Glucosamine

The Basics

What is Glucosamine?

sold as a dietary supplement and promoted to reduce osteoarthritis pain

Brand names for Glucosamine

Na

How Glucosamine is classified

Complementary Therapies

Glucosamine During Pregnancy

Glucosamine pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Glucosamine while pregnant

N/A

Taking Glucosamine While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is an amino-monosaccharide that is either derived from shellfish or synthetically produced. Glucosamine sulfate has no specific lactation-related uses. It is most commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. A glucosamine derivative, N-acetylglucosamine, is a normal component of human breastmilk. Glucosamine sulfate is well tolerated with occasional gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g., diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, vomiting) reported. Although no studies exist on the use of glucosamine sulfate during breastfeeding, its use by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Glucosamine is an amino-monosaccharide that is either derived from shellfish or synthetically produced. Glucosamine sulfate has no specific lactation-related uses. It is most commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. A glucosamine derivative, N-acetylglucosamine, is a normal component of human breastmilk. Glucosamine sulfate is well tolerated with occasional gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g., diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, vomiting) reported. Although no studies exist on the use of glucosamine sulfate during breastfeeding, its use by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Possible effects of Glucosamine on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Glucosamine

None listed