Its been estimated that the public in the USA spends a billion dollars a year on nutritional supplements like Cosequin
What's the Harm? http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=140
The last time I ran the math a German Shepard size animal needed 300 dollars a year of these supplements. Most animals start on them years before they die so a decision to use them could easily be a thousand dollar investment.
Think harm always http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=288
They are not FDA approved. So as far as the USA governments help who knows if they are safe and effective.
Product Review: GLUCOSAMINE and CHONDROITIN http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=562
and study's show the pet products are worse than the human ones
Chondroitin Deficiency Found in Pet Products http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=110
So if you are going to use them I would buy the human ones like Walgreens brand
Early study's paid for by people selling these drugs looked promising.
Post subject: SAMe reduces symptoms in depression, osteoarthritis, liver http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=148
But sad to say as more study's come out the independent study's look less promising for fixing anything.
Short term study's show they work about as well as NSAIDs.
informed consent using NSAIDS for osteoarthitis http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=199
but almost everyone uses the supplements long term and nsaids only work for acute pain and do not work for the treatment of long term chronic disease.
the best study that supports long term benefit was a study showing better rays from patients on the drugs. Objective X-ray evaluation eliminates the placebo effect. But critics of these study argue that treatment of acute pain with the nutritional supplements just before the X-rays gets the patients to hold their body's in a different manor than those with more pain resulting in X-rays that appear to look better.
Structural and Symptomatic Efficacy glucosamine chondrontin http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=269
some question if these products are even absorbed
absorption of chondroitin sulfate http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=286
and others I have talked to on a healthfraud list called quackwatch do not think cosequin is any better .
Post subject: cosequin on quackwatchhttp://evidencebasedvet.com/f ... uote&p=389
cosequin double speak http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/posti ... uote&p=393
Are they safe?
Good question. We have no way in the USA to know a supplement we buy really has in the bottle what the manufacture says is in the bottle.
Most people agree if not adulterated these drugs known safety profile is good.
1: Am Fam Physician 2003 Jan 15;67(2):339-44 Related Articles,Links
Alternative therapies for traditional disease states: osteoarthritis.
Morelli V, Naquin C, Weaver V.
Family Practice Residency Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Kenner, Louisiana 70065, USA.
Americans spend more on natural remedies for osteoarthritis than for any other medical condition. In treating osteoarthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, two of the molecular building blocks found in articular cartilage, are the most commonly used alternative supplements. In randomized trials of variable quality, these compounds show efficacy in reducing symptoms, but neither has been shown to arrest progression of the disease or regenerate damaged cartilage. Although few clinical trials on S-adenosylmethionine exist, preliminary evidence indicates that it relieves pain to a degree similar to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs but with fewer side effects. Clinical trials of dimethyl sulfoxide offer conflicting results. Neither ginger nor cetyl myristoleate has proven clinical usefulness.
Mil Med 1999 Feb;164(2):85-91
Glucosamine, chondroitin, and manganese ascorbate for degenerative joint disease of the knee or low back: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.
Leffler CT, Philippi AF, Leffler SG, Mosure JC, Kim PD
Medical Department, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, VA 23521, USA. occdr@aol.com
OBJECTIVE: A 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of a combination of glucosamine HCl (1,500 mg/day), chondroitin sulfate (1,200 mg/day), and manganese ascorbate (228 mg/day) in degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the knee or low back was conducted. METHODS: Thirty-four males from the U.S. Navy diving and special warfare community with chronic pain and radiographic DJD of the knee or low back were randomized. A summary disease score incorporated results of pain and functional questionnaires, physical examination scores, and running times. Changes were presented as a percentage of the patient's average score. RESULTS: Knee osteoarthritis symptoms were relieved as demonstrated by the summary disease score (-16.3%; p = 0.05), patient assessment of treatment effect (p = 0.02), visual analog scale for pain recorded at clinic visits (-26.6%; p = 0.05) and in a diary (-28.6%; p = 0.02), and physical examination score (-43.3%; p = 0.01). Running times did not change. The study neither demonstrated, nor excluded, a benefit for spinal DJD. Side effect frequency was similar to that at baseline. There were no hematologic effects. CONCLUSIONS: The combination therapy relieves symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. A larger data set is needed to determine the value of this therapy for spinal DJD. Short-term combination therapy appears safe in this setting.
Publication Types:
Clinical trial
Randomized controlled trial
PMID: 10050562, UI: 99159469
Product Review: GLUCOSAMINE and CHONDROITIN
Think harm always
What's the Harm?
Post subject: SAMe reduces symptoms in depression, osteoarthritis, liver
Chondroitin Deficiency Found in Pet Products
Post subject: Does glucosamine and chondroitin work for arthritis
Post subject: cosequin on quackwatch
cosequin double speak
Structural and Symptomatic Efficacy glucosamine chondrontin
absorption of chondroitin sulfate