1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Magnesium Malate

Posted , 8 users are following.

maureen96014
maureen96014

Hi I havent been on the forum for a while as it is so hard to try and cope with PMR and work full time and having a stressful time to boot!!!!

Anyway I am sorry to bother you all out there but wondered if any one can give me any experiences they may have had from taking magnesium malate.

I have bowens therpy regularly - thank goodness a complete god send and I would recommend this to everyone who has PMR - but only last week my therapist advised me to try magneium supplements in my diet but when I have researched this there are so many different types.

I think it is Magnesium Malate I need not just for my PMR pain( which is quite under control at moment - taking 7mg prednislone at mo and not reducing at all due to all stress I have at mo) but I also have a lot of back pain and find walking very difficult at the moment I am also sleeping very badly and have so much fatique it is getting boring lol

Dont know if it is relative but despite eating very healthily - plenty of fresh veg and meat I just cannot loose weight and am quite swollen - also dont know if this is relative but I have just had to have my blood pressure tablet doasage increased due to having high blood pressure.

Sorry to sound such a mess but just wondered if anyone could give me some advice.

Thanks for your time in advance x

1 like, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • janet08828
    janet08828 maureen96014

    Posted

    Hi Maureen

    I can only give you some feedback re. weight and blood pressure - I have the same problems and I put it down to prednisolone - one of the side effects I am afraid. I am just glad that my weight is stable, i lost a little when I changed my diet but then it stopped - now I am just happy that it stays where it is although ideally I would love to lose some!! Being realistic I know it will come in its own good time.

    My blood pressure is also very high - also due to the prednisolone - or so everyone thinks.

    So no comfort at all really - just so you know that you are not alone!

    Oh yes ... also sleeping badly - have been ever since I started prednisolone nearly 3 years ago now ....AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!

    Wish I had some good advice for you..sorry.

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 janet08828

      Posted

      Hi Janet

      Thanks for your reply - it does help a little to know other people are in the same situation  I did exactly the same last year with my diet but now I am stuckfe- and just recently I gave up bread(the love of my food life) and any fizzy pop in the hope something would work but no I am the same every week I go on the scales and all I get from the practice is that I must exercise - as if!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! some days I can bearly walk.

      Anyway once again thanks for your help and heres to everyone with this dratted PMR soon getting and feeling better

      Take Care xx

       

    • janet08828
      janet08828 maureen96014

      Posted

      Hi again Maureen -

      my sympathy.. the thing I miss most is my toast in the morning!!

      I have cut out bread, potatoes, pasta and as much sugar as possible, and after the initial drop of a few kg I am stuck.

      I console myself with the thought that if I hadn't changed my diet I would probably have put even more weight on.

      Exercise seems to be the easy solution - I also have had that idea put to me by oth my gp and my rheumy!! Like you I am still working, a physical job that involves standing/walking/ lifting add that to my walks with the dog and I think my exercise is covered!

      Mrs.O mentioned naps - I do tend to try and squeeze in naps - or just sitting quietly with my eyes closed, and in the weekends I relax - alot!

       

  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey maureen96014

    Posted

    Maureen, might be best to ask your GP for a blood test check your magnesium levels to see whether you have any deficiency before taking it.

    Steroids can cause fluid retention and a lot of blood pressure pills cause the same, so a double whammy of cause

    You haven't said which BP meds you are taking - if one of them isn't a water tablet, then perhaps that is what you need to both lower the blood pressure and reduce the fluid retention at the same time.

    You can also try including lots of known diuretic foods into your diet, such as aspargus, garlic, fennel, melon and celery.  Also reduce or avoid all refined carbs - bread, potatoes - as they can add to the steroid-induced weight gain).

    Fatigue and sleeplessness are the bains of most of our lives whilst suffering from PMR - with both the disease and the Pred contributing.  Both will improve as you reach the lower doses - meanwhile I would have advised catnapping during the day s much as possible, but realise working full-time is not conducive to that.  I've always been in awe of people who work whilst suffering PMR and/or GCA -if you can take a period of sick leave to rest up for a while, it will allow your body some respite - meanwhile rest all you can at weekends. 

