1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Magnesium

Posted , 6 users are following.

kathleen1958
kathleen1958

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?

1 like, 20 replies

20 Replies

Next
  • joy47826
    joy47826 kathleen1958

    Posted

    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.....

    • joy47826
      joy47826

      Posted

      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.   

  • TedHutchinson
    TedHutchinson kathleen1958

    Posted

    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.

  • mogsey
    mogsey kathleen1958

    Posted

    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
    • joy47826
      joy47826 mogsey

      Posted

      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

    • TedHutchinson
      TedHutchinson mogsey

      Posted

      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. 

    • mogsey
      mogsey joy47826

      Posted

      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

    • denise56617
      denise56617 TedHutchinson

      Posted

      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 :-)

  • nitropilot
    nitropilot kathleen1958

    Posted

    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.

    • joy47826
      joy47826 kathleen1958

      Posted

      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.....   

       

    • TedHutchinson
      TedHutchinson joy47826

      Posted

      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.

    • kathleen1958
      kathleen1958 TedHutchinson

      Posted

      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
    • joy47826
      joy47826 kathleen1958

      Posted

      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......

    • TedHutchinson
      TedHutchinson kathleen1958

      Posted

      Maybe if you watched the video from Jason Fung you would understand why I think the advice your doctor has given you is probably doing more harm than good. 

      3 X 500 = 1500mg/daily

      That assume you are getting no CALCIUM from your water supply (you must live in a soft water area) and you drink no milk, eat no cheese, never consume yoghurt, never eat vegetable or any of the other good calcium food sources

      milk, cheese and other dairy foods

      green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach

      soya beans

      tofu

      soya drinks with added calcium

      nuts

      bread and anything made with fortified flour

      fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines and pilchards

      Adults need 700mg of calcium a day.

      You should be able to get all the calcium you need from your daily diet.

       Your doctor says you need more than double the RDA in addition to the calcium in your food and from the drinks made from your local water. 

      Does your kettle scale up?

      If it does then your water supply has calcium in it and some of that calcium will be in every cup of tea, coffee, squash made with that water. 

      In total you MUST be consuming far more than the calcium RDA.

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.