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  #1   ^
Old Tue, Mar-22-11, 19:51
WeimieMom's Avatar
WeimieMom WeimieMom is offline
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 260/194/185 Female 5'8"
BF:too much :-(
Progress: 88%
Location: Ontario, Canada
Default Fatigue, slow weight loss and Magnesium?

Hi
I've been feeling really tired lately, probably for a good week or so, and thought it was simply fall out from a stressful time the previous week. But that seems to have settled now, and I am still tired and not losing weight at the rate I think I should be. After doing some research, I decided it may be a Magnesium deficiency and thought I should be give it a try....

I know this is going to sound really dumb, but is it possible that after taking one caplet of 150mg I actually feel a difference? Or is that the placebo effect?

Has anyone got experience with taking Mg and how it affects your energy levels and your weight loss and the associated timelines? ...and of course we all know how it is for regularity

Any thoughts?
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Mar-23-11, 12:21
amandawald amandawald is offline
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Back later!!! Magnesium is one of my pet subjects, so I will have to tune in!!! I'm just subscribing for the minute,

amanda
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 03:48
amandawald amandawald is offline
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Location: Brit in Europe
Default magnesium rocks!!!

Hi there,

You wrote this above:

Quote:
I've been feeling really tired lately, probably for a good week or so, and thought it was simply fall out from a stressful time the previous week.


That makes sense since stress massively depletes magnesium stores and taxes the adrenals, so if you are low in magnesium in the first place and have exhausted adrenals, then any kind of stress can really knock you sideways and make you need a day or two of rest to simply recover.

Quote:
But that seems to have settled now, and I am still tired and not losing weight at the rate I think I should be.


It could be a combination of adrenal fatigue and magnesium deficiency, which, to my mind, are more or less the same thing.

As for weight loss, I can't think off the top of my head of any studies which show that adding magnesium to your diet will assist weight loss. However, if you have any kind of glucose metabolism problems, it could very well help with that. Mg is needed for glucose metabolism. It is mentioned in connection with obesity in this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Fac.../ref=pd_sim_b_4

Quote:
After doing some research, I decided it may be a Magnesium deficiency and thought I should be give it a try....


Seems like a good plan!!! Most of us have low magnesium, for various reasons, it seems, and the best way to find out - according to Dr Carolyn Dean, author of "The Magnesium Miracle", is to start supplementing and/or adding Mg-rich foods and water to your diet. If you notice a difference in your emotional and physical well-being, then in all likelihood, it is the magnesium which has made the difference!!!

Quote:
I know this is going to sound really dumb, but is it possible that after taking one caplet of 150mg I actually feel a difference? Or is that the placebo effect?


In all honesty, I can't give an answer to this question, but I would say that it could be possible that you would feel a difference after say an hour or two, once the Mg has gone through your system. The more you need the magnesium, the more you absorb it from your food or other sources, so, if you were very low in magnesium, your body would grab the lot and you would possibly feel a difference very soon. It is needed for so many different systems in your body, that it would seem plausible to me that it really could be felt within hours. However, the placebo effect could have also played a role, of course. Why don't we just say it was a bit of both???

I have a similar story with vitamin D3, which I started taking in late November 2008. I had hummed and haa-ed about taking this, but finally took the plunge. Just in time, it seems, in retrospect, too... Just before I started taking it, I was hit with the winter blues, which I had never had before. I suddenly felt like bursting into tears for no reason (and it wasn't that time of the month, either) and felt utterly utterly depressed and down. Three days later, I went to the local shops on my bike and suddenly realized that I felt utterly euphoric. I saw a mum I know and was joking over nothing with her and laughing away: I think she thought I was a bit unhinged, actually. In fact, I felt rather odd myself, but very very happy!!! The only thing I had done which was different was the D3, so I am sure it was that which had contributed to my sudden good mood. Therefore, I can totally believe that the magnesium could have had such a sudden positive effect with you as well.

Quote:
Has anyone got experience with taking Mg and how it affects your energy levels and your weight loss and the associated timelines?


