My Journey With:

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) ~ Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) ~ Focal Impaired Awareness (Complex Partial) Seizures ~ Fibromyalgia ~ Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP) ~ Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) ~ TMJ Dysfunction ~ Bipolar Disorder Type I Rapid Cycling With Psychotic Features ~ Migraines ~ Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) ~ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) ~ Keratosis Pilaris (KP) ~ Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) ~ Panic Disorder ~ Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) ~ Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) ~ Self-Harm ~ Bilateral Piezogenic Pedal Papules ~ Hashimoto's Thyroiditis ~ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ~ Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ~ Specific Phobias ~ Chronic Daily Headache ~ Eczema

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Started Magnesium


I'm taking an incomplete in my last class, Business and Organizational Writing.  I've had a lot of health problems since class started, about seven weeks ago, hence the reason for the long absences lately.  My bipolar, chronic pain, and epilepsy have all been kicking my ass.  I need to have all my work in by the 20th.  I've been working on my assignments but I don't feel like I'm doing it good enough.  My professor is excellent, and while I know I will be a better writer because of her tough grading, I still need good grades to stay in grad school.  That means I really need to increase the quality of my writing, or at least write to her specifications.  Her remarks always make a lot of sense, though, and she explains why she marks something wrong.  This is my second class (my first semester) and I'm really impressed with my university.  I'm really excited about my next classes for the Spring 2012 semester.  I'm taking a class on political writing and a class on financial writing.  Awesome, huh?  I'm so excited! DH says the excitement over grad school wears off eventually, and it certainly did during my undergrad, but this euphoria hasn't worn off yet.

Our new kitty, Katya, and Niki are becoming best friends.  They actually curled up together today, touching even, and went to sleep.  It was so cute.  I got a picture of them, but by then they had moved a few inches apart.

I started taking magnesium after reading quite a few good things about it.  The Dysautonomia Information Network has this to say about POTS, EDS, and magnesium:
Magnesium may be helpful to a number of POTS patients. Magnesium is sometimes prescribed to POTS patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Some patients report a decrease in arrhythmias after taking this mineral daily for a few weeks. Magnesium deficiency can cause many of the symptoms associated with POTS. Excessive norepinephrine levels can deplete magnesium levels. Magnesium should be used cautiously as it can lower blood pressure.
In the US Library of Medicine article on EDS hypermobility type:
Supplemental magnesium and/or potassium anecdotally may provide some muscle relaxation and pain relief. Diarrhea, nausea, and sedation are the most common side effects. Specific validated dose recommendations do not exist.
Dr. Weil says this about POTS and magnesium:
I suggest taking supplemental magnesium, which may help slow the rapid heartbeats characteristic of POTS. Start with 125 mg of magnesium twice daily and move up slowly to 250 mg twice daily, advancing every couple of weeks to get to 500 mg twice daily if you don't get symptom relief with lesser doses. Look for magnesium citrate, chelate, or glycinate. Avoid magnesium oxide, which can be irritating. Add calcium (500 mg twice daily) if the magnesium causes loose stools.
Physiopedia has an article about EDS; "Supplemental magnesium/potassium - muscle relaxation and pain relief" appears under the medication header.

About.com Fibromyalgia guide has this to say about fibromyalgia and magnesium:
Magnesium malate combines magnesium and malic acid. Both substances help produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which studies show can be deficient in fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS). Magnesium helps cells form and maintains muscles, bones and nerves.  Some research supports magnesium malate for boosting energy and alleviating the pain and tenderness of FMS. Many doctors and patients say they've had success with it, but one controlled study showed it was no more effective than placebo. More studies need to be done on whether these supplements are helpful.
The alternative medicine site at About.com has this to say about fibromyalgia and magnesium:
Magnesium is a mineral found naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and in nutritional supplements.  Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions. Magnesium, along with malic acid (a fruit acid found naturally in apples) are often suggested for people with fibromyalgia because they are both needed for the generation of energy in cells in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). However, one study of 97 people found no association between magnesium levels and fibromyalgia.  A double-blind study examined the effectiveness and safety of magnesium (50 mg three times a day) and malic acid (200 mg three times a day) in 24 people with fibromyalgia. After 4 weeks, the magnesium/malic acid combination was not more effective than placebo.The participants later received 6 months of the combination in larger doses (up to 300 mg magnesium and 1200 mg malic acid per day) for 6 months. This time, the combination resulted in a significant improvement in pain and tenderness, however, this portion of the study was open label (both the researchers and participants know which treatment is being administered) and not blinded, so the results, while promising, cannot be used as evidence that the combination was effective. Further studies are needed.  
A magnesium deficiency is common with hypothyroidism, if there is a deficiency magnesium supplements can help a lot.  Magnesium supplements can also improve insulin sensitivity, a problem with PCOS that can eventually cause diabetes.

I also want to check out some other vitamins and herbs.  I already take a multi-vitamin, fish oilB ComplexVitamin CVitamin D, and Calcium.  I'd like to go back on Ginkgo biloba and Chondroitin/Glucosamine.  I've heard a lot about MSMMalic AcidCoQ10Carnitine, and 5-HTP, as well.  I'd like to start one new vitamin, mineral, or herb at a time.  I want to do more research on these other supplements and herbs.  I am not sure what new supplement I want to try in January, but I imagine it will be either Malic Acid or Ginkgo Biloba.  I was going to get some glucosamine and chondroitin this month, but it proved way too expensive.  They sold some at Dollar Tree, which excited me at first.  Once DH and I looked at the mg's in it, though, we realized I'd have to take eight pills a day to get the same dose as a regular bottle of it at Wal-Mart.  It would end up being expensive and swallowing all those pills makes me sick to my stomach.  I ate crackers with all my vitamins today and it helped a lot, because I didn't feel sick after I swallowed them all.

DH also makes me ginger tea from a fresh ginger root.  It's annoying to make and it feels really slow when I am in a lot of pain.  The tea really works well for pain relief, though.  I want to see if I can find ginger tea at the store that would do the same thing, or almost as good.  I think it tastes horrible, but that is probably because I don't like ginger.  

1 comment:

  1. You are taking nearly all of the same vitamins daily that I was. I'm glad to see that perhaps it does help and that it's not all in our heads (some people think vitamins are useless, others really believe in them).
    I have a lot of stomach/digestive issues along with my EDS and FMS and possibly (read: almost certainly, but my doc won't say yes or no about it yet) have gastroparesis. The thing is, I have managed to gain weight and my blood work always looked pretty good. But I'm living on white soda and pureed pasta and ramen noodles. I'm getting no nutrition at all, so I didn't understand how that was possible for everything to look normal. So I stopped taking everything and I'm going to have blood work done again in a couple months to see if there have been changes. I feel like there have been changes (in my heart rate/rhythm, bowel function, energy level, etc), but my gastroenterologist is brushing things off and saying I don't need the supplemental J-tube that I'm asking for. He thinks because I'm gaining weight again (hi, thanks birth control pills) and my labs come back within range that it's not necessary. It's not like I think my life will be magic with a feeding tube, especially a j-tube, but I just want nutrition and sustenance in my body again. I used to eat anything and everything, and now my stomach stabs me for even looking at a salad across the room.
    I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks vitamins are valid. And yes, so very expensive.

    I hope you do well with the new/added ones back in your regime as well.

    ReplyDelete

Comments? Questions? Please show class and respect in your comments. All comments are previewed, but anyone can comment. I welcome your comments!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...