I followed a lot of advise online and started taking magnesium tablets. I bought 250gm first but was then told it would be better to use 150gm slow release. Does any one know anything about this?
I don't use slow release, and have read and studied magnesium for many years....and just got out and reading a book I have on mag to calcium ratio.
Best forms of mag to take are glycinate, chloride, citrate, aspertate, malate, oxide is the worst.... I take 500mg citrate or glycinate usually 3 times per day. Many take to bowel tolerance....
In this little book I have and re-reading it last night, found a paragraph about too much calcium causing Fibro......we are discussing this over use of calcium on the Alternative Board and how important magnesium is.....
Just thinking on this slow release, if one's body is deficient in Mag, we are not building up mag in our bodies....we use mag up daily and need to keep replenishing.....
To think foods will do, think again.
I've done mineral testing and my mag was in good shape as I've been taking it for MANY years.....but now taking more with aging.
Your body will only absorb a percentage of the magnesium anyway so I don't think it's a big deal.
You may as well use the tablets you've already bought.
Magnesium is best absorbed when consumed with food in smaller amounts so I agree that the 150mg tablet would be a better option.
I'm not sure about whether it's worth paying extra for slow release magnesium..
There was a paper published last year showing even Magnesium Oxide, the cheapest and least bioavailable form of magnesium actually raised magnesium levels in older women so although you can spend loads of money if you have it, in practice whatever magnesium you can get will make a difference.
If you search the web for
"The Role of Magnesium in Fibromyalgia"
You will find quite a detailed paper listing lots of magnesium Fibromyalgia research. It may be worth splitting your current tablets in half and having half at breakfast and the other half midday. After you've done that for a week or so break some more 25omg tablets in half and take 3 X half tablet daily and then if you've no trouble with loose stools or urgency will going to the loo you could take another magnesium before bed.
So that would (after you've built up bowel tolerance) 2 x 250mg daily in 4 x 125mg doses with food or a bedtime drink.
One of the ways magnsium works is by improving your vitamin D levels and enabling Vitamin D3 to work more effectively.
There is some research showing that Vitamin D3 when used in amounts sufficient to raise 25(OH)D (the test for Vitamin D3 levels) to 50ng/ml or 125nmol/l produces the best reduction in Fibromyalgia symptoms. If you like reading science papers I'll post a link in a separate post.
But magnesium also seems to help reduce pain when used in conjunction with analgesics so maybe using BOTH vitamin D3 (probably around 5000iu will be required to raise 25(OH)D to effective levels together with the 4 doses of magnesium daily with food, will make a difference.
hi kathleen ive was diagnosed with FM two weeks ago and there is some debate as i was diagnosed with RA not sure if i have both or just fibro or just RA so not sure if my comments are qualified however my partner is very pro active with health care and particularly vits and minerals he reached bowel tolerence with magnisium but has found magnisium flakes u put in the bath and they are absorbed through the skin so he gets his daily dose without it going through the digestive system maybe they would work for you
I like up to bowel tolerance as I've dealt with constipation MOST of my life, seems all the women in my mother's family did.... As far as soaking in mag flakes, I don't soak in the tub as for one thing our tub is so low even if I could get in, I would need help getting out PLUS, our once pretty clean water is nowfluoridated and soaking in that toxin forget it,,,,talk about fractures./...plus the chlorine in our waters...
Now if you have well water or cleaner non chemical waters, then go for it. Joy 76 US
If you are going to soak in a bath (or even just use a footbath (large bowl big enough for both feet) then it's best to BULK BUY your magnesium salts.
Dead Sea Salts are magnesium chloride
EPSOM SALTS are magnesium sulphate
Both are quite expensive in small bags but if you've a car and can get to agricultural merchants or the Countryside Outdoor shops for horsey foilks or small horticultural hobby farmers and poultry keepers. They sell these magnesium salts in 20kg bags at quite reasonable prices. You don't have to use flakes. I just chuck a jugful in a hot tub and soak for 20mins or so. You may find it makes you quite sleepy do it's probably best to do this before bedtime.
It also works just to do your feet and you can do this while you are typing away on the computer. Don't forget to move bowl when your done or you'll forget and get a nasty cold shock when you start on the PC next day.
Depends on if you're deficient. If you are, I'd try both. If not, it's literally a supplement & I don't know that it matters. I would be concerned with what they are making the capsules out of that make it slow release. Personally, I use mag oil & ionic liquid minerals.
I do know calcium & magnesium need each other just like iron & copper. That's why they sell CalMag type vitamins.
