Anyone Experienced Magnesium Benefits?

Has anyone had similar observations with magnesium?

Like most have mentioned, this BFS thing seems to wax and wane. There are some days I feel like popcorn twitching all over the place, and other days that are mild in comparison. On and off I have played with mag supplements. I can report that it does indeed help. Certainly not the cure but has a natural calming effect. Scientifically I understand why because nerve cells use magnesium ions to control the electro-chemical reaction within the cells. Mag acts as a stabilizer in allowing nerve cells to maintain a “resting” potential.

It seems that Hypomagnesaemia has a similar symptom list including a hyper-excitability on the nervous system, fasics, buzzing, etc...


How many feel like their nerves are on a “hair trigger”? Hypomagnesaemia seems to be commonly caused by an increased gastrointestinal or renal loss of magnesium. As magnesium is mainly an intracellular ion, assessments of magnesium levels are difficult. My doctor says my mag levels are “normal”, but I’m not sure they can test ionic levels accurately. Since it is so hard to measure, we may not know for sure if we are deficient or not. The bigger question is “what” is depleting the mag level or inhibiting absorption? Many have stated gastro-intestinal problems. Could there be a “bug” that is either directly or indirectly causing a mag imbalance? Please visit this abstract on “Disorders of Magnesium Metabolism”. Two sections of interest are the “symptoms” and “causes” sections. Has anyone noticed any positive experiences with magnesium?

Interesting. While I did not read it in its entirity, I did a quick glance. A metabolic imbalance, while may not be a direct cause of BFS, I believe certainly plays a role in the "waxes & wanes" of the symptoms. I speak only from very recent expereience of an illness involving my kidney and pancreas which put me in the hospital for six days. My potassium levels fell (a partner with mag.?) and was given an I.V. drip to bring the levels back up within the norm. Throughout my hospital stay and unrelated illness, my BFS symptoms (especially pain) were at an all-time high. I hope never to have to repeat a week like that any time soon. Have a good one!

Hello-I to have had a good response to magnesium, I am seeing a new chiropracter that specializes in Fibromyalgia and nerve disorders although he had never heard of bfs. I was referred by another chiropracter friend of mine so i feel he is very competent and I have been feeling pretty good symptoms are not as severe. this chiro had recommended trying a product called Natural Calm it's in powder form and you drink it after it dissolves in hot water and then add cold water very easy to use and i must say mky muscles don't ache as much, my joints feel better, i am not twitching as much and sleep much better. I have been taking for 2 months now and went off for 2 weeks as an experience and symptoms increased I would recommend to anyone to try. The web site is . Anyways there is my 2 cents worth good luck I hope your symptoms get better.
Paul

Hi all. I just wanted to bump this one back to the top to put the question out there again.

Paul, I did get some of that Natural Calm product in the mean while. It does serve as a great mag suplement.

One has to take alot of Magnesium, like close to 1200 mg per day. Also you have to take Calcium with it, about 1200 mg a day. There is an article out there about the 1:1 ratio of MG : Ca. Try a search.

I've been doing this for almost two weeks and getting relief. It takes time to build up in the system.

Hope this helps.

1200mg per day - that is a lot! It's hard to get that much mag in your system as your body will stop absorbing mag when it has "enough" resulting in diarria. That's how Milk of Magnesia works. I guess that's what you mean by building up the system. I only take it as needed - worried that too much of anything is not healthy either.

http://www.enerex.ca/calcium ratio.htm

I have had no symptoms of excessive MG of Ca

I'm surprised more people haven't commented on MG.

My Neuro suggested MG, but never really said how much.

It has been two weeks and less fasci, since this all began last Oct/Nov.

I would like for us to try an online study to see if taking 1200mg of CA and 1200mg of MG makes a difference.

I take 600 CA with 500 MG in the AM with a Multi Vit (Mens One A Day)
and the second dose of 600 CA with 500 MG at dinner.

I'm going to try the magnesium route. I was on Carbatrol for about 30 days and it didn't do anything for me except make me drowsy and lethargic. I appreciate you putting that article out there.