I have been a big advocate of magnesium for a good while now, but, unfortunately, it took me a good long while to work out that I wasn't absorbing the magnesium I was taking due to gluten intolerance. Therefore my experience is not going to be typical of everyone. In my case - due to the poor absorption - it took quite a while for the magnesium to take effect, probably because very little of what I was taking was being absorbed. I even got some of that magnesium oil (which I don't like) in the end because I was so frustrated at how little difference the supplements were making.

However, now that I have been gluten free since Nov 22nd 2010, I have noticed that my supplement intake does seem to be having a more obvious effect now. I haven't been waking up with the feeling that I have been clamping my jaw all night and the night-time leg cramps have been gone for months.

As for energy levels, I think it would have a positive effect - in a relatively healthy body where absorption is not impeded - in a very short time indeed. It should be noticeable in a matter of days, at the very least.

I would expect that the extra magnesium in the system could have a knock-on effect on weight loss insofar as feeling more energetic would help you to be more active and burn off more energy. However, there are so many factors involved in weight loss besides "calories in equals calories out", that I don't think anyone could say that increasing magnesium intake will always bring about weight loss. However, the overall health benefits from bringing up your magnesium levels are so enormous that weight loss pales into insignificance alongside them!!!

Quote:
...and of course we all know how it is for regularity!


Well, the good sources of magnesium for regularity are magnesium oxide (which is what is in the cheapo drugstore Mg supplements) and magnesium citrate. However, other kinds of magnesium, such as Mg taurate, Mg glycinate and Mg malate, don't usually have this effect and are therefore better absorbed.

I have been taking this one and swear by it. My Dad took it also and had no problems either (i.e. no unwanted laxative effect):

http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-...lets/16567?at=0

I tried Mg malate and Mg taurate, too. I had the feeling that the Mg glycinate absorbed better than the Mg malate. The trouble with the Mg taurate I got (apart from the expense!!!) was that the tabs were so huge I could barely swallow them, although I always take tablets with water. These Mg glycinate tablets have a very smooth surface, which I find helps them go down better.

I take four a day (they contain 100mg each), two during the day between meals and two at night. That seems to be a good dose for me right now. I drink Mg-rich water and also get quite a bit via food, so I think that is enough for me. If you take more than your body can absorb, it will only get excreted, so there's no point in overdoing it.

I have some of these on the way:

http://www.iherb.com/Alta-Health-Ma...lets/10682?at=0

I have taken Mg chloride before and felt I had good results with that, too. The good thing about Mg chloride is that you can actually take this before meals.( I also find it easier to remember to take supplements which you take with meals than the ones you're supposed to take on an empty stomach).

Unlike all the other forms of Mg supplements which will alkanize your stomach acid and impede digestion, Mg chloride, apparently, will break down and help form hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which, amongst other things, is needed for the absorption of - you guessed it! - magnesium!!!

If you are ordering from iherb.com for the first time, make sure to use this referral code ~~~~~~ to get a $5 discount off your first order.

All in all, though, the best effect on me which magnesium had was that I felt calmer, more balanced, less frenzied and frazzled and less inclined to rush around like a headless chicken, starting a hundred projects and finishing none!!!

I think the positive effect that magnesium has on your adrenal glands, and thus on your ability to deal with stress, is one of the most important benefits you will get from upping your magnesium levels. It is argued by some experts that stress is the biggest factor in heart disease and heart attacks, so, for me, it is really a number one supplement.

Quote:
Any thoughts?


See above!!!

Keep us posted about your experiences with magnesium, OK? I'd be really curious to hear what else you notice and any other benefits you feel it brings you!!!

Take care,

amanda
Self-appointed magnesium advocate
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  #4   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 06:15
WeimieMom's Avatar
WeimieMom WeimieMom is offline
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Posts: 161
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 260/194/185 Female 5'8"
BF:too much :-(
Progress: 88%
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amandawald
Hi there,

See above!!!

Keep us posted about your experiences with magnesium, OK? I'd be really curious to hear what else you notice and any other benefits you feel it brings you!!!

Take care,

amanda
Self-appointed magnesium advocate


Hi Amanda, the self apppinted Mg advocate...

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into replying to this thread! I read it with great interest and viewed the links as well. I don't know what more I can say except everything you say is "spot on".

