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Q. My total cholesterol rose significantly while I took glucosamine and chondroitin to relieve arthritis of the knees. I took it from May, 2005 to May, 2007.
I have always had a healthy, low-fat diet so I was surprised at the increase. In 2003 my cholesterol was 159. In April 2007 it was 273. Six months later it had dropped back to 233 after I stopped the supplement. Do you think there is a connection?
A. Several small studies have not shown any association between glucosamine and chondroitin and elevations in cholesterol. We have heard from many readers like you who noticed an increase while taking such supplements, however.
Yes, I had the same elevation. I have discontinued the Glucosomine/Chrondroitin. I will be back for a cholesterol recheck in April. If it is back to 188 or so, I will not take any more Glucosomine in the future.
I too was taking Glucosomine/Chrondroitin until my Dr. tried to put me on cholesterol-reducing drugs. I refused these and stopped taking the Glucosomine/Chrondroitin, having heard about this problem.
My cholesterol is now much lower.
Does anyone know if the Glucosamine Sulfate reacts the same way? This report has caused me to wonder, because my cholesterol has risen enough to be monitored more closely, and the Glucosamine Sulfate is the added substance to my mix.
I am a runner and relatively in good shape. I am 45 and for the most part healthy and not overweight. I started taking Glucosamine in 2004 and my cholesterol has risen. I thought it was my cheese consumption. I will discontinue taking glucosamine and will report back in July (after my blood test).
My oncologist has recommended that I discontinue American ginseng and flaxseed because I have Stage 2 estrogen/progesterone positive breast cancer (diagnosed and treated in 2007 with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation). Can you tell me the connection between the two and my breast cancer? She also recommended not using Echinacea. Your thoughts please?
I have to work hard to keep my cholesterol down. I also have trouble with elevated liver functions when using statins, etc. I have managed it with niacin and red rice yeast extract. However, I started taking glucosomine recently and now my liver enzimes are back up... could this be because of the glucosomine?
MS
I just had a cholesterol check and mine has gone up also after taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin for the last six months. This is very depressing and frustrating since it has almost taken away my knee and wrist pains I used to have.
Does it have to be a trade-off? I want to keep taking it, but I also don't want my cholesterol to keep going up. Does anyone out there have any advice?
I am 52, and I have taken Glucosamine & Chondroitin for about 9 years. My total cholesterol has hung around 145 all along, until this past year. I started taking SAMe, and it shot up to 205. I made some dietary changes (oatmeal, no egg yolks, etc.), and it dropped to 180. I wonder?
I also had this problem, and after reading in a medical book, about purple grape juice and certo I have quit taking glucosomine and chondroitin. I'm still waiting a while before I have blood work again, but this has had the same relieving effect on my knees. Mix one pack Certo to 64 oz of grape juice and drink 6-8 oz per day. I'm hoping my cholesterol has dropped also.
My fibromyalgia was helped immensely by the glucosamine/chondroitin, but my cholesterol levels went way up, and I began having a lot of pain in the general area of the liver. I stopped taking it, and cholesterol levels came down, pain went away. So now I'm back to living with fibromyalgia. My doctor has given me ms contin for the fibromyalgia, which helps a lot, but you have to keep increasing the dosage to receive the same benefits, and I don't like to take it. I'm sorry I can't continue taking the glucosamine/chondroitin, but I have higher cholesterol levels normally, so I don't want to increase it any higher.
I am 55. I have been taking glucosamine and chrondroitin for about 3 years and my cholesterol started rising slowly until last test was 237! I eat very healthy, no dairy, eat red meat once a week, yoga and aerobics 3 times a week. I have stopped taking. I will let you know what happens a few mos. from now.
I've just asked the same question. I have been taking Glucosamine for joint care. During a routine checkup, the doctor found my cholesterol level higher than the normal range. I eat well and exercise. Never has a problem with cholesterol levels before until now.
My low (the bad one) density cholesterol levels have always been way down and my heavy (the good one) density level up, to the point that my MD skipped one year of the blood work for my annual. Well, this year my bad cholesterol went to 200, but my good cholesterol was still normal.