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Hi Mrs O

      Thanks for your as ever sound advice. I am taking 7.5 mg of Ramipril at the moment and have to go for weekly blood pressure tests and my blood pressure hasnt got down to the level the doctors want as yet.Water tablets have never been mentioned but I do drink a lot of water(no coffee no tea and although I do pass a good amount of urine not sure it matches up to what I drink

      I am having a blood pressure test this afternoon after work so I will mention the water tablets and see what the response is from the practice nurse although her response as I have just told Janet was to exercise "you wont lose weight without exercise" but somedays I can hardly walk and I work full time and  my two grandsons who are very active 5 and 3 year olds are always at our house(and I wouldnt have it any other way) so dont know when I have the time or energy to fit exercise in - not to mention trying to get through the pain barrier of even trying to walk some days.

      Anyway once again thanks for your prompt reply and I hope you too are keeping well xx

  • pat38625
    pat38625 maureen96014

    Posted

    Hi Maureen, like yourself I am having a problem with weight gain.  In January this year I attended a slimming club - I lost nothing the first week and in a 7 week period (3 weeks without carbs) I lost 1lb.  It was soul destroying and I just left.  It has put me off big time.  I cannot walk very far without my calf muscles pulling so have to turn back to get home.  I have just started today reducing from 10mg of pred to 9mg so am hoping that trying to lose weight will be easier.  I will not hold my breath though.  Also I eat very healthy, veg and fruit, lean meat, gogi berriers, cranberriers and drink between 2 to 3 litres a day.

    Wish I could be of more help Maureen but that is my experience.  Good luck.  Regards Pat

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 pat38625

      Posted

      Hi Pat

      Thanks for your email - it helps to know that I am not alone with this.I get more help reading the forums than I do off my GP - it is nearly two years since I was diagnosed and bless him he has admitted he doesnt know much about PMr but that isnt much help to me - I have planned my reduction by reading the forum and gone along with Eileens reduction plan - I am now down to 7mg and have been stuck on this for the past two months as too scared to try  6.5 at mo because of the pain I am in and the fact I still cannot walk far.I would have thought my face and body would have started to reduce a bit now the pred dosage is not so high but it hasnt as yetsad 

      i too eat very healthy as I am following the slimming world diet - I initially lost 2 stone last year but for some reason since Jan this year I am not losing anything in fact due to the swollenness(is that a word?) I have put back on just over a stone - still will keep persevering

      Take Care xx

  • Guest
    Guest maureen96014

    Posted

    Eat kale and spinach, almonds, and salmon often and you should not need supplements! Ann1⃣1⃣1⃣9⃣5⃣
    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Ann thanks for your email

      I love Salmon so will try to eat more of it, dont really like nuts and have never tried Kale but I do eat Cabbage and Broccolli.

      How do you cook Kale is it the same as cabbage and you just boil it? Will look it up on the internet.

      Thanks for your time and advice 

      Take Care xx

  • margaret22251
    margaret22251 maureen96014

    Posted

    Hi Maureen, i take Magnesium 250mg each day anfd find it helps,,on the bottle is states it is Magnesium Oxide from holland and barrett.

    I too can suffer with back pain, and i have found that i take a bunch of fresh parsley from my garden, and boil it in a pot and drink it  has much as i like. Now it does help with the pain and parsley is a know as a anti inflammotory.

    Maybe this might help you, good luck if you do try ity, and let me know how it goes. Mags x

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 margaret22251

      Posted

      Hi Margaret

      Thanks for your text - I eat a lot of parsley in my food but not sure I could drink it - I only drink plain water - hot and cold or red wine ............... Think I might just put extra in my stews etc and see what happens

      Take Care xx

  • LayneTX
    LayneTX maureen96014

    Posted

    I took magnesium malate as per recommendation of health food store for some cramping in feet and for any constipation due to calcium, but haven't had that issue since I do eat like a horse (kale, spinach, ...cabbage good for bowels too)... Health food guy said malate good for fibromyalgia, so maybe it help me too...NOT... It made my fingers hurt!  As soon as I stopped fingers were normal... 

