Glucosamine Chondroitin side effects and how to reduce the adverse events

Glucosamine chondroitin supplements are generally quite safe and do not have any major side effects. A glucosamine chondroitin supplement does not appear to lead to side effects in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Glucosamine, chondroitin side effects and prescription medication interactions
As of February 2010, no significant glucosamine and chondroitin side effects and prescription medication interactions have yet been reported.

Safety of natural supplements for osteoarthritis
Evaluation of symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis using the GRADE system.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2008 Dec 16;9: Bruyère O, Burlet N, Delmas PD, Rizzoli R, Cooper C, Reginster JY. WHO Collaborating Center for the Public Health Aspect of Musculoskeletal Disorders, University of Liege, Belgium.
Symptomatic slow-acting drugs have been largely studied over the last decade. The objective of this study is to prepare a document providing recommendations for the use of symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis. The following interventions were taken into consideration: avocado / soybean unsaponifiables, glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, diacereine, hyaluronic acid, oral calcitonin, risedronate, strontium ranelate. Recommendations were based on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system. The GRADE system is based on a sequential assessment of the quality of evidence, followed by assessment of the balance between benefits versus downsides and subsequent judgment about the strength of recommendations. Glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, diacereine, avocado / soybean unsaponifiables and hyaluronic acid have demonstrated pain reduction and physical function improvement with very low toxicity and side effects, with moderate to high quality evidence. In the benefit / risk ratio, the use of glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, diacereine, avocado / soybean unsaponifiables and hyaluronic acid could be of potential interest for the symptomatic management of osteoarthritis.

Joint Power Rx Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Because joint pain is so debilitating, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate alone are often not enough. This powerful joint formula includes several additional herbal extracts and nutrients including MSM, CMO, boswellia serrata, turmeric, cat's claw extract, grape seed extract, and sea cucumber for optimal joint health.  

Joint Power Rx Supplement has:
Glucosamine sulfate (from shellfish) - glucosamine is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
Chondroitin sulfate - chondroitin is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
MSM nutrient which stands for methylsulfonylmethane
CMO complex also known as cetyl myristoleate
Boswellia serrata extract is used in Ayurvedic medicine
Turmeric is an herb that contains curcumin
Cat's claw extract comes from the Amazon jungle
Devil's claw is a plant widely used in South African traditional medicine,
Grape seed extracts have compounds called procyanidolic oligomers which are powerful antioxidants, perhaps much greater than vitamins C and E.
Sea cucumbers have a number of substances that have therapeutic value.

Glucosamine chondroitin supplement safe for diabetics
The effect of glucosamine chondroitin supplementation on glycosylated hemoglobin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial.
Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jul 14;163(13):1587-90. Scroggie DA, Albright A, Harris MD. Department of Rheumatology, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Lackland, TX 78236, USA.
To evaluate possible effects of glucosamine chondroitin supplementation on glycemic control in a selected population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were typically elderly patients, evenly divided between men and women. Most of the patients were being treated with 1 or 2 drugs for glycemic control. In daily doses for 90 days, patients received either placebo or a combination of 1500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride with 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate (Cosamin DS; Nutramax Laboratories Inc, Edgewood, Maryland). Mean hemoglobin A1c concentrations were not significantly different between groups prior to glucosamine therapy. Posttreatment hemoglobin A1c concentrations were not significantly different between groups, nor were there any significant differences within groups before and after treatment. This study demonstrates that oral glucosamine chondroitin supplementation does not result in clinically significant alterations in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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