A beginners Guide to Arthritis - Part 1 - Supplements

(Here's my Intro to this series/quest)
Supplements: Glucosamine
I've seen the commercials about Glucosamine& Chondroitin Sulfate, so I asked my local pharmacist to enlighten me. I showed him two bottles, both $14.99. One bottle had 500 mg of each. The other bottle had 2000mg (per 2 tablets) of Glucosamine only. The pharmacist said he'd just read, within the last two weeks, that a new study showed Chondroitin isn't needed, as first thought, to aid in the absorption of the Glucosamine.
Of course I bought the bottle with more bang for my buck.
My experience so far...
I only taken two tablets per day for 6 days. Most supplements call for 4 to 6 weeks to see an improvement. Drugs.com (grrr... has roll over ads) says Glucosamine may cause drowsiness. I haven't encountered that at all. Nor have I had it bother my stomach.
On the food/nutrition experimental front... yesterday morning I ate potatoes, eggs and cheese for breakfast and within a few short hours my hands swelled, arms ached badly and I did get terribly tired. I don't attribute it to the Glucosamine, even though I took it with that meal, simply because I hadn't had the tiredness happen any of the other four days I took it. I'm leaning towards the meal as the culprit.
The Arthritis Foundation website has a helpful listing of 46 herbs and supplements you may have been wanting to know more about. This Guide is from 2002 but has info on everything inflammatory from Cats Claw to Turmeric. I like that they list drug interactions, dosage if known (and no pop up ads). I'm excited by the fact that they've found Ginger to be helpful both for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and it "Protect stomach from ulcers and damaging gastrointestinal effects of NSAIDs."
That's something that could be easily incorporated into some recipes.
Next - Nutrition...
The Happy Medium
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