Avoiding A Magnesium Deficiency Is Easier Said Than Done

[Erica P-G]

Erica,

I'm afraid it's even more complicated. Hormones affect magnesium levels, according to Dr. Carolyn Dean.

Quote:
Magnesium levels fluctuate during a woman’s cycle. The higher the estrogen or progesterone, the lower the magnesium. During the second half of the menstrual cycle, when both estrogen and progesterone are elevated, magnesium plummets. This can result in spasms in the brain arteries — a prelude to PMS and migraines. Increasing dietary and supplemental magnesium can help relieve PMS-related symptoms, such as headaches, bloating, low blood sugar, dizziness, fluid retention and sugar cravings.


How low magnesium is affecting your hormonal balance

Tex
This was so on target....I have been writing in a moon calendar gauging my hormones and this is exactly how it is happening right now too! I suppose I really need to ramp up that external magnesium during my Low E weeks. Gosh I'm getting around 700mg as it is...guess I'll apply topical morning and evening during those low E weeks and see how that goes. My body has been kinda achy and I do believe I am in the second half of those 2 weeks. Didn't get a bad migraine this month, but did have to thwart it off as soon as I started to feel it by using one Triptan pill. Onto the next month....trial and error.

[jlbattin]

Question.......after rereading Tex's original message, I am somewhat befuzzled now.................

I have increased my magnesium intake over the last week and a half, but over the last few days have also increased my urgency to empty my bladder (and I am going a lot more than normal).....now, granted, I have this stupid sinus stuff or a virus or a cold.....not sure what, and have increased my water intake some, but not enough to account for the millions of times I seem to need to go pee............so, now, I'm thinking that I'm getting too much magnesium maybe and my kidneys are getting rid of the excess...............

I've upped it to between 400 - 600 mg...........probably closer to 500 and maybe a little more than that because I use the spray also....................

Could there be something else going on or should I cut it back to see if it makes a difference? Wow......this disease is a never ending cycle of learning; isn't it?

Thanks.

[tex]

Jari,

Yes, it's possible that you may be taking too much magnesium. You are quite correct that any excess magnesium does indeed have to be removed by the kidneys. So it's possible for too much magnesium to cause the same symptoms that it resolves, especially if the kidneys are overloaded or their functioning is compromised. When I had the severe deficiency symptoms last year my estimated glomerular filtration rate was also way below par.

I'm currently taking 500 mg daily (plus occasional topical use), and that seems to be somewhere between my optimal and minimum dose, but that's scattered throughout the day and I apparently absorb magnesium very poorly. I boosted my coffee intake from 2 to 3 cups a while back and within a couple of days I was having magnesium deficiency symptoms again. So now I only drink 1 cup per day.

But I have a big disadvantage — magnesium is mostly absorbed in the terminal ileum and colon, and part of my terminal ileum and all of my colon is missing.

So you are probably right on target in thinking that you don't need that much magnesium supplementation. You are probably at the stage of recovery where you're able to absorb most of your magnesium needs from your diet. I'll never get to that stage because of my colectomy.

Tex

[Erica P-G]

So what are the typical signs that we are getting more than enough magnesium?

The flip side....what feels like not enough??

I'm the confused one now....

If were eating safe food but don't seem to maintain solid stools is that a sign of to much magnesium?

[tex]

Erica,

Some of the more common signs of a magnesium deficiency are periods of anxiety, episodes of hyperactivity, overactive bladder often accompanied by dry mouth and excessive thirst, difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep, painful muscle spasms or muscle cramping, symptoms of fibromyalgia, facial tics, eye twitches, involuntary eye movements, breathing difficulties (shortness of breath), heart rate irregularities, blood pressure irregularities, low endurance, low energy, become overheated easily by exercise, etc. If you crave chocolate you may be magnesium deficient.

But unless you have an acute, major magnesium deficiency, you are not likely to have many of these symptoms. The worse your deficiency, the more symptoms you are likely to notice.

