[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Health See other Health Articles Title: Over-the-counter drug may work well for arthritis Yahoo... (Reuters Health) – Three daily doses of glucosamine and chondroitin may provide the same relief as a smaller dose of prescription celecoxib for people with severe pain from osteoarthritis, according to a randomized trial in four European countries. In the U.S., glucosamine and chondroitin are available as over-the-counter supplements so their formulations are not regulated like the prescription European version. “The Europeans have an advantage on us in this regard as glucosamine, chondroitin and the combination are all available as medications,” said Dr. Allen Sawitzke of the Rheumatology Division at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, a coauthor of the new study. “As such, their reliable composition and chemistry are more like assured,” he told Reuters Health by email. The U.S. supplement versions are less reliable in quality and quantity, Sawitzke said. The new trial included 606 patients over age 40 with moderate to severe pain from knee osteoarthritis living in France, Germany, Poland or Spain. Osteoarthritis, or wear and tear of the joints, affects more than a third of adults over age 65 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no cure. Treatments include physical therapy, medication and joint replacement. The study participants were randomly divided into two groups, one taking a daily combination of 400 milligrams chondroitin sulfate and 500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride (Droglican, made by Bioiberica S.A.). The other group took 200 mg of celecoxib (marketed by Pfizer as Celebrex, Celebra, Onsenal and others) every day. After six months, both groups had knee pain about half as severe as when they started, and similar reductions in joint swelling and stiffness and increased function, according to results in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. In U.S. drugstores, a three-month supply of glucosamine and chondroitin supplement costs around $30. Prescription celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever, can cost $130 per month, much more expensive than over-the-counter pain relievers, according to Consumer Reports. Both glucosamine and chondroitin are available by prescription in Europe, but some advise against using them for osteoarthritis due to lack of evidence, the authors note. But the new study suggests that in combination they can be effective for osteoarthritis patients, especially for people with heart or gastrointestinal problems who may not be able to take an NSAID like celecoxib, the authors write. Celecoxib can cause serious side effects like high fever, noted coauthor Dr. Yves Henrotin, head of the Bone and Cartilage Research Unit at the University of Liège in Belgium. It can also cause ulcers and bleeding, according to the National Institutes of Health. “My recommendation is to consider a patient’s (other diseases) before treatment,” Henrotin told Reuters Health by phone. “For countries where the prescription preparations are available, the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate appears to be as effective and at least as safe so might be the preferred way to start,” Sawitzke said. It may be considered in other countries as well, but will have to be monitored closely through the first months of use, he said. However, the prescription glucosamine and chondroitin formulation in this European study cannot be generalized to the dietary supplement versions available in the U.S. and U.K., they emphasize. “I think many U.S. providers have quit recommending a trial of the glucosamine and chondroitin to patients affected by osteoarthritis as strong support was not available,” Sawitzke said. “In distinction, the European market has remained strong and the guidelines actually recommend their use.” “We still have to consider financial constraints, a given patient's adverse events risks, and the risks of the unknown in the over-the-counter market,” he said. SOURCE: bmj.co/16pfwMO Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, online January LibyaKatie Couric News Video Poster Comment: [newyorkguy] I was diagnosed with mild to moderate OA in my right hip in 2001. I had been in severe pain for many years and had a bad limp. Rheumatologist told me I would definitely need a hip replacement in 5 years and wanted to send me for one at that time. I told him I would try glucosamine. Within a week, my pain and limp were gone. I have continued to take it since 2001 with great results. Occasionally, I have some minor discomfort, but only last minutes. It's really miraculous. I do some light jogging too. Probably a good idea to find a brand with hylauronic acid. I don't think chondroitin has helped me, but it is in the brand I am now taking. Also, the brand is very important. I would not use cheap house brands, like CVS. I have found them to be ineffective. There are good products out there, but they are more expensive than the article indicates. $30 for 3 months is not realistic. For a good product, you can expect to pay anywhere from around $18 to $50/month. There are often sales. 8 BLITZ 12 hours ago 3 2 The Federal Death Adminstration was initiated by the drug interests backed by such rich people as Carnegy and Rockefeller for the sole purpose of keeping other forms of medicine unavailable to the public. now in order for a doctor to use any medicine it must pass certain tests which these days are altered and corrupted and rammed through the approval process. these tests cost millions. if some one said I can cure bladder cancer with fresh carrot and apple juice that cure would not be allowed because no one has paid the millions required to do the testing. That right there is why the cure for bladder cancer is not being used. So today we are left with poisons and toxic chemicals to treat disease while natural cures that work are ignored. 2-3 alanobendico My old (almost 14) Labrador retriever is now retired, but she worked hard retrieving ducks from frigid Alaska waters for 12 years. Unlike many hard-working retrievers of her same age, she may be a bit stiff when she gets up in the morning, but she is not crippled by arthritic pain and still runs like a much younger dog. She has been taking 2 capsules of glucosamine/chondroitin since she was two, with her morning meal. Maybe it's a coincidence, but I don't think so. 3 Debbie try black cherry capsules. i like now foods company brand, i take 2 in morning and 2 at night and about after 8 days my knee pains,stiffness, etc. gone and also the terrible pain in my thumb joints, too try it 3 A Yahoo! user glucosamine is a joke. take oil of evening primrose or a month and be pain free. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
|
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||