Magnesium!!!

[juliegee]

I know I rave about Magnesium all of the time . I started taking it due to an off-hand remark that my allergist (from Mayo) made. He was commenting that I needed to better treat my autonomic stuff. I shared my frustration and asked WHAT was left to try. He said, "Magnesium is being used with amazing results." First I had ever heard of it. Since then, I have been using 500mg of magnesium oxide every night.

If you've never used it before, beware. It is a fabulous sleep aid. Only take it in the PM, right before you are ready to sleep. Used over time, my body has adapted, somewhat, but it still totally relaxes me. If you need help with a slow GI tract- That's also one of the side effects. Most importantly, it has somewhat normalized by wide HR swings with posture changes and wide BP swings. My overall HR is considerably slower with magnesium and my overall BP is less labile. In the winter, I used to be so affected by the cold weather, that my whole body vasoconstricted. My extremities would turn dark purple/black, my BP would rise, I would even get chest pain. On magnesium, THAT isn't happening.

Now, I read that it also helps in preventing migraines! Looking back, mine have been better and less frequent. I have trouble tolerating so many meds that it is wonderful to find a natural mineral that has so many benefits. I just wanted to share.

http://www.neurosciencesjournal.org/_cgi-bin/DetailArticle.asp?ArticleId=1624

Relation between serum magnesium level and migraine attacks Mahnaz Talebi, Dariush Savadi-Oskouei, Mehdi Farhoudi, Solmaz Mohammadzade, Seyyedjamal Ghaemmaghamihezaveh, Akbar Hasani, Amir Hamdi ABSTRACT

Objectives: The determination of serum magnesium levels in migraine.

Methods: In a case control study performed between January 2007 and December 2007 at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, 140 migraine patients were enrolled and their level of serum magnesium was determined and the results were compared with 140 healthy people who did not have any headache, kidney, or gastrointestinal disorders, and no consumption of magnesium complements.

Results: Migraine patients (22 male, 118 female) with a mean age of 33.82+/-10.31 and 140 healthy people (26 male, 114 female) with a mean age of (34.19+/-9.95) were enrolled. Forty patients had aura and 100 patients did not have aura. The average serum magnesium level in the patient group (26.14+/-4.3) was significantly lower than the control (31.09+/-4.32) group (p=0.000). There was no significant difference between the mean level of serum magnesium in patients with migraine with aura and without aura, however, there was a significant linear relationship between the amount of serum magnesium and the frequency of headache.

Conclusions: Serum magnesium in migraine patients was significantly lower than the normal population and related to the frequency of migraine attacks, supporting the use of magnesium in prevention and treatment of migraine.

[kmichaelson]

I actually just started taking magnesium a few days ago because my cardiologist recommended it, but I wasn't sure what the benefits would be. Thanks for all the information! How long do you think it took before you noticed an effect from it?

[juliegee]

I got an extremely good night's sleep the very first night- I suspect I was pretty deficient. As far as speeding up bowels, that may take a few days- same with the other stuff. My husband's BP was getting high when he was stressed. Since being on magnesium, it's been very steady- in a good range.

What dose are you taking?

[skiberthoud]

My functional medicine doctor told me he uses magnesium IV therapy for his dysautonomia patients with excellent sucess (esp when they are in a really bad "hole"). I've read much on the benefits of magnesium, I don't know why I'm not taking it?? hehehe

[issie]

Just a note to those with low blood pressures. Magnesium is known to LOWER blood pressures. It might not be good for those with already low blood pressures - as it could lower it even more. Some of us whose blood pressures drop too low with sleeping this might not work for either. I had to lower my night dose becaue of this - but I'm HyperPOTS with a high blood pressure. I also use Epsom Salts if my bp gets really high and it will bring it down - the laxitive effect for that type of magnesium is pretty fast though. This type of magnesium is an old remedy for pregnant women who develop high blood pressures. FYI.

Issie

[derekliz]

I have better luck with the magnesium citrate which you can get at a natural food store. It does not cause the stomach upset.

[sue1234]

I'm a weird person regarding magnesium. Before I began taking Milk of Magnesia(magnesium oxide) about 1 1/2 years ago, I could not take any magnesium. When I would, even with one dose, I would get tight muscles that ultimately led to a headache. The other thing is it caused my throat to spasm. I don't really understand it, but I think it might have been making me go low in calcium. At the same time, I had a really hard time taking in calcium pills, because they made me feel like I had a bowling ball in my stomach. I think I handle the Milk of Magnesia because the oxide form is not supposed to be absorbed very well.

I'm sure it was/is an imbalance of the calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. That's why I am trying to get my D levels up and then see if I tolerate calcium better. One thing I have noticed all those years was everytime my magnesium was tested, it was at or above the upper limit. I have had times that my calcium was lower than the lower limit. I'm curious to see as my D levels go up, if everything kind of equalizes. I'm hoping!

