Re: RC: MSM / Glucosamine Sulfate

[Dave & Abby Bloxsom <cyclone@snet.net>]

> So I asked a
> ride vet if MSM was similar to BUte and he said that they both
> basically achieve the same thing. He was
> busy, so I didn't get a chance to ask him further on it.
> 
I'm no vet, but I know a bit about MSM & Glucosamine.  They're both
considered "nutraceuticals" - they are basically nutrients that have
some effects similar to some pharmaceuticals.

MSM - methylsulfonylmethane - is high in bio-available (organic)
sulfur.  This is not the same as sulfa (antibiotic) or the mineral
sulfur.  It's a dietary metabolite of DMSO.  I'm not sure about the
mechanism, but it ultimately has an anti-inflammatory effect.  This is
the thing that reduces pain by reducing inflammation.  As I recall,
because it's more like a nutrient, it can't be detected by blood
testing.  ECTRA, which is pretty hard line on drugs, says essentially
"We can't test for it, and it's not really a pharmaceutical, so we don't
prohibit it, but we respectfully request that you withdraw it 48h prior
to competition."  The idea is that the nutrient-based effect would
likely not be affected by that, but that it would eliminate any
possibility of a pharmaceutical effect during the competition.

Last I knew, there was a contraindication for giving MSM to anyone on
antihistamines.  I remember some studies about negative effects.  Can
some of the vets on the list speak to this?

Glucosamine is a component of cartilage, joint lubricants, and healthy
joint tissue.  The purpose of adding it to the diet is to essentially
help the body rebuild these tissues if they are in the process of
breaking down due to arthritis, overuse, or other joint strain.  The
quantity of these components in the diet may be a limiting factor in
joint health.  I'm not familiar with any anti-inflammatory effect - only
that if the joint tissues aren't healthy enough, there will be
inflammation (and accompanying discomfort).

Never heard about ginger, that's a new one on me.

Phenylbutazone (bute) is a pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory.  It reduces
inflammation at the time it's given, but does not have any beneficial
lasting effects.  There was a recent piece in Equus (last month?)
indicating that long-term administration of bute actually CAUSES joint
degradation ... in addition to ulcers and all the other things we
already knew about.

Yucca - FWIW - is also a pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory, as I
remember.

-Abby B


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