Magnesium Waster

by Michelle
(California)

I have been taking high doses of Magnesium Glycinate for a couple of years now-between 800-1200mg per day for various things like headaches, PVCs, and sleep issues. I also take Vitamin D and have optimal levels of that.

I do not take any calcium but seem to get plenty in my diet. I recently had my intracellular electrolytes checked and it showed that my calcium levels were normal but my magnesium levels were low. This seems odd considering how much I take. Any ideas about why I am still deficient and would it be safe to increase my dosage by another 100-200mg?

Or should I try another form, like Magnesium Oil?
Thanks.

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Magnesium Wasting...
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Michelle,

Interesting. I'm happy for you, too, that you have such a seemingly progressive doctor that is concerned about your Vitamin D Levels and Intracellular Magnesium Levels. Most doctors are completely unaware of these amazingly important nutrients.

But about your levels. While you COULD be have a condition of Magnesium Depletion, it's also a possibility that you are under a lot of stress and are simply USING a lot of magnesium too.

So, about taking more, as long as your levels are low and you are not experiencing symptoms of Magnesium Overdose, then it should be very safe.

Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle explains that she uses a formulation called Mother Earth Minerals High Absorption Angstrom Magnesium, which she states that 75 mg is about equivalent to 750 mg of glycinate. She states that she takes 4 doses of 75 mg per day. So, if her equivalent dosage is correct, then she takes about 3000 Mg of magnesium per day!! Angstrom magnesium also leads to fewer digestive problems since the molecules are so small, they get absorbed easily through the digestive tract.

She states that that is just 'her' and she happens to need more magnesium than most people. Maybe you do too! So, just be aware of the EXTREMELY rare possibility of overdose and what symptoms to look out for, and take as much as you need to relieve your symptoms.

And if you reach bowel tolerance before you can relieve your symptoms, then go ahead and use Transdermal Magnesium Gel to meet your needs. If you ever think that you might be 'overdoing it', it sounds like you have a doctor that you can just ask to get another magnesium level. And in that case, you could just do a regular blood level.

A serum magnesium level is not a good indication of whether you are therapeutic or not in the intracellular level- as it sounds like you know already- but it IS a good indication of too MUCH magnesium- as the levels will be high.

Hope that this helps.

Big thanks!
by: Michelle

Kerri,

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me such a thoughtful, comprehensive answer. Great advice+web site!

Michele

CALCIUM DEFICIENT?
by: TAM

Hello~
I have commented in here before, but I cannot find where I posted it. Anyway, in my journey to get my D level up(currently at 23) I began to get extreme heart palpitations... (taking Vitamin D & Sunshine no sunscreen)I read about being Magnesium deficient here so I began Magnesium therapy. It helped, but not as much as I would like. So, over the months of playing with the dosages, I thought maybe I wasn't getting enough Calcium. I very RARELY eat anything that contains dairy (lactose intolerant)so about 2 weeks ago I began taking a Calcium Citrate supplement. It helps...but the heart palpitations are STILL here. And they come in waves and spikes now with more time of them not being present.I just can't see why I can not get this balanced. I am going crazy trying to find the right dosages here.

I am light to medium skinned getting about 30 minutes every 2 days or so of sun (I live in southern California)
I am taking 1500mg of Calcium Citrate (750 MG TWICE A DAY)- (doctor said to get 600mg twice a day but I could not find 600mg Citrate WITHOUT D)

On days that I eat extra veggies or any dairy, I just take one of the Calcium.

Also, I take the Natural Calm Magnesium as needed. When my palps are REALLY bad or I am feeling nervousness or restlessness. When I took it all of the time, it did not help the palps like I thought it should.I am still however getting the muscle twitches as well
(although the Calcium seems to help this). So, I know I need the magnesium.....and I DID read your dosage section on Mag....but the Natural Calm amount to take on the label is up to 2 tsp where advanced usage is 3tsp.MAX which equals 530 mg.TOTAL throughout the day. So, not sure if I should switch Mag supplements or take more..???

What else can I do to help balance these all?? Is it possible the fact that I don't get much Calcium could have been the cause for the Vitamin D deficiency from the beginning?? I know that Vitamin D cannot be properly absorbed without Calcium..... however my Calcium levels are always "normal" in blood work.....still frustrated with these palps!!

Thank you!!

Please read my dosage page AGAIN
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Please read my dosage page AGAIN. If you are only taking 530 mg of magnesium per day, then you aren't even coming CLOSE to the dosages that I recommend. You might need double that- maybe even more for a while!!! You are closer to the RDA than you are to getting therapeutic dosages for those with magnesium deficiency.

