Dr. Stoll,
I am the Education and Youth Programs Coordinator for the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, a not-for-profit agency which provides education and advocacy services for individuals with hemophilia and other bleeding disoprders. i have received several inquiries regarding the use of glucosamine to manage the pain of joint bleeds which are common among those affected with bleeding disorders. Would you be able to refer me to some literature regarding use of glucosamine by those with bleeding disorders?
Ann LeWalk - HFM
Follow Ups:
Re: Glucosamine use for pain of joint bleeds
Posted by Walt Stoll on January 09, 1999 at 10:39:04:
In Reply to: Glucosamine use for pain of joint bleeds posted by Ann LeWalk on January 07, 1999 at 10:02:50:
Hi, Ann.
I have not heard of this helping this inflammatory (the inflammation being caused by the free blood in the joint space) condition. If YOU come up with any research about this I would like to know.
HOWEVER, having said that, I wonder if YOU are knowledgable about the pamphlets the Hemophilia Foundation put out (for several years) for patient education about 20 years ago ( I have given out thousands of them during my lecture phase of my career.) about the fact that any hemophiliac can learn to stop their bleeding in a few minutes by practicing the skilled relaxation I have described on this BB for years and using imagery with it.
The problem , as I see it, is that teaching people how to do this does not make much money for the professional whereas treating the sequelae is a lucrative endeavor.
I know how hard this may be for you to consider since you work with people suffering (needlessly) every day and can hardly think that professionals would be so callous.
If you know about this, I would really llike to know why the Foundation stopped printing these handouts. When I contacted them at the time they stopped distribution, the best comment I could get was: "Change in Policy!" Everyone I spoke with agreed that it worked--else they would not have put out the pamphlets.
If you do not, I would suggest you look into it and then let me know. I would MUCH sooner have a more benign reason for why this is not pursued than what I have been forced to conclude.
Walt