to long term use of over the counter medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These drugs that we so commonly take for pain relief are not meant to be taken long term and can have serious side effects. In the New England Journal of Medicine it was reported that the drugs Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Ordis, Aspirin and twenty others cause 16,500 deaths and 103,000 hospitalizations per year. In contrast, glucosamine side effects do not cause any deaths or hospitalizations. It is safe to say glucosamine is safer to take than these drugs for osteoarthritis.

Along with few glucosamine side effects, glucosamine also helps cartilage to rebuild itself so it has a more long-term effect than other conventional medications which only treat the symptoms and not the root of the problem.

Although glucosamine side effects are generally mild and rare in most people, certain individuals should be careful of glucosamine side effects. People who are allergic to shellfish should watch out for the glucosamine side effects of allergic reactions because glucosamine is derived from shellfish. Because of the potential severity of glucosamine side effects in people allergic to shellfish, glucosamine should be avoided by these individuals.

Because glucosamine is a carbohydrate, one of the glucosamine side effects may be a change in blood sugar levels. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor if you are a diabetic. You should test your blood sugar often if you are diabetic and taking glucosamine.

Glucosamine side effects have not been studied enough in pregnant women or in children; therefore, these people should not take glucosamine supplements. Although glucosamine side effects have not shown to be harmful, it is better to be safe than sorry.

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Some glucosamine side effects that can occur when glucosamine is used in very high doses (many times the daily dose) are nausea, diarrhea, soft stools and gastric fluctuations.

The most common glucosamine side effects are soft stools and intestinal gas. One potentially dangerous glucosamine side effect, which has been demonstrated in some animal studies, is the worsening of insulin resistance which may lead to diabetes. This glucosamine side effect has so far not been demonstrated in humans, however.

If you are taking blood thinning medications, you should talk to your doctor before taking glucosamine because it may cause the glucosamine side effects of bleeding and thinning of the blood.

Overall, glucosamine has been used safely for many years with few reported side effects. Studies have not shown any negative side effects in humans so far. Certain groups of people such as diabetics, those with allergies to shellfish, pregnant women, women who can become pregnant, children and those taking blood thinners should avoid glucosamine because of potential side effects or the lack of studies done on these groups.

For most people, glucosamine is actually safer to use than common over the counter medications such as Aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. In addition, glucosamine does things that these other drugs cannot-rebuild cartilage. This helps solve the problem instead of just masking it. Generally, the benefits of taking glucosamine far outweigh the risks in most people. The fact that it is a natural product and causes few side effects makes it a great drug to take for the treatment of arthritis.

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