NO NO NO, you are NOT Vitamin D deficient because of a lack of calcium. Calcium does NOT help to absorb vitamin d, it's the other way around. Vitamin D helps to absorb CALCIUM....

Besides, it's EXTREMELY unlikely that you are calcium deficient. Just because you don't eat dairy doesn't make you 'not get any calcium'. Please read up on sources of calcium, if you are eating vegetables then you are probably getting plenty of calcium. Extra calcium is SELDOM needed and extra calcium is MORE likely to lead to harm over the long run as long term studies are beginning to show that women who take supplemental calcium for long periods have higher levels of heart disease than women who DON'T take calcium.

Lack of calcium is almost never the problem and I personally don't recommend taking extra supplemental calcium...

Kerri Knox, RN

CALCIUM
by: TAM

Thank you, Kerri. I know you get frustrated with us...hahaha

So, should I switch Magnesium supplements? The label clearly states not taking anymore than the 3 teaspoons a day.

And the Calcium helps my heart palps better than the Magnesium did. But, you still feel the Mag is the culprit??

I don't always have an "ideal" diet and I do always try to consume foods that contain both Calcium and Mag.

I appreciate your time, Kerri. I hope we don't drive you too crazy!! :oP

I can't tell you what you should do
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Tam,

Far be it for me to say that the calcium didn't help you more than the magnesium. If it works, it works. All that I can say is that magnesium helps to uptake calcium and that magnesium (and other electrolytes) are more often the culprit than calcium. But 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' as they say.

As far as the natural calm, I'm not going to tell you to take more than it says on the label. You've read my page on Magnesium Dosage and Magnesium Overdose and the question for you should be whether there is any difference between taking a higher dose of a magnesium supplement OTHER than natural calm?? In other words, if natural calm says not to take more of THEIR supplement than X amount, is it going to be any safer or more dangerous to take a DIFFERENT supplement in an amount higher than natural calm tells you not to take?

You'll have to decide for yourself...

Kerri Knox, RN

ME AGAIN!
by: TAM

Thank you for responding...AGAIN. You are wonderful.

Just for your information and others out there reading this. I have switched to 'Solaray' Cal-Mag Citrate 1:1. This has been awesome. I am still getting it balanced (currently taking 664mg of each), but man, what a difference. This is much more steady within my system. And when I feel a little bit "off" I just use some Magnesium Oil (topically)....I think I may have found my balance. :O)

I cannot thank you enough for this site, Kerri and your knowledge...I mean it!!!

Blessings & Peace

health issues resolved by high does of magnesium
by: Anonymous

Without going into too much detail, let me just state that I appear to be what would be termed a 'magnesium waster' as my naturopath told me my body doesn't hold on to magnesium after giving be IV injections [Myers Cocktails] of magnesium for 8 months to no avail.

It helped my symptoms, but didn't seem to solve the problems the way he expected. Since then I've taken it upon myself to take as much magnesium as I need to keep my various symptoms under control. My main issues were having my colon shut down and become impacted, not being able to sleep to save myself and a form of myoclonus known as sleep starts where I flop and twitch as I start to sleep preventing me from sleeping. I also had a very rare form of chronic migraines for years that are no longer a problem other than in spring when we have a lot of wind. So long as I take my magnesium, I do okay.

I was diagnosed years ago with fibromyalgia, and I believe that one of core issues is magnesium deficiency as the symptoms are almost 100% linked to magnesium. Psychology Today even had an article asking if fibro was a mineral deficiency. I don't have fibro thankfully. If you have fibro, please consider that magnesium deficiency could be making your situation worse.

I use liquid magnesium chloride for my main magnesium along with magnesium citrate that I mix OJ several days a week. I suspect I take close to 1,000 mg of magnesium a day with on ill effects other than some loose stools from time to time.

I also use magnesium oil that I apply before bed that really helps me sleep. I make my own out of Ancient Minerals soaking salts. The magnesium chloride I use is therapeutic grade I buy in bulk that saves me a lot of money.

I believe my condition is genetic as other family members have similar issues but refuse to consider that magnesium deficiency is an issue. My grandmother had a lot of health issues, and I suspect she had this and passed it on to me and my sibling.

It's a shame doctors are so ignorant of the role nutrients play in our health. I've read Dr. Dean's book numerous times as well as the work of Dr. Sircus both that should be required reading for those with strange health issues the medical profession can't help them with.

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