    Regarding back pain... I too can not walk far (I used to walk miles), if over 10 minutes my back hurt ALL day... However!!!!  My new physical therapist introduced me to a neutral spine... I MUST practice it constantly as to train my muscles and muscle memory... But it's working.  When I forget to align  my body (pull in my pelvis and my chest, and my head -ears over shoulders) then my back hurts!!  Oh, it takes lots of squeezing you butt muscles together and abs to give back stability.

    There  is a great book, but it's more info than you want but if you like books... Becoming a supple Leopard, by Dr. Kelly Starrett. PhD in PT.

    i have lower back and now middle back to deal with. Not sure if PMR  or old injuries back to haunt me. wink 

    hope this helps.

     

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX

      Posted

      Also I ride stationary bike at home easy while reading emails! wink 

      otherwise can't stand stationary exercising! Ugh. 

  • EileenH
    EileenH maureen96014

    Posted

    The magnesium won't help the PMR I'm afraid, it will help if you have muscle cramps and pred will make muscle cramps worse if you are liable. Blood tests for magnesium don't show a lot - your blood level can be fine but the muscle level a bit low.

    Most of what you describe can be due to pred - sorry, but that is the way it is. 

    There is this fixation that you MUST exercise to lose weight - which as you say is a bit unrealistic with PMR! It isn't true - and I have lost 19kg while still on pred by cutting carbohydrates drastically. I eat less than about 50g usable carbs a day - this week I have been eating more carb because I'm at a conference and have put on 2lbs already! Carbs make fluid retention worse and I will lose it again as soon as I go back to my normal diet. 

    Would Bowen not help with the bck pain?

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 EileenH

      Posted

      Good Morning Eileen

      Thanks agin for your advice - your wisdom is endless!! Yes I have a bowens tretment at the moment every three week and it has helped my PMR enormously but I also have wear and tear on my back and whilst the bowens is normally very good with pain relief it hasnt stopped the pain in my hip and groin area this time and I have had to resort to co-codamol for pain relief and unless I take the tablets every six hrs or so the pain is not eased.

      As far as taking magnesium is concerned it was my bowens therapist that suggested it as I am very very swollen at the moment and just cannot seem to lose weight despite losing 2 stone last year using the slimming world diet - I have now put 1.5 stone of it back on - guess i will have to try harder - I have cut out all carbs from my diet except a small jacket potatoe with my evening meal.

      Hope your conference went well

      Take Care xx

    • EileenH
      EileenH maureen96014

      Posted

      If you have hip and groin pain it is very likely to be trochanteric bursitis - a local cortisone shot will achieve far more than any pain-killer and targeted at the area needing the antiinflammatory action - you need high doses of oral pred over a long period to achieve the same.

      The conference is still on and funnily enough I was discussing the carbs in the diet problem with a doctor during coffee this morning - triggered by 2 of us who shouldn't testing the absolutely scrumptious pastries the hotel pastry chef creates...

    • maureen96014
      maureen96014 EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen sorry thiis reply is so late but I was in the middle of replying to you yesterday when the broadband went down at work and I havent had a chance since.

      I have looked at the symptoms etc of the trochanteric bursitis and they fitme to a tee  - you are so clever.

      I have a review shortly with my GP so I will mention it to him then - the painkillers sort of take the edge of it sometime but mostly it is always there - like toothache - and keeps me awake a night which I really dont need as I dont sleep well in anycasesad

      I know everyone keeps saying it but I really dont know where we would all be without your endless advice and willingingness to help - you really deserve a medal

      Hope the pastries were worth itbiggrinbiggrin

      Take Care xx

Back to top

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.