After reading the article and all the posts, I researched the pharmacology on minerals. This is very important.

Unless the minears are in a chelated form, you will be getting very little absorption. Chelated minerals cost a bit more but you will get 3-10 times greater absorption. Labeling is clear if the mineral supplements are chelated. This may explain why large intake is not causing any problems.
Secondly, you don't necessarily "build up" mineral levels. Your body takes only what it needs and then elimiates the rest. However we may be more mineral defiecent than what we think like the article suggests.

Since Magnessium needs Calcium for absorption, it follows that you will need something for Calcium absorption-thats Vitamin D. Watch out for store bought milk because its synthetic D (useless) Sources of Vit D is
from the Sun interacting with your skin, or a non-synthetic supplement.

Last but not least Vitamin and Minearal thearapy is best taken evenly throughout the day since many of the minerals and some Vitamins are quickly eliminated. If this cramps schedules, then divide your doseages over breakfast and dinner. If thats still inconvienient, full dosages after dinner or the largest meal that meets a well balanced diet standard. Vitamin and minerals need the other nutrients found in food for best absorption-carbs, fats. proteins etc...

I almost forgot. The ratio of Calcium to Magnesium is 2:1 Thats twice as much Calcium to Magnesium. Toxicity level of Calcium can occur at doseages of 2000mg per day. So at a 2: 1 ratio I'm going start with
800mg Magnesium to 1800mg of Calcium and play a lot of golf!

For what its worth!

Good luck, and let us know how it works out.

Some Calcium comes with D. I don't beleive the "wal-mart" vits have the Chelation?

Still, no side effects from 1200mg MG with 1200mg Ca.

I wanted to try this but don't want to take something dangerous. How much should be taken. And as I understood you have take both Calcium and mag? Please answer for me as I am very willing to try anything to get this to stop or calm down.

I take 600 mg Ca with along with 500 mg of MG with breakfest and dinner.

you're call on how much you want to take. some say use a 2:1 ratio of Ca: Mg; I'm opting for a 1:1 ratio. This I read on the url I listed above.

GOOD LUCK!!!! It takes a couple of weeks to notice any effects, so be patient. It is not a quick fix.

Karen,

Either ratio will be fine. It really depends on your body and what you actually are absorbing. I got sucked into the Infomercial about Coral Calcium which is a good suppliment, but contains all the other Vitamins needed to enhance absorbtion. Before twtiching started, the Coral Calcium increased my energy level through the roof! So for me I would say that I was absorbing it.

Magnesium has always been known as the "anti stress" mineral.
Vitamin E (according the neuro forum at the Cleveland Clinic) has also been known to help. Nice thing with Vitamin E you can mega dose on it.
If doesn't help the twitching it certainly will help your cardiac and vascular system.

I also want you to check out my post titled "State of the Twitch" address.
The title is misleading and it is actually about several studies that have
accululating and mounting evidence that our twtiching has an autoimmune
basis. It won't make your twitching go away, but it will give you some
needed reassurance about this condition.

Check it out and let me know what you think

Brad

If anyone is interested, I'm going on my fourth week of Magnessium supplement and find a very "calming" effect to my demeanor that I haven't had with Carbatrol and Xananx.

Magnesium is known as the "anti-stress" mineral. Its not going to have a "fast food drive thru" effect with instanst awareness that you feel better, but a subtle improvement over weeks to the point where you will look back and will notice the difference.

It took about 3 weeks for me to settle in on this and even if its a placebo effect, its better than the meds which my neruo didn't want to give me in the first place because he said the side effects are worse than the symptoms.

Give a 2: 1 Calcium to Magnesium ratio a try. Include a regimine of
multi vitamins and especially non-synthetic D that will allow better absorption of Calcium which in turn allows effecient Magnesium absorption. I also take 1600mg of Vitamin E per day also.
(see previous posts on maximum Calcium toxicity doseages)

Supplements should be taken with meals because absorption requires carbs, fats and proteins. I go a round in the mornings with breakfast,
and a round with dinner. This has been effective for me in
maintaining a calm non-anxious state of mind and the twitching though not gone completely away, has reduced in intensity and frequency.