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Magnesium deficiency; cause of depression, anxiety, S.A.?...

Posted , 12 users are following.

robin77577
robin77577

Lately, I have done a lot of research on the benefits of magnesium, reading material on various sites and watching podcasts from eminent medical researchers in the field. Some of what I learned in a nutshell are that after vitamin D, magnesium is the supplement that we are most lacking in. It is difficult to get enough magnesium in our normal diets! 95% of us are magnesium deficient. There are over a dozen reasons for this, one of which is soil depletion...by chemicals such as pesticides!!..  This deficiency in magnesium impacts many systems in the body, especially the brain. It is believed that ADHD is a result as well as depression and anxiety...and IBS...because there is a brain/bowel connection. 

My own personal story is about my daughter, Valerie, our 3rd who was a messy, hyper, little wild thing as a child. She had ADHD for sure although never diagnosed. She had a hard time focussing and we got her tutoring. When she reached her mid teens, I happened to read about the benefits of magnesium on the brain, mood and on the ability to focus. I started giving it to her before tests and exams at school with incredible and dramatic results. She herself would come to me and tell me how much better she was able to study and focus and do well on her tests and exams. In that time period, she changed in a way I never thought possible. She became neat and organized (her room and her person and her thought processes). She became ultra focussed and suddenly started to do extremely well in school...and in university. I won't go on to brag about her successes in life but let's just say she has got it all together. And she, herself will state that it all started with magnesium supplementation. 

I urge you to read up on this natural mineral, magnesium and its extraordinary benefits.  I take 2 tablets of magnesium citrate (or glycinate) every night before bed in order to 

1. help me sleep better and 2. to keep regular in the morning.

I am always in a good mood and at age 65, I do have an extraordinary zest for life...so maybe it has benefitted my brain in ways I never realized. 

Like vitamin C, if you take in too much magnesium...which is highly unlikely, it is just excreted in the urine. 

We are a nation/world with far too many cases of people with mental issues. And perhaps many of them are due to a simple magnesium deficiency.

2 likes, 17 replies

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  • AnonymousWoman
    AnonymousWoman robin77577

    Posted

    Thank you for sharing Robin, I think that I might give it a try! smile I was also thinking about starting to take Vitamin D tablets too. Nothing proven, but hell it's worth a try and not going to do any harm! :D 
    • joan152
      joan152 AnonymousWoman

      Posted

      Please be aware that magnesium can make your calcium levels low,some GP  say you should take calcium as well,but you check wherever you buy it or get subscribed it.
    • AnonymousWoman
      AnonymousWoman joan152

      Posted

      Oh! Thanks Joan! Always so hard to balance these things out! I had forgotten about the supplement ideas anyways and will probably end up investigating the next time I'm in the pharmacy instead. Thanks though! x
    • robin77577
      robin77577 AnonymousWoman

      Posted

      Thanks for helping Kiran. You are young and you could be a good support for him. 

      It is hard for Brits to get enough vitamin D unless maybe you are a big sardine eater... There is not a lot of sun on bare skin in the UK throughout the year and so vitamin D is necessary. 

    • robin77577
      robin77577 AnonymousWoman

      Posted

      My last text suddenly froze so could not go any further. There is no worry about calcium deficiency. There are plenty of dietary sources of calcium but unfortunately not of magnesium. Speak to your health store naturopath. If you want a laxative effect, take magnesium citrate...which is what I take. If you don't, then take magnesium glycinate. These are recommendations of my naturopath...who is also a pharmacist. 

      I hope that Kiran will be okay...

      all the best to you as well.

      Robin (mother of 3, grandmoher of 1)6

    • AnonymousWoman
      AnonymousWoman robin77577

      Posted

      That's OK Robin. I will probably go into check another time but I definitely will keep it in mind. 

      anonymousgirl 

    • amanda35274
      amanda35274 robin77577

      Posted

      Hi robin i also read alot about vit d b12 & magnesium. Im takin them now everyday and starting to feel a bit better although my meds were increased around the same tym as the magnesium etc started so maybe one on its own or a combination with my meds. Magnesiums certainly helping my migraines for sure ;0) xx

  • fiona79969
    fiona79969 robin77577

    Posted

    Hello Robin!  I'd been on Lexapro for a couple of years for low mood and have also had years of treatment-resistent hypertension.  Just a few weeks ago it was discovered that my deteriorating health could be ascribed to Lexapro side-effects!!! So I came off it; the hypertension drug I was taking was largely ineffective. I began to do some research, including reading posts such as yours.  Three days ago I started on Magnesium supplements; my BP is already lower and I'm sleeping better -- just after a couple of days.  I fee calm and centered and more certain that I can restore my health.  My own mother who is a GP (retired) is convinced that pharmaceuticals are not the answer.  Thanks for your post.  
    • saadkh
      saadkh fiona79969

      Posted

      hi fiona, how you doing now, has Mg helped you get out of your low mood. i had v troublesome side-effects of seroxat, and came off it. Now planning to take Mg supplements.
  • mona95
    mona95 robin77577

    Posted

    Hi robin, I no its been a year ago u post about magnesium and how it helped u.

