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Cheryl, 43 |
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 In the summer of 2002, I became frustrated with doctors not getting to the cause of my chronic neck and back pain. Nothing was improving or getting better. I refused to use painkillers or resort to surgery. I started seeing a chiropractor regularly, and he told me about a combination glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM product. Since I started taking it, I've been pain free.
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Jada, 37 |
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After a trip to the Rockies this summer involving hiking and horseback riding, I returned with what I thought was a stress fracture in my foot. For several months prior to this, I had begun to feel discomfort and reasoned that my daily power walking had resulted in tendonitis. As it turns out, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and advised to begin taking Vioxx. As I study nutrition (albeit amateur) and have an interest in integrative medicine, I opted to try glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM because of the particular component mix and dosage. After 8 weeks (and another trip, this time involving mountain climbing) I returned to my orthopedist for a check up, and even he was impressed at my level of mobility. I am a rather active 35 year old female (and former ballet dancer) that knew one day I would deal with this condition. It is heredity. I believe in letting the body heal itself before resorting to treating particular symptoms.
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Rebecca, 53 |
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The biggest difference since I started taking glucosamine, is that 90% of my discomfort and pain are gone. I no longer wake up and have difficulty getting out of bed. My ankles and feet are close to pain free. The pain I had was not causing me to be non-functional but was certainly affecting me psychologically and made me think twice about tasks such as cleaning, volunteering to assist with the clothing drive at church, baby-sit, etc. Currently I still experience aching / pain in my thumbs most of the time but it is low enough that I don't think about it all the time. I was taking close to a dozen Advil a day to control the pain and now I only take it on occasion for headaches or if I do participate in a "special event".
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Fern, 59 |
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I was withdrawing from doing things I like because of lower back pain. I thought it was old age coming on. In the past I have tried Celebrex, which after the first two weeks made me feel pain free and like I was 20 years old again. However, within a month after taking Celebrex I began to have stomach problems, liver function tests became elevated, I had anxiety, hot flushes, mood swings and problems sleeping, my abdomen and stomach swelled out to pregnancy size. The side-affects became too severe to continue taking it even though I felt youthful and I didn't have an ache or pain anywhere. I have also tried Vioxx and had the same side-affects problems. Codeine makes me so dizzy I can't lift my head off the bed, give me cotton mouth and I don't know what else would have happened because after a day I stopped taking it.
I started taking glucosamine and MSM, and I now can resume my exercise program three times a week and go on outings and shopping without severe pain. Yes, sometimes I overdue it and have moderate pain, but I feel like a part of the human race again. I still have mild pain sitting or rising when I wake, but it's tolerable without side-effects from medications.
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