Most studies have shown that glucosamine needs to be taken for two to four months before its full benefits are realized, although some will experience improvement sooner.

REJOINT RA 750MG/50MG/250MG TABLET is probably safe to use in patients with kidney disease. Limited data available suggests that dose adjustment of REJOINT RA 750MG/50MG/250MG TABLET may not be needed in these patients. Please consult your doctor.

Who Should Not Take These Arthritis Supplements? People with diabetes should use caution when taking glucosamine because it may raise blood sugar. People taking blood-thinning medication (anticoagulants) should check with their doctors before taking glucosamine and chondroitin.

There’s some concern that the use of glucosamine may aggravate such conditions as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The use of chondroitin sulfate, meanwhile, may have harmful effects in people with asthma, blood clotting disorders, or prostate cancer.

Get them from salmon, trout, olive oil, nuts, avocados and supplements high in the DHA form of omega-3s. Take these joint preservers. Supplements with a combo of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin may help on two fronts: They increase lubrication and decrease inflammation (and thus pain).

Reported improvement (e.g. reduction in painful symptoms) varies from three weeks to as much as eight weeks. Some studies have shown continued improvement of symptoms after oral intake was stopped. Generally, if there is no pain reduction after two months, there is little chance of improvement.

• Glucosamine hydrochloride is more readily available over the counter in the U.S., but glucosamine sulfate works better at relieving pain, says Bonakdar.
• “All the European studies of glucosamine sulfate have shown it to be more effective than glucosamine hydrochloride,” he tells WebMD.

Glucosamine sulfate is a safe medication for patients with chronic kidney disease. As with any over the counter medication, however, you should check with your physician about potential drug interactions with other drugs that you take to make sure it is safe for you.

Taking glucosamine sulfate and acetaminophen together might reduce the effectiveness of both the supplement and medication. Warfarin (Jantoven). Taking glucosamine alone or in combination with the supplement chondroitin might increase the effects of the anticoagulant warfarin. This can increase your risk of bleeding.

Glucosamine has been implicated in isolated case reports in causing clinically apparent liver injury, but the role of glucosamine as opposed to other herbal components or contaminants has not been shown, and liver injury due to glucosamine or chondroitin must be very rare if it occurs at all.

The drugs and supplements that should cause concern

• Naproxen sodium (Anaprox®).
• Celecoxib (Celebrex®).
• Sulindac (Clinoril®).
• Oxaprozin (Daypro®).
• Salsalate (Disalcid®).
• Diflunisal (Dolobid®).
• Piroxicam (Feldene®).
• Indomethacin (Indocin®).