Pain with Glucosamine

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 5/24/2007 5:54pm

btw, liquid glucosamine supplements are usually not good because they usually don't have the stated amount of substance in them. Tablets are best, and consumerlab.com has a listing of excellent products. I use a Schiff product, and they always pass certification.

**Neildo** · Posted On: 5/24/2007 5:55pm

When I crack my spine (sounds like popcorn being made, grosses chicks out LOL) it usually relieves pain, so i can only guess that it's not a bad thing.

**Equipoise** · Posted On: 5/25/2007 1:48am

Originally Posted by Judah Maccabee

btw, liquid glucosamine supplements are usually not good because they usually don't have the stated amount of substance in them. Tablets are best, and consumerlab.com has a listing of excellent products. I use a Schiff product, and they always pass certification.

Anything to verify that statement?

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 5/25/2007 6:20am

I'll modify my statement, because I think I confused glucosamine with creatine - glucosamine isn't the issue, usually, it's chondroitin. Chondroitin is a fairly expensive substance as far as supplements go and some companies try to skimp on it to save money. For instance:

Drinkables® Liquid Joint Care; Maximum Strength; Citrus Flavor — Contained only 70% of claimed chondroitin sulfate.

As verified through consumerlab.com

In this regard, tablets are also a problem:

Karuna™ Chondroitin Sulfate — Contained only 51.3% of its claimed chondroitin, although it claimed to be "...manufactured under strict quality control to ensure the optimum in purity, potency, and reliability."

Nature's Plus® Ultra Maximum Strength Chondroitin 600® 100% Pure Chondroitin Sulfate A Supplement — Had no detectable chondroitin, despite claiming to be "...the highest quality CSA (chondroitin sulfate A) supplement ever developed in a single tablet" and "...delicately processed to maintain maximum nutritional integrity."

Swanson® Health Products Premium Brand, Glucosamine & Chondroitin — Contained only 8% of its claimed chondroitin. The price of this product was conspicuously low — costing only 17 cents per day, while other combination products cost 50 cents to $1.40 or more per day.

Symtec® Joint Movement™ Glucosamine with Chondroitin + MSM, Mixed berry flavor — Contained only 75% of claimed chondroitin sulfate.

So let me amend my statement that it's chondroitin that's problematic. However, based on consumerlab stuff, they only tested one liquid supplement that had gluco/chondroitin/msm in it.

**Neildo** · Posted On: 5/25/2007 10:07am

i don't see the one i've been taking on there. damn, i'd take any excuse to stop ingesting that stuff. you guys have no idea, it's like liquid concentrated awful.

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 5/25/2007 5:34pm

They didn't test the one you're taking.

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 5/26/2007 10:53am

Originally Posted by Judah Maccabee

btw, liquid glucosamine supplements are usually not good because they usually don't have the stated amount of substance in them. Tablets are best, and consumerlab.com has a listing of excellent products. I use a Schiff product, and they always pass certification.

Ok creatine is probably what you may be thinking about?
Creatine is highly unstable in liquid form, and breaks down easily into creatinine. It apparently isn't worth it to make a shake in the morning and drink it in the evening.

I've always read glucosamine has more effective absorption in liquid form. The pill/powder form has too many addictives, which are needed to make it in powder form.