The only difference has been my Glucosamine/Chondroitin intake for some joint pains. In the AM two table spoons daily of the liquid and in the PM two pills of another type. What else could be causing the elevated readings?
I will reduce my intake and totally eliminate it once the bottle is gone. Anyway, my pains are bearable. But we should be able to age gracefully.
Over the last few years (2006-2008) I have been taking a regular regimen of glucosamine/chondroitin in an effort to increase my cardio workouts and basketball playing. It helped tremendously, but from 2007-2008 my bad cholesterol increased from 110 to 185. This increase occurred while I was significantly watching my diet. I also was told that my liver levels were off. I have stopped the glucosamine/chondroitin and will re-test my levels in a few months and report back. I think we are on to something significant.
I have been taking Glucosamide, and been very helped with my knee problem, I CAN WALK without pain. My cholesterol level has increased. I will take some natural cholesterol lowering supplements, and monitor my cholesterol one month from now.
please advise
RK
My cholesterol has always been low and my HDL/LDL ratio has always been good. After 3 months on glucosamine my cholesterol went up 50 points and I became borderline diabetic. I quit the glucosamine and am much better. I know the test results from registered labs say there is no connection but this shows a correlation for me; that's all I need. I'd also like to know if blood type is a factor. I am A+.
Been taking glucosamine & chondroitin for several years but this last bottle of 500 gelcaps has been just glucosamine plus MSM. My total cholesterol level jumped from 185 to 320 after about a month after I started the new formula. Couldn't take the statins because of muscle pain, so am using 2000 mg. Niacin daily. Re-checked Lipids & Liver last week. Will let you know how they turned out after doctor's visit next week.
Last year 2008 my cholesterol was 181 I work out at least 5 to 6 days a week play soccer on 3 womens teams and my knee hurts a lot, so I started taking Glucosamine and Sulfate with MSM. I just a physical and my cholesterol went up to 260. I hardly ever eat eggs or butter or red meat. I stopped taking Glucosamine after I read these comments I'll go back in 2 months to my doctor to check and see if my cholesterol changes. I will keep all you posted. I will take nothing to lower the cholesterol natural or not I want to get to the bottom of this, and eat they way I have been. Also my LDL went up too, I can't remember by how much.
I have always had good cholesteral levels but in 2007 I tried taking a Gluc/cond supplement for joint pain and after taking it for a few months my total cholesteral went from 200 to 247! Stopped taking GC immmediately and rechecked my labs in 6 mos and went down to 210.
In August 2008 I tried the drs. # 1 rated brand Cosaquin and my April labs showed my cholesteral jumped to 263. It has never been that high. I have stopped the GC again and although I am pretty sure this was the cause for the increase in my levels I will h ave them rechecked in 6 months. Will let you know what happens
I've been on Glucosamine sulfate over 7 years and my lipid numbers have been very high. 245 total, LDL 175. HDL 69. My diet has been very careful. Lots of veggies, fruits, whole wheat bread, oatmeal. No eggs or beef, only a little turkey and mostly fish. I just stopped the glucosamine and will do my blood work in five weeks. Hope to see a big improvement. Will keep you posted.
I'm a healthy 46 year old woman who began taking glucosamine and chondroitin in 2006 for knee and hip pain. My cholesterol level then was 179. In 2007 my cholesterol shot up to 221. I didn't know what else to do so I started my own research on the G/C tabs and decided to stop taking them in July 2008. This past May my cholesterol level was down to 198. I will no longer take them. I think I'll try the certo and grape juice another poster suggested. Thanks for the suggestion.
After reading a few feedback on this subject, I decided to stop taking the glucosamine sulfate for 5 weeks and did my blood work before and after. Seems to be almost no change in the numbers. So, I started to take the glucosamine again because it does help with my achy joints.
I have been taking glucosamine chondroitin for some time and I have also noticed my cholesterol levels have gone up
I had knee surgery this year and my cholesterol level was 187 - now it is 222 and could not figure out why until I read this page. Of course, I am using glucosamine chron. with SMS. I will stop and see how I do in July when my next blood work is drawn.