I started taking Mg two days ago. I am taking Magnesium Citrate, Krebs Cycle, Easy Absorption, 500 mg in the evenings and Magnesium Citrate 150mg twice during the day. I am also feeding my husband the evening dose, and the one morning dose (he is so trusting isn't he? )

Here's what I have noticed - and that's just in two days!
1. Substantially reduced, if not gone, fatigue in the afternoons
2. More "get up and go"
3. Feeling less overwhelmed with all the things on my to do list
4. Two nights running I haven't woken up with a desperate need to turn on my personal fan on my night stand
5. Sounder and more restful sleep (although I also started taking Melatonin in the evening as well)
6. Reduced stiffness which I attributed to being "old" and overweight
7. The scales are showing a loss again. YEAH!

What's even more interesting, is my husband, who is also low-carbing with me, but without the same amount of weight to lose, has been complaining about irregularity. He sometimes didn't go for days, and I'd have to listen to him whine about it. That's gone, but moreover, last night when he came home after a couple of evening appointments, he seemed like his appointments were in a bar, but I know without a doubt they weren't. He said he felt euphoric, happy and content. I'm not sure he's made the connection to Mg yet, but I am sure that's what it is. Being self employed means no work no pay, so he is under constant pressure to bring in the dollars.

I have been taking anti-depressants for a bazillion years, and the last time I was at the doctor she suggested we may reduce the dose now that I am feeling better about myself and taking the weight off. Since I felt that dose may be too high already, I am only taking it every second day, since the half life on it is several days. I am also going to start taking my anti-inflammatory every other day and see how that goes. With any luck, I'll be off both of them in no time flat.

Dr. M. Eades sums it up very well in the following:

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/...d-inflammation/

The most profound statement in this article which I support 100% based on my experiences over the past couple of days is :
"Magnesium is just about our favorite supplement. In fact, if we just had one supplement to recommend, and no other, it would be magnesium"


I will keep posting on this thread with any updates or other moments. This has been truly an eye opener for me. WOW.

And on that note, I'll go for another coffee with my coconut oil and keep paying attention to what else is better.....

Thanks Amanda...

Betty
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  #5   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 07:06
PaleoCH PaleoCH is offline
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Posts: 127
 
Plan: Paleo Diet
Stats: 160/149/130 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 37%
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Default

Amanda thanks for all this info on magnesium! I jumped on the forum this a.m. specifically to look for a post I saw a week ago or so, the poster said she was feeliing muscle fatigue just walking upstairs and I thought she was taking about me. I went LC a few years ago and had the same issue but it was gone in about a week; this time it's been lingering for several weeks and it's getting worse. Instead of that thread I found this one.

Quote:
Well, the good sources of magnesium for regularity are magnesium oxide (which is what is in the cheapo drugstore Mg supplements) and magnesium citrate. However, other kinds of magnesium, such as Mg taurate, Mg glycinate and Mg malate, don't usually have this effect and are therefore better absorbed.


This is exactly what I needed to know. I started taking magnesium a few years ago, based on Eades' recommendation, but it eventually was causing long-term diarrhea or near-diarrhea almost daily. I didn't attribute it to the mg because I kept stopping and restarting w/no effect; I think other supplements/prescriptions were contributing to the problem, and last year a nutritional consultant suggested I stop the mg again and this time the results were amazing. I'm nervous about going back on, but I still have the bottle and I was taking mg oxide so this time I'll try a different one. (Apparently the consultant wasn't knowledgeable enough to consider this aspect.)

Going out to buy some this morning. Thanks so much!

Christy
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  #6   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 12:05
picton picton is offline
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Posts: 34
 
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Stats: 344/318/200 Male 71.5
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Try getting it in Transdermally! I found oral methods not very good at all.

I have used Epsom salts in very strong concentration in a hot bath, but it uses a lot, so now I dry off straight after a shower, and spray myself with a warm, very strong solution of Epsom Salts, and rub it in thoroughly and consistently for ten or fifteen minutes until it is dry.

Gets a bit dusty, but stops my cramping!

First got the idea from Dr Myhill, and adapted to suit, I drew the line at Magnesium enemas!!...
http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Mine...amins_in_creams
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 14:16
amandawald amandawald is offline
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Posts: 4,737
 
Plan: Ray Peat (not low-carb)
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 164cm
BF:
Progress: 51%
Location: Brit in Europe
Default I am so glad to hear that magnesium is doing you both so much good!!!

