Tex,tex wrote:Blueberry,
Speaking of infections, yeast, etc., another often-overlooked symptom of magnesium deficiency is a tendency to develop frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder or vaginal yeast infections. I've had unexplained skin infections for several years. My doctor couldn't explain why. In fact, that's the reason why I took the Bactrim DS in the first place, because I had a cyst on my back that continued to repeatedly become inflamed. The second and third times I took the antibiotic was to treat a tooth infection.
Interestingly, I'm sure that the 1 day of treatment (the last time — I stopped after taking it only 1 day) was not enough to totally eliminate the tooth infection, and it seemed to be coming back on Friday. But after I upped my magnesium dosage, the tooth problem simply faded away, and I haven't taken another antibiotic, even though the ER docs gave me a script for Cipro. Obviously my immune system simply needed more magnesium to do it's job.
To show you how bad my breathing problem had become, I had intended to begin taking the Cipro when I got back from the ER, but when I read the patient advisory sheet, the second item (the first warning was about the risk of tendon rupture) warned myasthenia gravis patients not to take Cipro, because it can make the symptoms worse. Since I had been wondering for over a year whether my breathing problems might possibly be due to the slow development of MG, I emailed my doctor and asked him to include an antibody test used in the diagnosis of MG in the blood draw scheduled for Friday. He didn't see it in time for the draw, but he had his nurse call me and advise me that he would add the test, so I went back and did another blood draw. I wasn't about to take the Cipro unless that test result ruled out MG.
Thankfully, the acetylcholine receptor binding antibody test results (to rule out MG) were all negative, so I can use Cipro if I need to use an antibiotic. Of course that doesn't completely rule it out, since only 85–90 % of patients with MG produce those antibodies, but I figure that's close enough to put the odds in my favor. In the meantime though, as I mentioned, the extra magnesium seems to have preempted the need for an antibiotic, so I'm an happy camper.
And to put the icing on the cake, my Ancient Minerals magnesium spray arrived today, so I'll try that tonight, before taking a shower. Suddenly, everything seems to be going my way.
Tex
Wonderful, agree magnesium is good stuff, for a surprising range of health problem. I'm really glad to hear it's helping out so well. Wow, you've hit a rough patch is sounds like! That's awful. I'm happy to read the extra magnesium is providing relief. Take care of your self. I hope the kidney stones are behind you too. I remember you writing about that issue in the past also, and letting out a little shriek.
Along somewhat similar lines this evening I'm reading largely a testimonial book about a product called Willard's water. Hard to describe the water, other than it's structured differently, H3O2 I believe, and high in minerals. All kinds of claims are made by users of it, from helping cure skin problems, eliminate burn pain and speed healing, cure diabetes, cataracts, fights infections, yeast, fungus, bacteria, improve stomach issues etc. (I've found the water helpful, but hasn't been a cure all for me!) Reading the book, and your mention about how helpful magnesium has been had me thinking about the importance of absorbable minerals in our diet.
I guess to mention, I've discovered something exciting for me. As long as I can remember I've experienced painful gum inflammation off and on. I had the problem since childhood. Never could figure out what was behind it. As can be imagined, when it happened, and my dentist saw bleeding swollen gums, he would become overly concerned, wanting me to take this and that, with warnings of gum operations if I didn't brush more. I didn't know what to do! Brushing and flossing didn't help prevent this!
I think I once and for all figured out what was causing the severe gum inflammation. It's pork that causes it. The confusion for me comes in in that it takes a week or two of pork eating for the painful inflammation to take hold. That and the allergy didn't show up in testing. So the likely pork allergy find has me in a good mood. Time will tell, but after close to 3 weeks, the gums are great and gut is well. Energy levels could be better though!
Fingers crossed our improved health continues.