Glucosamine
Avoid Glucosamine, High in Oxalates
If glucosamine works to relieve your joint pain, then continue with it. However for those who can possibly avoid glucosamine altogether this seems to have the best results for gaining cystic organ health. Glucosamine comes from shellfish and it is taken from the fins of certain sharks which are endangered; it is high in copper, high in oxalates, and high in potassium which can be detrimental to some individuals with PKD. There have been instances of high oxalate poisoning causing spontaneous kidney shutdown.
There is a completed study called the GAIT clinical trial. This was a multi-center trial of 1500 individuals Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), a 24-week. Conclusions: Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone or in combination did not reduce pain effectively in the overall group of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Analyses suggest that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate may be effective in a subgroup of patients with moderate-to-severe knee pain; however this must be confirmed by another trial. The good news is that a recent clinical trial of Glucosamine supplementation showed that it does not affect blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus The American College of Radiologists concluded that there was no pain benefit except possibly in severe cases of knee osteoarthritis. Pain was rated against a known pain scale. This differs from a small European study done by the manufacturers of Chondroitin.
When potassium is restricted in the later stages of ADPKD, glucosamine can increase serum potassium. Caution should be taken. There have been cases of reduced kidney functioning with individuals taking glucosamine chondroitin from a mini review.