Hi Betty!

You posted this above:

Quote:
Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into replying to this thread! I read it with great interest and viewed the links as well. I don't know what more I can say except everything you say is "spot on".


Glad you liked my post! Magnesium is so under-rated in general, yet so important, that I feel it is almost my duty to share the knowledge I have picked up about this stuff. I think it can literally be a life-saver!!!

Quote:
I started taking Mg two days ago. I am taking Magnesium Citrate, Krebs Cycle, Easy Absorption, 500 mg in the evenings and Magnesium Citrate 150mg twice during the day. I am also feeding my husband the evening dose, and the one morning dose (he is so trusting isn't he?)


I give my DH stuff from time to time as well and he swallows it down, saying, "What is this anyway?" glug glug glug...

Quote:
Here's what I have noticed - and that's just in two days!
1. Substantially reduced, if not gone, fatigue in the afternoons
2. More "get up and go"
3. Feeling less overwhelmed with all the things on my to do list
4. Two nights running I haven't woken up with a desperate need to turn on my personal fan on my night stand
5. Sounder and more restful sleep (although I also started taking Melatonin in the evening as well)
6. Reduced stiffness which I attributed to being "old" and overweight
7. The scales are showing a loss again. YEAH!


That is totally fabbo news!!! What I found best about magnesium wasn't so much the energy side of things but what you mention in point 3: this feeling of not being so overwhelmed, of being able to take life in your stride again.

Quote:
What's even more interesting, is my husband, who is also low-carbing with me, but without the same amount of weight to lose, has been complaining about irregularity. He sometimes didn't go for days, and I'd have to listen to him whine about it. That's gone, but moreover, last night when he came home after a couple of evening appointments, he seemed like his appointments were in a bar, but I know without a doubt they weren't. He said he felt euphoric, happy and content. I'm not sure he's made the connection to Mg yet, but I am sure that's what it is. Being self employed means no work no pay, so he is under constant pressure to bring in the dollars.


This is also great!!! Whether the euphoria will last is another thing, but if it translates into calmness and being less overwhelmed for him, too, or just a sense of contentedness with one's lot, then that is also great!!!

Quote:
I have been taking anti-depressants for a bazillion years, and the last time I was at the doctor she suggested we may reduce the dose now that I am feeling better about myself and taking the weight off. Since I felt that dose may be too high already, I am only taking it every second day, since the half life on it is several days. I am also going to start taking my anti-inflammatory every other day and see how that goes. With any luck, I'll be off both of them in no time flat.


Magnesium is said to be an excellent anti-depressant: we need it to make serotonin, so if we're low, then we're sad, simple as that. It also explains why people tend to feel depressed when they're hungover: the alcohol causes a massive magnesium depletion, which leaves us feeling tired, achey in our muscles and depressed.

By the way, do you also take vitamin D3? This can also have an amazing effect on your mood, as I wrote in my earlier post. A lot of people who have SAD find that taking D3 through the winter banishes the winter blues. I certainly haven't had them since that one episode just before I started taking the D3. This is the one I have been taking (and giving it to my DH from time to time, too, since he smashed his kneecap a few years ago, to keep his bones and cartilage healthy):

http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origin...gels/18335?at=0

These are amazingly good value: more than a year's supply for $15. I used to take one a day, but decided to go down to one every other day, in winter. In summer, or rather from about April to October, I try to get some real sun as often as possible, without sunscreen, (I use coconut oil as a sunscreen, unless the sun is very strong and I'm, by the sea, or something), and only take the D3 when I don't get out much or when it's overcast for a few days running.

And, if you get these from iherb.com, use this code ~~~~~~ to get your five-dollar discount on your first order.

Quote:
I will keep posting on this thread with any updates or other moments. This has been truly an eye opener for me. WOW.


This is why I spend the time on these posts: in the hope that a few people will make this discovery like I did, too, and realize that a simple nutrient can make our lives so much more pleasant in so many ways.

Quote:
And on that note, I'll go for another coffee with my coconut oil and keep paying attention to what else is better.....


