Glucosamine & Lactose Intolerance

I've been hearing rave reviews about the effects Glucosamine has on the joints. So I decided to give it a try. I bought a large bottle (3 month supply). This is my 3rd day taking it.

For the past 3 days my stomach has been gassy and crampy. I use lactaid milk and haven't had any dairy that I'm aware of. The only thing I could think of was that it's from the Glucosamine. I just looked it up in google and found this:

Glucosamine is similar to lactose in structure. Some people with specific protein allergies associated with lactose intolerance may experience mild stomach upset, excess gas or skin rash. These symptoms may occur in up to 15% of those individuals with this specific condition.

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Of course I have to be in the 15% of individuals!!

I either have to give it up or go out and invest in lactaid pills so that I can Glucosamine.

I thought glucosamine was derived from fish? I've been reading wrong

It really is your decision. Do you already have any sort of joint pain, or are you just being cautious? Fortunately i'm not lactose intolerant, and the tabs don't seem to be doing anything weird to me. I'm only 24, but because of the op i had on my hip when i was 5, i've decided to start taking them the last few months due to joint pain.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Originally Posted by Dragoriana

I thought glucosamine was derived from fish? I've been reading wrong

It really is your decision. Do you already have any sort of joint pain, or are you just being cautious? Fortunately i'm not lactose intolerant, and the tabs don't seem to be doing anything weird to me. I'm only 24, but because of the op i had on my hip when i was 5, i've decided to start taking them the last few months due to joint pain.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

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I have some lactaid here. However, I'm going to skip my 3rd dose this evening and my morning one tomorrow. I'll try taking one with lactaid tomorrow after work and see how it goes. I can't even begin to describe how uncomfortable I was at work yesterday and today. If I feel alright with lactaid, then I'll keep taking the Glucosamine. But if I'm still gassy and crampy, I'm giving it up.

I do have joint pain, and according to my research it also helps with back pain. I figure anything that can give me an edge in the joint and pain department is a good thing. But not at the expense of having to run to the bathroom all day long because of gas and cramps.

Originally Posted by Dragoriana

Fortunately i'm not lactose intolerant

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I bet you are. Most humans over 3 years old are - just like most animals are lactose intolerant after weaning since drinking milk is not natural. However there's varying degrees of how intolerant one can be. ie - some just get mild cramping and gas.


I had diarrhea from glucosamine, so I stopped taking it after a few days. I just figured it was yet another supplement I couldn't take.

Some people say it helps them, some say it doesn't. Others have luck with fish oil.

I'm lactose intolerant, have been that way for a long time.

That being said I also have arthritis and tendonitis in both of my knees (thankyou track, cross country, and dance ) and arthritis in my back from several injuries and the amount of tumbling I used to do when I was younger). I went trough several years of physical therapy for both my knees and back but the pain is just something that never really fully goes away I guess. I have days where it doesn't bother me at all then I have some days where I'm just really uncomfortable. I used to take Glucosamine and an NSAID (relafin) all the time to help out with the joint pain- That combination worked amazingly well for me, but everyone is different.

I never persoally wound up having any issues from glucosamine that I can remember even though I'm lactose intolerant. Everyone is different though...some folks might be able to handle a little, others can't have any at all.....different types of dairy trigger different reactions in me so I guess it just depends.

As far as the Lactaid pills go, I've found that Lactaid Ultra pills work the best out of all the brands/store brands/etc for me. Sometimes I will take 2-3...sometimes more if I know I'm eating one of my "trigger foods" that typically makes me sick. (If you haven't already done a food journal and an elimination diet....now would be a wonderful time to try it out so you can figure out what your triggers are/etc) If you know the Glucosamine makes you ill, I'd just go ahead and take some Lactaid pills with it and see if that helps. I have found several things that the Lactaid Pills honestly don't help me at all with so I just have to avoid them unless I want to be in ungodly pain.....ice cream being the biggest one (However Bryers now makes a lactose free natural vanilla that's amazing...so that's ok )

^ I gave up on Lactaid pills. They worked for a while but ultimately it seemed just better to avoid lactose when I could.
Now it doesn't really matter, the cholecystectomy messed up my GI enough that I have so many unpredictable triggers - fats, sugar, carbs, eating before 4pm, smelling/looking at food (yes, that is a joke but it seems that way sometimes), that I've just given up.

One thing for some to consider, lactose is added to some pills including prescription ones. Not sure why this is done when so many are lactose intolerant...

I would take the lactaid tablets when you're home and will be home for some time, and give it a month doing that before taking it out in public. Why? Because they worked for me for two weeks and then they started to make me vomit violently. So now I avoid lactose. I've read lots of reports of this same issue.

Either way, good luck finding the best solution for you!

I am worried you are jumping the gun. First, question your reference. I personally do not see that lactose and glucosamine are similar enough in structure to cause a cross allergy. Lactose intolerance results from the inability to break the disaccharide (2 sugars) molecule into its individual sugars (galactose and glucose). Glucosamine is a single ring sugar, that is quite similar to glucose. Lactaid will not help, as there is no disaccharide bond to break. Since you have only been taking the supplement for 3 days, and what you describe is a common side effect of glucosamine in and of itself, it is more likely that your body is just having difficulty adjusting. I would recommend starting at a lower dose (say 500mg a day instead of 1500) and gradually working up. Also, you might need a different formation, some people can not take Glucosamine sulfate, but have no problems with N-acetyl glucosamine or glucosamine + chondroitin (better for joints imo). IMO, this is one of the best supplements to take, so dont give up! Good luck

maybe you need to ease into taking the glucosamine.
Also, here's a hint that I learned on the Natural Companions Show(holisitic approach to caring for our pets) on Veria TV:
do accupressure to yourself on the upper outsides of your hands and feet (they do it to cats & dogs and I tried it on myself first) - it is amazing how stimulating your body's healing energies is soo effective on the pains of arthritis & similar conditions. It is working much better for me than taking ibu (hurts my kidneys after a couple of days, sometimes makes me pee blood)

Originally Posted by catsknowme

It is working much better for me than taking ibu (hurts my kidneys after a couple of days, sometimes makes me pee blood)

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Please tell me you've had your kidney function fully checked. That's disturbing! It's a bit surprising how damaged a person's kidneys can be before they actually start noticing symptoms from it (I think around stage 3 failure?).

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I bet you are. Most humans over 3 years old are - just like most animals are lactose intolerant after weaning since drinking milk is not natural. However there's varying degrees of how intolerant one can be. ie - some just get mild cramping and gas.


I had diarrhea from glucosamine, so I stopped taking it after a few days. I just figured it was yet another supplement I couldn't take.

Some people say it helps them, some say it doesn't. Others have luck with fish oil.

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Well i just have to point out that all humans fart up to 20 times a day

That being said i'm completely normal.

Now my father is intolerant or 'sensitive'. Though he still has the occasional chocolate and cheese, he sticks mostly to soy milk. If he has chocolate that is too rich it will send him to the toilet pretty quick.

I love milk and anything with milk, i have it every day. Cheese, yoghurt, choc, milk drinks. Not on overload but there is a little bit of dairy each day. I know i've read having too much can be bad for you.