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Glucosamine/Condroitin Side effects/

Posted by Helen, Volunteer Mentor @naturegirl5, Aug 23, 2025

I started on glucosamine/condroitin with MSM a week ago. This is the first time I've taken this supplement. I am also taking turmeric although I use turmeric as a spice frequently enough that I may not have needed the supplement. These were recommended by the medical provider I saw at Mayo Clinic in Orthopedics for a shoulder injury/inflammation. I have other things I am doing for my shoulder including at-home exercises, PT, massage, and icing my shoulder.

Last night and in the early morning hours when I was asleep in bed I was awakened with two separate painful muscle spasms in one calf and then the other. I haven't changed anything else in my diet, supplements, medication or exercise. I'm not even taking the full dose of the supplement yet. I cannot find anything online at reliable and valid websites about muscle cramps occurring with glucosamine/condroitin with MSM.

Anyone else had these muscle cramps and think they be due to glucosamine/condroitin with MSM?

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timely | @timely | Mar 31 5:55pm

It could be an entirely different animal…

Consider and research needing magnesium to prevent leg cramps….

Or anything else that can prevent leg cramps…

Leg cramps and glucosamine Chrondroitrin.
Bet you google that and find nothing.

The reference to Anti Inflammatories causing kidney problems is for NSAIDS , not glucosamine Chrondroitrin which is not an NSAID…

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v8auto | @v8auto | Apr 4 12:40pm
In reply to @thayern "I took glucosomine condroitin for years (25-30) and no other anti-inflammatory. I'm fairly sure it caused..." + (show)
Profile picture for thayern @thayern

I took glucosomine condroitin for years (25-30) and no other anti-inflammatory. I'm fairly sure it caused my chronic kidney disease in these my later years. My doctor absolutely advises against anti-inflammatories now. The same happened with a friend who took diclofenec for years.

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@thayern Glucosamine is not an NSAID, and nor is chondroitin, so I don't think it would be implicated in your kidney troubles.

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loriesco | @loriesco | Apr 5 5:09pm

I suggest you type in muscle cramps, and the name of the supplement that you want to look up in Google. That’s what I do and I get a lot of information if something is connected or not.

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jwilde1 | @jwilde1 | Apr 10 2:24pm
In reply to @gardenvickie "That’s exactly what happened to me ,except I got the worst sciatica in my right hip..." + (show)
Profile picture for gardenvickie @gardenvickie

That’s exactly what happened to me ,except I got the worst sciatica in my right hip After just taking one dose glucosamine contrition. It took me weeks and weeks to recover. I found an obscure reference to this happening, in my fibromyalgia textbook.

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@gardenvickie I have had a similar occurrence with severe pain starting in my leg then moving to my groin hip area. I have stopped taking the joint pill to see if it clears up. I have only used it for a week.

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