Hope you enjoyed your coffee!!!
Quote:
Thanks Amanda...


You're very very welcome, Betty! Any time!

amanda
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 14:33
amandawald amandawald is offline
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Plan: Ray Peat (not low-carb)
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 164cm
BF:
Progress: 51%
Location: Brit in Europe
Default maybe there are food intolerances playing a role, too???

Quote:
Originally Posted by PaleoCH
Amanda thanks for all this info on magnesium! I jumped on the forum this a.m. specifically to look for a post I saw a week ago or so, the poster said she was feeliing muscle fatigue just walking upstairs and I thought she was taking about me. I went LC a few years ago and had the same issue but it was gone in about a week; this time it's been lingering for several weeks and it's getting worse. Instead of that thread I found this one.

This is exactly what I needed to know. I started taking magnesium a few years ago, based on Eades' recommendation, but it eventually was causing long-term diarrhea or near-diarrhea almost daily. I didn't attribute it to the mg because I kept stopping and restarting w/no effect; I think other supplements/prescriptions were contributing to the problem, and last year a nutritional consultant suggested I stop the mg again and this time the results were amazing. I'm nervous about going back on, but I still have the bottle and I was taking mg oxide so this time I'll try a different one. (Apparently the consultant wasn't knowledgeable enough to consider this aspect.)

Going out to buy some this morning. Thanks so much!

Christy


Hi Christy,

Glad you enjoyed my post, too!

Funnily enough, I bumped into a friend of mine in the village where I live who I give magnesium to as a present - she lost her husband when he was only 39 just over a year ago and this is what I do for her as a way of helping her now that she is on her own with three kids aged 11, 9 and 7. After he suddenly died, I suspected that she could be low on magnesium through the stress of things and finally picked up the courage to ask her and, sure enough, she said, yes, she was and got terrible cramps in her legs at night, but the magnesium she was taking didn't agree with her. So now I am her "vitamin dealer"!!!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I gave her some of the Mg glycinate I use (the one mentioned in the long post above, that I get from iherb.com, don't forget code ~~~~~~ blah blah blah ) and told her to take 4 tabs a day. This was about a week ago. I saw her today and she said 4 tabs was too much for her and was giving her loose stools. I only saw her briefly so I can't give you more details, but I thought I would pass it on.

In your shoes, I would start with say 200mg per day, spread out, and then work up to your bowel tolerance level, whatever that is.

Alternatively, you can make more of an effort to get Mg-rich water and foods in your diet. I told my friend to try more nuts and seeds, which are very rich in magnesium, too. There are problems with this "delivery form", too, though, but I didn't have time to tell her about soaking nuts and enzyme inhibitors and the like!!!

If you still have trouble, then you might need to start looking at food intolerances. I thought my diarrhoea problem was related to my supplements and tried all sorts of things to try and get my body to absorb the stuff better but nothing seemed to help, I still had the mild diarrhoea problem...

It turned out in the end that I was gluten-intolerant!!! Now that I'm off the gluten, I can take 400mg per day no problem, no problems with the BMs at all!!! So before you blame the Mg supplements, see if ditching gluten helps, or try to locate any other food intolerances - dairy is another one that often causes problems, either casein or lactose. Of course, that might be the case with my friend, too, that she has a food intolerance that she doesn't know about, but I felt I should pass it on.

It seems that it is a case of "your mileage may vary" with these things.

However, in the hundreds of reviews of this particular product on the iherb.com pages, there seems to be general agreement amongst purchasers that this particular kind of magnesium is well tolerated. If not, there is always Mg malate and Mg taurate left to try. Mg citrate and Mg oxide are more suited as laxatives, it seems.

Anyway, good luck and I hope you have the same positive experiences as "WeimieMom"/Betty - or at least something in that direction!

amanda

Last edited by amandawald : Thu, Mar-24-11 at 14:40.
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  #9   ^
Old Thu, Mar-24-11, 14:38
amandawald amandawald is offline
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Posts: 4,737
 
Plan: Ray Peat (not low-carb)
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 164cm
BF:
Progress: 51%
Location: Brit in Europe
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by picton
Try getting it in Transdermally! I found oral methods not very good at all.