Thanks for all your comments I am at mo taking the 250mg because I bought these first but was wondering if what I was told was correct that I only needed the 150mg. I have quite bad constipation due to morphine and tramadol so I am finding since the magnesium this isn't quite so bad. I have been sleeping better and not been at my worst for a few weeks now but then I haven't had to push myself for a few weeks either. So all in all I think I'm getting some help because my sleep was really bad before tKing these supplements. I also take B6 & 12
yes agree about toxins we have a filter to remove chlorine and floride from our water and a shower head that adds vit c
sorry to hear u cant get in and out of bath such a shame a long hot soak does wonders for me
you can buy mag spays but i find they stick to the skin
I take a multi to cover all my bases, then an extra b12 under my tongue, and extra vit.D, and an extra magnesium 150mg. I have read that women need 350mg a day of magnesium. That said, I do not know at what point we are overdoing things. I don't think you are overdoing it at 250mg. I total 280mg with my multi. Do what works for you.
You will find good evidence based information about magnesium at
MAGNESIUM UPDATE
the site is maintained by KRISPIN
She has a neat formula based on weight to work out your magnesium requirement.
At or around the optimal intake there is no danger of toxicity.
What tends to happen if you consume more magnesium than your body can absorb the excess absorbes water/liquid in your digestive track and this soften your stools and they become very runny so you will be alerted by urgent calls to the loo if you accidentally take more than required.
The secret with magnesium is SMALL amounts, with food, through the day and before bedtime.
If you go for the transdermal route (see my post above) then there is no possibility of overdosing. There are some 300 + different enzyme actions that require MAGNESIUM and Magnesium is CRITICAL in that it is REQUIRED to enable Vitamin D3 to change from previtamin D3 to Vitamin D3 CHOLECALCIFEROL and then to CALCIDIOL (the circulating form we measure to test vitamin D3 sufficiency, and finally to change calcidiol to the active hormonal form of Vitamin D3 CALCITRIOL.
Without magnesium you are virtually vitamin D deficient. Raising your magnesium levels enables Vitamin D3 to work effectively and people with higher magnesium levels always have higher Vitamin D3 levels that magnesium deficient folks.
It a fact that MOST ADULTS consume less magnesium than the RDA and that RDA is set too low. Hence most people are also Vitamin D3 deficient..
Hi Ted, you seem to know a lot about supplements but how do I know if I need any? If every fibro patient was deficient in the same minerals and vitamins wouldn't this have been discovered by now ? I am happy to try anything that will allow me to reduce my medication but I think taking supplements that I don't need could possibly be halmful. I have only been diagnosed for a few months but have found that gentle exercise and Mindulness meditation have helped me greatly. Any advice you can give on how I find out if I am deficient in any vits or minerals would be most helpful.
Denise :-)
thanks for the info. You seem very knowledgeable on the subject. Much appreciated,.
Everyone's needs are different....I take 500mg usually 3 times per day and this amount is good for me.....constipation is the worst and we need to keep from being clogged up with toxins......J
I have calcium off the doctor due to osteoporosis
Calcium ALONE is not the answer.....too much calcium is floating around in our blood, causing stones, etc...
We need more mag, vit D3 and K2 and from all my reading and work I've done in this area, less calcium.....
Joy is right (again)
Most people when their Vitamin D levels are optimal will absorb sufficient calcium from their diet. particularly if they consume dairy products.
When you are taking just half the vitamin D3 you body would naturally make if you lay near naked in the sunshine, you open the floodgates to calcium.
Calcium from food sources is better used by the body compared to calcium from supplements.
Most people (even those with osteoporosis) shouldn't need extra supplemental calcium you should try to ensure your diet, water, drinks are calcium rich.
If you want to learn more then watch
The Calcium Story - YouTube from Dr Jason Fung.
It's a different story for magnesium because of the way modern plant breeding and industrial processing of foods has meant crops stay in the soil for less time and so have less time to absorb magnesium and then more is lost in refining and processing than was the case. So unless you take special measures to increase your magnesium food sources most people nowadays are unlikely to meet the magnesium RDA (it's much the same for Potassium an extra 2 grams daily is generally required to meet the shortfall between average intake and optimal intake.
My doctor gave me calcium tabs years ago when I was first diagnosed with osteoporosis and says it's important that I keep on taking this
I don't believe your doc is UP on all he/she needs to know about the calcium overdose of people....
Just thinking of one friend, her doc pushed her to take Tums for her calcium support, nothing else, this woman ended up with nodules on her thyroid, all calcium deposits and then had thyroid removed, big mistake....
So many conventional Docs just don't all the pieces for good health....sad but so true......