Glucosamine allergy?

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H89

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I tried my horse on maxaflex but after 3 weeks and all his legs swelling up twice the size of normal, I decided it was best to stop. I thought it was the green lipped mussel in it so decided to start him on suppleaze gold. One leg (back of the knee) has swollen a bit but I can't decide if he has done something to it or it is another reaction. Slight swelling and he is more lame than normal but it hasn't gone down after 2 days off the suppleaze (swelling went down really quickly after I stopped the maxaflex). Has anyone heard of a glucosamine allergy? I am hosing his leg/knee now so will give the suppleaze a go again once he seems to be back to normal there. Thanks for the replies :-)
 
Not quite the same but I blame glucosamine for the loss of my ID mare. She had cellulitis, which turned to septicaemia despite 3 vet visits and daily anti-b injections. We had just realised that the glucosamine which we had been giving her for about 10 months had been causing her behaviour problems and I believe that it had affected her immune system so that she wasn't able to fight the infection. It is of course extremely sweet.
We had been giving an elderly cob glucosamine for several years with no problems that I know off and we continued to give it to her but I have found other herbal remedies for stiffness for any other horse which is showing signs of stiffness. My Westphalian Draft mare is responding well to turmeric
 
Sorry to hear about your mare, it's heartbreaking to lose a horse. My Arab broke his leg in the field. I have spoken to the manufacturer of suppleaze and they said they have never heard of it before but are happy to swap it for an MSM supplement. I don't really like the idea of a herbivore eating fish so think I might take them up on that offer and use that along side a herbsl one. He is already on devils claw. I do use turmeric too. He seemed to improve initially with it but not so much now and does t eat it as happily as before. Might go back down to starting dose and increase slowly again.
Thanks for your reply.
 
Interesting. My maxicob is prone to gassy, spasmodic colic and he had an episode after I'd started him on Suppleaze Gold a year ago. I thought it was coincidence, but stopped the Suppleaze as part of a general detox.

I've since overhauled his diet and management, and he's been much more settled and comfortable for a while now. I put him back on the Suppleaze Gold on Monday, and he started to show signs of irritable behavior again within a day. I've stopped it again, and am hoping he soon settles back down to Mr. friendly laid back cob soon.
 
That is interesting tiddlypom. My boy had a bout of spasmodic colic a couple of years ago (on Boxing Day!) and I don't wish to repeat that! He also seemed more 'itchy/agitated' by the flies while he was on it. Think I will knock it on the head then. I just started him on simple systems feeds and want to try and get things back to nature as much as I can so sticking herbs in instead of glucosamine would certainly help. I hope your boy settles down again very soon
 
I take Glucosamine and it works really well but its interesting when you actually read the literature about it that there are people who are at risk taking it. Though horses don't necessarily have the same reaction to medication its worth reading the human problems. It is alsopossible to get non mollusc based Glucosamine.

From WebMD
What are the risks of taking glucosamine?

Side effects from glucosamine are generally mild. Studies have found that the side effects from standard doses of glucosamine aren't different from those of a placebo. At higher doses, side effects may be more likely. Side effects include upset stomach, heartburn, drowsiness, and headache. The level of glucosamine that would cause an overdose is unknown. On the whole, glucosamine seems to be a fairly safe supplement.
Risks. People with allergies to shellfish should be wary of using glucosamine, since it could cause an allergic reaction. Those who have diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, bleeding disorders, or high blood pressure should check with a doctor before using glucosamine.
Interactions. People taking other medicines including heart medicines, insulin, blood thinners, and diuretics should check with their doctors before taking glucosamine.
Given the lack of evidence about its safety, glucosamine is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The most common type of glucosamine supplement on the market is glucosamine sulfate. See the links below for in-depth information on glucosamine sulfate.
 
That's good to read tiddlypom.
Thanks tnavas, it does seem extremely uncommon for a horse to have a reaction to it.
 
Tnavas, that is really interesting. I have been convinced that my mare had a headache, she became uncharacteristically spooky and then over the winter months (when I was unable to ride regularly), her behaviour got worse, she reacted to noisy vehicles passing her by cantering in the road, which was definitely not normal for her and once shot off along the pavement in canter because a pedestrian shuffled her feet in fallen leaves, making them crunch. She very determinedly bucked me off on the road when a throaty diesel car approached us. I then got the vet to check her back, her muscles were found to be tight and uneven. The vet had done a routine check at vaccs time about 5 months before and found no problems. I have always thought that she must have damaged her back in the field and developed a headache from holding herself awkwardly to relieve the back pain. But now I wonder if the glucosamine headache started it all and made her hold herself awkwardly, thus developing muscle problems.
 
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