I have used Epsom salts in very strong concentration in a hot bath, but it uses a lot, so now I dry off straight after a shower, and spray myself with a warm, very strong solution of Epsom Salts, and rub it in thoroughly and consistently for ten or fifteen minutes until it is dry.

Gets a bit dusty, but stops my cramping!

First got the idea from Dr Myhill, and adapted to suit, I drew the line at Magnesium enemas!!...
http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Mine...amins_in_creams


Hi picton,

I have tried the magnesium oil but I didn't like the feel of it on my skin one bit. Messy and made me feel itchy.

I wonder if the magnesium didn't work for you as a supplement for the same reasons as it didn't work for me - an undiscovered food intolerance?

Just an idea for you to maybe think about...

It took me about two years to work out that this is what was going on with me, (and I probably wouldn't have worked it out that quickly if it hadn't been for this forum and my various cyber pals here popping into my journal) and I really resisted the idea of going the whole gluten-free hog for a long time, because I couldn't bear the idea of being one of those complicated people with allergies and so on, but, now that I feel so much better, I have come to terms with it.

I was convinced that the Mg was the problem with the excessive BMs, but it wasn't at all!!! I take 400mg at the moment and it causes no problems in that department at all.

amanda
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  #10   ^
Old Sat, Mar-26-11, 10:30
picton picton is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 34
 
Plan: Thompson Low Gly. Load
Stats: 344/318/200 Male 71.5
BF:
Progress: 18%
Location: West Midlands/England/UK
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by amandawald
Hi picton,

I have tried the magnesium oil but I didn't like the feel of it on my skin one bit. Messy and made me feel itchy.

I wonder if the magnesium didn't work for you as a supplement for the same reasons as it didn't work for me - an undiscovered food intolerance?

Just an idea for you to maybe think about...

It took me about two years to work out that this is what was going on with me, (and I probably wouldn't have worked it out that quickly if it hadn't been for this forum and my various cyber pals here popping into my journal) and I really resisted the idea of going the whole gluten-free hog for a long time, because I couldn't bear the idea of being one of those complicated people with allergies and so on, but, now that I feel so much better, I have come to terms with it.

I was convinced that the Mg was the problem with the excessive BMs, but it wasn't at all!!! I take 400mg at the moment and it causes no problems in that department at all.

amanda


As Dr Myhill says, the effect on skin is very good... I must admit to being very happy at the feel, the only drawbacks are the dust as the excess comes off, the time it takes to do, and in the winter it seems less practical!
I had considered using a PROPER medical Transdermal medium such as Phlo-jel Ultra, but it's an expensive item!
Being on opiate painkillers, the potential for (how do I put it!) "reducing constipation" isn't likely to be a problem to me, I suspect the fact I already need to use laxatives is one reason I need more Mg in the first place!

On another forum I frequent, one user swears by rectal enemas, but it's not something many people find convenient!

I have got hold of some Mg Chloride at the moment, and intend to try using that instead of the simple Epsom salts.

The one thing I have never so much as pondered, is food intolerances..... the only thing food does to me is absorbs itself into my body - every tiny miniscule particle of it, to add on more weight! I am sure I could gain weight merely standing next to a pile of it! I could eat a small sheep between two bread mattresses and not so much as get slight indigestion, I would just end up passing out from the insulin the bread would release! ;-)
(I don't eat gluten at all now, as I have as near no carb as I can manage!)

Orally, Mg products simply make me feel sick (size of capsules, texture of liquid supplements, and the sheer AMOUNT needed to have any effect at all.
Mg infusions are the only medical method used practically, as the oral route is well known to be difficult, but it means PAIN, it's one of those jabs that are notorious for HURTING, or I would do it that way, I already inject 3x a week in my hormone replacement strategy!
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Mar-27-11, 08:52
PaleoCH PaleoCH is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 127
 
Plan: Paleo Diet
Stats: 160/149/130 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 37%
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Default

Quote:
In your shoes, I would start with say 200mg per day, spread out, and then work up to your bowel tolerance level, whatever that is.

Alternatively, you can make more of an effort to get Mg-rich water and foods in your diet. I told my friend to try more nuts and seeds, which are very rich in magnesium, too. There are problems with this "delivery form", too, though, but I didn't have time to tell her about soaking nuts and enzyme inhibitors and the like!!!