    I've now started to take them and find I helps me a lot I'm taking Zoloft 50mg with the magnesium it's helps my a lot just wondering if ur doin well.

  • emer93264
    emer93264 robin77577

    Posted

    Hello. Interesting post..I have a son with dyslexia and ADD..

    Do you think magnesium supplement be good for him in that he is not hyper at all but lacks focus ?

  • nixgg71
    nixgg71 robin77577

    Posted

    Hi Robin, this is a great story, thank you for sharing, I am going to buy some today!
  • donna26995
    donna26995 robin77577

    Posted

    Thank you for sharing the great info. After nearly a year on gabapentin (nuerontin) for chronic pain, and having horrible side effects....I had to taper off slowly over the course of a few months...AND still went thru withdrawals which were exponentially worse than the side effects. My Dr's never encountered my problems before so I was basically left to fend for myself. Which quite honestly was a matter of survival due to severe depression. Apparently some ppl have this reaction with this drug...enough to have groups out there on the internet but not enough for most Dr.s to be aware of it.

    So I turned to Google for help. By that time I was a basket case. I experienced the worst depression and anxiety of my life to the point of suicidal thoughts. I Had awfull pain that was not my usual pain. Confusion, memory loss, sudden high blood pressure, nightmares, night terror, light sensitivity, extreme dizziness, nausea, severe tremors in the mornings, terrible headache......the list goes on and on.

    What my research found was that although they don't have a clue as to HOW gabaentin works, they do know that it takes over the neurotransmitters that magnesium and calcium run on and then in the process completely depletes the magnesium. Taking magnesium while ON gabapentin will cause problems too so anyone who reads this who is experiencing a similar situation needs to be sure that they wait until they have taken the last dose of gabapentin before starting magnesium and if your Dr actually knows about this ...follow his advice and taper off....very slowly because coming off gabapentin cold turkey can cause seizures in many ppl and horrific withdrawals for some of us. But then DO get yourself on magnesium immediately.

    I was lucky. Within a few days there was dramatic improvement. Six months of faithful use and I was doing great but could tell a difference when stressed or missed a day of supplements. I think it improved my emotional state from even before the gabapentin. But at the six months mark my father passed away and stress of family problems afterwards left me skipping and forgetting my supplements. And I found myself slipping. I started feeling more pain, nightmares, sleep problems, emotional problems....everything returned...just at a lesser degree. It took me a while to realize what was going on because I thought at first it was all about grieving the loss of my father. Within three days there was a tremendous improvement. And then I ran out. Arrrggghhh! This morning I got a new bottle and two tablets later I am good to go again.

    If you Google a little bit you'll find I am not alone in my experience. There are quite a few posts comments and groups out there full of ppl with a similar experience with gabapentin. Dr.s aren't often aware of the problem and they either don't believe you or try to give you more pharmaceuticals to treat the symptoms. What the problem is is severe magnesium deficiency and nothing helped until I started magnesium supplements. If anyone you know is having similar issues please please please get them some magnesium and educate them. Have them look online because adding some other things like fish oil will help as well. There is great information and advice if you do a quick "gabapentin withdrawals" internet search. Magnesium depletion can be a very serious problem and people who are given gabapentin should be educated beforehand. I realize that this drug has helped many people but what it has done to many others who are then dismissed by their doctors who are not educated by the pharmaceutical companies...is criminal.

    My apologies for the rant, but if it helps just one other person then it is worth it.

  • nixgg71
    nixgg71 robin77577

    Posted

    Thanks for sharing Robin, i too agree that magnesium deficiency is scientifically linked to depression. I have spoken to many doctors about such and they scoff /dismiss immediately, so short-sighted!

    The truth is, none of them know what is best for depression, stress and anxiety so they just dole out drugs. I was experiencing severe headaches and prescibed valium!!!!  I rest my case. Thankfully, after a period of what can only be described as the darkest pits of despair and hell where without sleep for days, I made a suicide note and thought I can no longer cope - I cried and cried.

    Now I am getting there very slowly. No drugs but healthy eating, vegetarianism, supplements, lots of rest and taking care of myself - no-one else is responsible!

    I am definitely going to buy magnesium supplements without delay!

    Hope you're well, Nicki, xx.

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