Personally, as far as I'm aware, I've never experienced the symptoms of excessive magnesium supplementation, but I've read that the symptoms of magnesium overdose can mimic the symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, and that's the information on which I based my response to Jari's post — second-hand information. I have experienced D from taking magnesium oxide, or too much magnesium citrate, but that had nothing to do with taking too much magnesium (because I was magnesium deficient at the time) — it was due to taking too much of the wrong form of magnesium.

If were eating safe food but don't seem to maintain solid stools is that a sign of to much magnesium?

That depends on whether you would be in remission if you were not taking too much magnesium. That's very easy to test — just skip taking magnesium for a day or 2 and see if Norman shows up by the second day. If he does, you may need to lower your dose.

Tex

[jlbattin]

Tex, thanks for that explanation. I guess it's hard for me to realize that I probably am absorbing nutrients now since I didn't for so long. When you said that maybe I was getting enough from the foods I was eating, I was thinking, "But I don't eat anything with magnesium in it."

However, when I looked it up, I found an article that listed 8 foods that were high in magnesium, and I eat 2 of them on a daily basis: banana and avocado. So, no doubt, I'm getting way more than I need right now. I backed off on the supplement starting today and we'll see if that helps.

Thanks so much, as always, for your help!

[tex]

Jari,

You're most welcome. Please keep us posted on how it goes because many of us could face a similar transition period as we heal.

Tex

[jlbattin]

Update on my magnesium......

Apparently I was taking too much and was getting quite a bit in what I'm eating because when I cut it back, my urgency to have to pee (and I'm assuming that was the need to get rid of the excess) went away......so, now, I spray once on the legs, stomach, and arms in the morning, and then take about 300 mg. during the day and that seems to be enough for right now......very interesting trying to figure this all out!

[Erica P-G]

Hi Jari,

I have kind of done the same test...and I noticed I was ready to back off on my magnesium a little too. I now rub it on my legs in the morning and take around 300mg during the day. If I have had a very stressful day I will rub some mag lotion on my feet before bed.

So far this seems to be doing enough for me too these last couple weeks, even during my hormone fluctuation week, lol. I don't think I am eating anything much more to give me better Magnesium, my reserves must just be doing better these days.

I have been taking the equivalent to Mentax for the last couple weeks too, and I have noticed that it has been helping. I have really pushed myself lately by working on installing tile in a small shower and with all the labor that goes into tiling, I did have sore muscles every night but I rubbed mag lotion on them and I also slept better after having given myself a grilling exercise of labor (which I would never had been able to do last Summer when this whole MC thing hit me hardest). I definitely was not used to such labor and I got up and started at 8 a.m. and didn't stop only took breaks and ended at 5:30 each day. Took 3 days plus one other to finalize with sealer. I am pleased to have been able to do this at this time, gives me hope that I am on the right track.

[tex]

Jari,

Thanks for the update. That's very helpful information.

We're probably not far apart on our total intake. I'm sure that my diet is very deficient in magnesium, but I seem to do well on 500 mg total per day (300 mg, 100 mg, 100 mg, following meals). I've sort of gotten out of the habit of using the magnesium spray, at least I don't use it very often these days, unless I feel that I need extra magnesium for one reason or another.

I recently read an article on the website of a doctor who recommends magnesium for treating various ailments, and I believe that he listed 490 mg per day as a practical upper limit for oral magnesium supplementation. I'm not sure how he decided on that number, and he didn't distinguish between types/forms of magnesium compounds. There's a lot of difference in the absorption potential (and also in the potential to cause D) of magnesium oxide and either magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate.

I still find that if I don't scatter it out during the day (or use a magnesium spray at night before taking a shower) I can still experience symptoms at night sometimes.

Tex

[tex]

Erica,

Good for you! You're obviously getting your energy and stamina back.

Tex

[jlbattin]

Way to go, Erica!

Tex, I'm sure that my diet is pretty magnesium deficient, but I know I am getting some in a couple of things I eat daily: banana and guacamole..........

Like Erica, I spray it on at night before bed if I feel like I need a little extra help or am hurting, but the 300 I take throughout the day seems to be doing the trick for now.