If you still have trouble, then you might need to start looking at food intolerances. I thought my diarrhoea problem was related to my supplements and tried all sorts of things to try and get my body to absorb the stuff better but nothing seemed to help, I still had the mild diarrhoea problem...

It turned out in the end that I was gluten-intolerant!!! Now that I'm off the gluten, I can take 400mg per day no problem, no problems with the BMs at all!!! So before you blame the Mg supplements, see if ditching gluten helps, or try to locate any other food intolerances - dairy is another one that often causes problems, either casein or lactose. Of course, that might be the case with my friend, too, that she has a food intolerance that she doesn't know about, but I felt I should pass it on.


Thanks again Amanda for taking the time to provide such detailed information! I have been gluten free since May 2006. I went dairy free in Dec. 2006 but still consume dairy occasionally, more lately since I seem to have a little more tolerance. The bowel problems started, as a guess, around spring 2007 and continued until I stopped taking magnesium in April 2010. I think a probiotic was contributing to the issue as well but it wasn't until I discontinued the mg that things reverted to normal. After 3 years of nearly constant problems you can see why I'm hesitant to go back on magnesium, but I have. So far so good!

I went to a nearby health food store a few days ago to look for magnesium citrate, taurate, glycinate, or malate. They had only one variety in stock at a too-high dose and the salesperson suggested I look elsewhere for a 100mg tablet and gradually increase. He also said some people are very, very sensitive to the laxative effect in mg--guess I'm one of those lucky ones!

I'm looking back through Protein Power Lifeplan and the Eades recommend mg citrate, malate, or aspartate. These are all chelated magnesium products and it's been helpful to me to reread the description of chelation: chelating agents make the mineral more absorbable and less likely to stimulate diarrhea. "In the process of chelation, amino acids, the subunits of protein, grab--in clawlike fashion--onto mineral ions, joining their structures together to form a cage around the mineral. Wrapped in this protein cage, the mineral ion can bypass the ion channel by masquerading as protein and be absorbed by the intestine as such. Once inside, the body disassembles the cage of amino acids, liberating the mineral. The danger of using a chelate, however, lies in the fact that all chelating agents don't work equally well with every mineral. Wihle some of them work like a charm, others can fall apart too soon or resist disassembly at the appropriate time to ensure adequate absorption. When you purchase a magnesium chelate, look for the words citrate, malate, or aspartate, all of which we've found work well with magnesium." They go on to explain that in listing the miligrams labels often list the total weight of the mineral plus the chelating agent so you need to look at the percentage of RDI. The RDI for magnesium (at least when the book was published) is 360mg. They recommend patients take 300-400mg of actual magnesium; those w/problems associated w/insulin resistance bump up the dose to 400-600mg if they can tolerate w/o diarrhea and have no other medical reasons for not doing so.

I started out taking mg citrate after I read PPLP but the bottle I have in my medicine cabinet is chelated magnesium oxide. I buy most of my supplements online at one particular store so my guess is at some point during a reorder someone at the warehouse pulled the wrong type of magnesium off the shelf and I never caught it. Since I haven't had time to go anywhere to seek out mg citrate etc. I'm cutting these 250mg pills in half and taking one daily. I've been fine so far. And, to follow the Eades' calculation instructions, my bottle says 1 tablet contains 250mg which is 63% of the recommended dose. That means each pill contains 158mg of actual magnesium and I'm cutting it in half so I'm getting 79mg. I'll continue on w/this until I get a chance to find one of the other varieties. I haven't had any improvement of leg weakness but I'm hopeful that will come eventually.

I also recall taking a list of all my supplements and meds to my pharmacist a couple years ago and asking her to tell me if I was spacing them out correctly throughout the day. I believe she told me minerals should not be taken with some prescriptions (for me that was thyroid medication and prednisone).

Christy
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Old Thu, Apr-07-11, 07:13
kaylakala kaylakala is offline
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Plan: Paleo/atkins
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I got some cheap mg from wal-mart. I think I'm gonna have to get some citrate myself. I have to take laxatives at least once a week maybe this will help.
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