Article: Glucosamine may be effective in reducing pain caused by a number of different conditions. However, you should talk to your doctor before you start taking supplements to find out if they would be beneficial for you. For example, you might say "Since my diagnosis of osteoarthritis, I've been reading a lot about glucosamine supplements as a possible treatment. Can you tell me about any risks and benefits to taking glucosamine supplements for me?" Keep in mind that there haven't been extensive studies on the effects of glucosamine supplements on many conditions. For this reason, your doctor may decide the potential benefit to you isn't worth the risk of trying them. There may be little benefit to taking glucosamine unless you have been diagnosed with a specific condition. For example, if you want to take glucosamine to treat your back pain, you generally should have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Absent a diagnosis, your doctor should rule out other causes for your back pain before you try supplements. You also will want to talk to your doctor about the potential benefit. Most studies have shown only a modest improvement of symptoms in patients taking glucosamine supplements, so you may decide that such a small benefit is not worth the cost of the supplements. While glucosamine supplements typically are safe for most adults, they can cause problems if you have certain other medical conditions such as diabetes. If you have diabetes, you may want to avoid glucosamine. It can adversely affect your insulin resistance and your blood-sugar levels. Another thing to keep in mind is that since glucosamine is harvested from shellfish, you shouldn't take these supplements if you are allergic to shellfish. Children under 18 should not take glucosamine supplements, which means you also shouldn't take glucosamine supplements if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Glucosamine supplements also can interfere with drugs you're already taking to treat particular conditions such as depression or high blood pressure. Discuss this with your doctor in light of all medications you currently take, even those you only take on an as-needed basis. For example, you might say "If I take glucosamine supplements, will it cause more bleeding or bruising than I'm currently experiencing? I've read that glucosamine can increase bleeding in people like me who are taking warfarin." Glucosamine supplements may increase your risk of certain medical conditions such as heart disease or bleeding disorders. Ask your doctor about any conditions that you personally may be susceptible to if you take glucosamine supplements. For example, if you are already at an increased risk for heart disease, your doctor may advise against prolonged use of glucosamine. The supplements may cause heart palpitations or other irregularities. If you have dry eyes or an increased risk of cataracts, glucosamine supplements may further increase this risk or cause cataracts to develop. Your regular doctor may not know about your eye health. If your ophthalmologist has told you that you are at risk for cataracts, let your regular doctor know. For example, you might say "My ophthalmologist told me I was at risk for cataracts, and I've heard taking glucosamine supplements can increase that risk. Would you still recommend I try the supplements to treat my osteoarthritis, or should I talk to my ophthalmologist first?" Since glucosamine supplements can increase the risk of bleeding, first tell your doctor if you have a bleeding disorder or are currently taking drugs such as warfarin that increase your risk of bleeding.
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Ask your doctor if you are a candidate. Identify conditions that glucosamine could worsen. Determine whether you are at a heightened risk for other conditions.