Sleep DisturbancesHeadaches and the connection of Magnesium for MigrainesTemporomandibular Joint PainAnxiety ProblemsWhich are ALL signs of magnesium deficiency and likely why Magnesium for Migraines and for Fibromyalgia works.
Unfortunately, the BIGGEST problem with Fibromyalgia and Magnesium is that blood Magnesium Levels are extraordinarily inaccurate and do NOT give information about who can benefit from taking magnesium. Magnesium blood tests, except in cases where they are HIGH due to kidney function, should be entirely ignored. Instead, relying only on the Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency is a much better, more accurate and research supported way to determine the need for magnesium.
When you take a look at the Fibromyalgia Cause and Diagnosing Fibromyalgia pages, you'll see that Fibromyalgia is NOT a disease- despite your doctor giving you a 'diagnosis', it is a SYMPTOM. And the connection between Fibromyalgia and Magnesium deficiency is strong enough to make it a suspect in being- at least in part- one of the causes of Fibromyalgia.
What's Stress Got to Do With
Fibromyalgia and Magnesium
Across the board, it seems as though the ONE similarity that all Fibromyalgia patients share is the experience of having had an EXTREMELY stressful experience or series of lower level stressful experiences. Well, stress hormone production requires high levels of magnesium and stressful experiences can lead to magnesium deficiencies as well as Adrenal Gland Fatigue.
Not only can administration of magnesium help to improve adrenal gland function, but it can also lead to an improved experience of Stress and Fibromyalgia. Magnesium is well known to be a neurologic system relaxant, and has even been used intravenously in the hospital as a sedative in patients who can't be relaxed for procedures any other way. When you are under stress or you can't relax- magnesium can help.
What You Should Know About Latent Tetany Syndrome
What is Latent Tetany Syndrome and what does it have to do with Fibromyalgia and Magnesium. The SURPRISING answer is: MAYBE EVERYTHING!! Latent tetany syndrome, also just called Tetany Syndrome, LTS and TS is a condition of an overactive state of the neurons and muscles- and it's caused by low magnesium levels.
Well, the signs and symptoms of LTS are almost IDENTICAL to those of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia- including that they are both extremely difficult to diagnose and occur mostly in women. And there are researchers who believe that the two conditions ARE ACTUALLY THE SAME.
"…the parallels between these two syndromes exist because they may actually be one syndrome. Might it be that in clinics where Mg status is investigated, the diagnosis is LTS; where it is not, the diagnosis is CFS or FM?"Might Patients with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Have Latent Tetany of Magnesium Deficiency?
And this 'investigation of magnesium status' can make a HUGE difference in your life. Mainly because THE TREATMENT of LTS is taking a regular long-term Magnesium Dosage. While the treatment for Fibromyalgia is… well, to call it an 'incurable' illness that is all in your head and to give you antidepressants and mood regulators.
So, you might THINK that your doctor 'investigated your magnesium status'. You may even have a normal magnesium laboratory report sitting in front of you. But when you begin Understanding Blood Test Results, you'll see that Magnesium Levels have nothing to do with whether you need magnesium or not. Magnesium lives in your CELLS and not in your BLOOD. So checking magnesium blood levels is meaningless!!
And in the meantime, since your doctor isn't aware of the uselessness of magnesium levels and he's not even SUSPECTING LTS because it's not likely that he even knows what that is, YOU could be suffering with Fibromyalgia. So, if this is really true, then magnesium would help a lot of people with Fibromyalgia, right? So, what do the studies say about Fibromyalgia and Magnesium?
What the Studies Say About Fibromyalgia and Magnesium
While these theoretical discussions are interesting, you probably want to know if taking magnesium can help YOU. Well, there HAS been research done on this and it shows that magnesium can ABSOLUTELY make a big difference in your experience of pain, fatigue, sleep problems and other Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency.
There have been several studies done using either a combination of magnesium alone or in a combination with malic acid in a formulation called magnesium malate. Every study that has used magnesium has shown across the board improvements in the pain and fatigue associated with Fibromyalgia. Because these are studies these patients that improved had to use a 'standardized' dosage that may not have been the 'optimal' dosage for them. Most used a dosage of between 300 to 600 milligrams per day.
Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Magnesium Deficiency
Some researchers and doctors in clinical practice, however, believe that these dosages are quite low and that patients with Fibromyalgia may need
MUCH higher dosages to relieve pain and fatigue optimally. Among these doctors are:
- Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle and founder of The Future Health Now Program
- Dr. Marc Sircus, author of Magnesium Medicine
So, in order to get the most benefit from taking magnesium, you must take your magnesium in the RIGHT way at the RIGHT dosages and you can only do that by reading the Magnesium Dosage page and following the instructions carefully.
"Correction of symptomatology by an oral physiological
magnesium load is the best proof that it
was due to magnesium deficiency."
Neurotic, neuromuscular and autonomic
nervous form of magnesium imbalance
Remember, ignoring magnesium levels- UNLESS they are high- is extremely safe and is being recommended more and more by doctors who see the benefits of this amazing mineral in Fibromyalgia and Magnesium usage in everyday practice and who understand the limitations of blood testing. So, there is a VERY HIGH potential for you to benefit from magnesium, but you'll have to not trust laboratory testing in this case – and trust in how you feel when you take it because that is the ONLY way that you are going to benefit from this research.
Keep reading to see why you SHOULD, however, rely on the blood testing of Vitamin D Levels- but ironically, doctors are still NOT using this EXTREMELY useful and accurate blood test to help them find this EXTRAORDINARILY common and destructive vitamin deficiency….
Next --->
Fibromyalgia and Vitamin D
Magnesium Resources
- Multivitamin With Top Quality Magnesium- most multivitamins contain little magnesium, if any. This high quality whole food multi packs a punch. With 500 mg of top quality easily absorbable magnesium in the form of magnesium chelates, this multi will meet your daily needs like none other.
- Transdermal Magnesium Gel- Just rub this magnesium right into your skin and it gets absorbed straight into your tissues- no pills required.
- Transdermal Magnesium The Book- See how and why transdermal magnesium is really an effective replacement for magnesium pills!
- The Magnesium Medicine Book- Take a look at the AMAZING amount of research that there is on the use of magnesium for health. You will be seriously amazed at what your doctor has NOT told you!!
- Magnesium Bath Flakes- Another surprisingly effective 'Transdermal' form of magnesium. A great way to get magnesium into kids and the elderly.
Have A Question about Fibromyalgia?
Do you have a question about Fibromyalgia? Ask it here.
IMPORTANT: You MUST leave your EMAIL ADDRESS if you want a response to your question. There is NO OTHER WAY for you to KNOW that I responded!!
Already Answered Questions about Fibromyalgia
Click below to see already answered questions about Fibromyalgia.
Angstrom Magnesium and Fibromyalgia
I read that the best way to absorb Magnesium is to take it in the form of angstrom magnesium- also called Ionic Magnesium. It reaches the cells and does ...
Research for Fibromyalgia and Magnesium