[juliegee]

Hmmm, Sue- Magnesium above or at the normal limit, but I wonder if you're absorbing it or utilizing it- with hyperpots and hypoglycemia? It also helps convert glucose to energy. I've got the same DXes...

Funny you should mention throat spasms- it is the HARDEST pill to swallow for me. I have to totally relax and focus on opening my throat to get it down. It's chalky and "catches." From what I understand, you are right- getting the magnesium in balance with the calcium is very important. I think we are supposed to take 1/2 as much magnesium as we do calcium if you are healthy. Anyone who is stressed-I assume that means orthostatic stress- drinks alcohol, or exercises has much higher requirements. I've had a very difficult time tolerating calcium too. I have resorted to Tums as any other form causes great acid reflux for me.

Issie- you are right about it lowering BP. Mine is probably naturally going a bit higher as I age, but for me, it had made it less labile. I get scary low readings 85/55, but when I am stressed, mine goes up nicely Magnesium prevents those highs and lows- keeps it more stable. And, because it relaxes vasculature overall, it has helped my tachy. It is probably best for anyone who deals with excessive vasoconstriction.

[issie]

There are allot of natural doctors who believe that magnesium should be equal or above the mg of calcium.

I think there are many of us that don't absorb calcium supplements properly. I have a hard time with calcium myself. A doc at Mayo told me to get calcium from food sources because the supplements are so hard to utilize. I have found a calcium that has a whole lot of assisters in it by Integrative Theraputics that is real good - called Osteoprime Forte. That's the only one I've been able to take. It also has magnesium and Vit D. It helps to get the calcium into the bones where it belongs and not into the blood. I think that probably magnesium and Vit D will help you to absorb and hold on to calcium better than even taking it will. That's the conclusion I've come to with my research of this subject. But, if you tend to be low in calcium the one above is a real good one. I reversed osteopenia with it. Now, I'm in the normal levels of bone density.

Issie

[toddm1960]

I've been taking 1,200mg each morning for more than two years now, it helps my slow motility. I'm not sure I'd want to be in bed an hour after I take mine

[juliegee]

LOL, Todd . I actually take mine with THREE doses of Miralax before bed. And, yes- my sleep is sometimes rudely interrupted- with a surprise dash. Wow, aren't you drowsy or loosey-goosey after such a high dose in the AM? On the positive side, I'm sure it nicely opposed any sympathetic overdrive.

[sue1234]

I agree Julie and Issie, that in my case, I am probably not utilizing it correctly. Hopefully when my D rises, things will fall into place. I have gotten through 2 doses of vitamin D in the last 8 days. YAY!

[toddm1960]

I've never felt drowsy at all, but like you said it could be taking the edge off of my sympathetic overdrive.

[anna]

I bought Magnesium oil (by Better You) for one of my boys, it is odd stuff but for folk that can not tolerate the tablets you could try this as it is transdermal.

[Chaos]

Anna you never cease to amaze me with the research you have done! : ) Thanks for the info

[anna]

Ha ha LOL Me thinks me should get out more!!

[Chaos]

I think we like you being chained to your computer and mining for info. LOL

[Dizzysillyak]

Hi, my name is dizzysillyak, and I'm a magnesium addict .. Lol ..

It's interesting how many of us really need this. I have high mercury and was told that mercury

pulls magnesium so I need more. I have no idea if anything else pulls magnesium.

I take natural calm, mag citrate at night now .. I was taking it with every meal during the day but

started experimenting

with helios dairy kefir and it's keeping my bowels lose. I am or was allergic to dairy but so far

my reaction, dark marks around my eyes, is minimal. My objective was to reset my gut bacteria.

Btw, mag citrate pulls fluids and sodium into the gut so we need to increase our sodium too.

I read that it was something about osmosis and keeping fluid I the gut .. I figured this out

after noticing my skin was looking too thin .. Esp my finger tips ..

Tc .. D

[POTSMama]

Julie,

This is interesting because I just read the below last night in the book "Food Allergies and Food Intolerances" by Jonathon Brostoff, MD, and Linda Gamlin (I bought it at our Vitamin Cottage health foods store). On page 113 in a section he calls "false food allergy", he describes cases where a food reaction is from triggering of mast cells rather than a "true" allergy to the food per se, which seems to me relevant to MACD in hyper POTS (which I am becoming more and more convinced I have, and even my doctors are coming around to considering this). They don't mention MACD/S but the book was written in 1998 when there was less known I think. They wrote:

"It may be possible that those with false food allergy have some underlying deficiency that make them more susceptible. It has been found that 50 percent of patients with false food allergy are deficient in the element magnesium. A shortage of magnesium is known to effect histamine release and increase sensitivity to histamine."

Right before I ended up in the ER 2 months ago with that terrible reaction to an antibiotic that seems to have triggered this whole cascade of illness I'm having (which has been followed with slowly increasing flushing episodies, reactions to other meds and foods, and a terrible exacerbation of my POTS so that my BP and HR are both volatile right now), I had gone to a holistic woman's clinic because I wasn't feeling well overall and my doc thought it couldn't hurt - - Among other supplements (which I have now stopped due to this illness), the practitioner there put me on a calcium/magnesiu/potassium pill and Vitamin D, because my Vit D levels were practically unmeasurable she said, and both my mother and grandmother had osteoporosis. I stopped taking this because right now I am still suffering with reactions to almost everything and was afraid to try. But I think I'll at least go back on the Vit D and 500 mg magnesium to see if that helps, if I can tolerate it. The only concern I have is that I have had epidodes lately where my BP stays low (with HR bouncing high and low), especially after I eat, so that I have to get up and move around and drink Pedialyte (I am afraid to try Gatorade yet due to the colors/additives) and guzzle water to get my BP back up (I've not had that problem before so it's a little scary when I'm stuck at 85/45, but it is not impossible for me to pop up again to 177/120 inside of 10 minutes - - it's just that lately I don't come up for awhile sometimes after eating unless I take more Benadryl). So I think I'll take it in the morning so I can see how it impacts me while I'm awake (I can always take a nap if needed after the girls are at school, because I am working only from home 1/2 time right now until I feel strong enough to go back to the office).

Carol

[POTSMama]

Oh, and one other question - - does anyone have their thigh muscles contract painfully (like a 'charley horse' you get in your calf but it is in the front thigh area on both legs) during a POTS attack? Sometimes my muscles contract so hard and fast there during an attack, that it is terribly painful. My husband tries to massage my legs but the muscles feel rock hard during this. It stops when the wild BP/HR swings stop -- this happened during my ER visit for antibiotic allergic reaction when they shot IV steroids in because I had started to swell (the effect on my thigh muscles was immediate) but when it usually happens is oddly when I'm laying down at night and just having fallen asleep - - it will wake me from a full sleep with the cramping and pounding heart and wild BP. My theory is that I am just beginning to fall into REM sleep so maybe that's when I flood epinephrine, but I'm not sure.. Since magnesium is known to help with charley horses, I wonder if this would be helped to? Anyone else with that thigh cramp experience?

Carol

[kluesyk]

I too have problems with keeping magnesium. I waste 4x the normal magnesium through my kidneys and test low on Red cell magnesium blood test.

Currently I take 750mg of magnesium orally a day, soak in a magnesium sulfate(epsom salts) bath every night and get a 1g magnesium infusion every week and my magnesium blood work is still at the bottom of normal now. The infusions do seem to be helping.

I also get what is called a myers cocktail(vitc, b vit, ect) along with the magnesium. My immune system tested really low last month (very low CD4 and CD8), so the infusions are an attempt to build up my immune system as well. I am HIV negative, so the dr does not know what is causing the immune dysfunction.

I also have severe muscle pain in thigh and upper arm muscles. They have small VERY painful knots and feel like they are too short or contracted. Hot baths and heating pads help some. My renin and aldosterone is also low which goes along with the H-pots.

[L4UR3N]

I wish my magnesium were low so that I could experience what the rest of you are, but mine has always been at the high end of normal. Of course.. I may be hypovolemic too...

[juliegee]

I've never even had mine tested so I have NO idea where I fall on the spectrum. Rissy, you are right that hypovolemia may give you a false high reading that is really more like normal. Based on the way that I have responded to the magnesium, I suspect that I was deficient.

Carol, VERY INTERESTING. I never associated my more stable MCAD with magnesium. I truly seem to have accidentally stumbled upon a regimen that works for me.

I also get the super low BP's, but I am OK with them. I had year(s) with extremely low BP and was unable to function. I couldn't read for instance and I am an avid reader. I couldn't grocery shop. I always felt like I was about to pass out. I couldn't even keep track of my grocery cart. I kept on losing it. Now, my BP is simply more stable, less labile. I run really low, but I function fine. Before the magnesium (and good MCAD regimen) I was always on the verge of passing out and my cognitive abilities (and much more!) were dramatically affected.

Try to drink as much as you can & salt liberally. Hope you are more stable soon. Prayers and good thoughts headed your way.

Julie

[L4UR3N]

Julie- I am hoping that someone at some point tested your magnesium! That is typically one of the first things they check with arrhythmias. An imbalance of any electrolyte, but especially magnesium and potassium can cause all sorts of lovely arrhythmias....that's why I'm kind of disappointed that mine was not low . lol. I do highly suspect hypovolemia though, so I may give it a go with a low dose and see what happens

[juliegee]

Oh geez, you may be right. I'm just not privy to results. My doc says EVERYTHING is normal even when things are far outside the norms. I will try to dig out what I have and see if I find anything...