Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

[lfran]

@Altostrata I came here to add something important to this topic. I took magnesium l-threonate for about a year and a half without cycling- I slept beautifully that entire time. Fairly recently I came across some info suggesting that this type of magnesium has the potential to cause dependency- I found lots of anecdotal evidence to support this so I started weaning off of mine slowly to see. Sure enough, I experienced a complete disruption in the duration and quality of my sleep, as well as a list of other sudden symptoms such as worsening brain fog, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. This week I stopped taking the magnesium l-threonate completely and I've been having suicidal thought spirals, almost like "attacks" and many of my improved symptoms have worsened quite noticeably. This whole experience has prompted me to look into this supplement- again, mostly anecdotal evidence like reddit threads- and it does seem to be a more risky option, so I thought it would be beneficial to add to the info on magnesium this site provides. I've tried to be so careful with every supplement that I take, and since I couldn't find anything bad about it on this site, I thought I was in the clear. Maybe this new info could help someone else. I hope that the withdrawal from this is short lived. 

 

[Momiki]

@Altostrata This thread is located at the Introduction and updates section. Has it been moved incorrectly?

[Altostrata]

This thread is in the Symptoms and Self-Care forum, appropriately.

 

@lfran I am very, very dubious that any type of magnesium might bring about dependency. This sounds like nonsense. People say anything on the Interwebs. 

 

Magnesium is an important nutrient that is often missing from our diets because farming soil is depleted of minerals. Our bodies need magnesium to function. 

 

Since you found magnesium l-threonate to be helpful, suggest you reinstate magnesium l-threonate.

[lfran]

@Altostrata Magnesium threonate is much more powerful than the other types of magnesium as it crosses the BBB much more readily. I suggest you do some research of your own before gaslighting an entire group of people the way that everyone on this site has been gaslit by society. My symptoms are real, and not a result of magnesium deficiency. I waited over a month before sharing what I am experiencing on the site for fear of being gaslit by you. Finally, when I could not deny the correlation between the decreases and the symptoms, WHILE supplementing with another well-absorbed form of magnesium, I felt confident that I could post here. What a horrible thing it is to be treated this way, and for my valid experience to be called "nonsense." 

 

It's interesting- when I shared this site and its findings with with my doctor, she, too said "people will say anything on the Internet." Perhaps everyone on this site is just depressed, and should reinstate their medications? Astounding. 

[Altostrata]

If you think you're getting gaslighting here, please go elsewhere. If you prefer to get advice from your doctor (wouldn't we all!), by all means, do so -- she gets paid for this, we don't.

 

There is no major danger from a magnesium supplement, not even magnesium threonate, unless you take so much you make yourself sick -- but you'd get diarrhea first. Nobody claims special properties for magnesium threonate except fishy supplement dealers.

 

Your conclusion that of all the types of magnesium, magnesium threonate brings about physical dependency and is dangerous is incorrect. If in fact it does cross the blood-brain barrier, that's a good thing.

[Shep]

@lfran I think there may be some miscommunication here.  You noted that the magnesium threonate helped with the insomnia. When you discontinued it, the withdrawal insomnia returned. That may not have been a sign of withdrawal from the supplement (i.e. dependency) so much as the original insomnia symptom re-emerging -- you are no longer taking a helpful supplement so a problem you had before taking that supplement came back.

 

You mention you're now supplementing with another well-absorbed form of magnesium. Is that form helping? 

 

[jipavl]

According to this article, magnesium glycinate can be activating for some and actually worsen sleep.

[Altostrata]

Please read this topic from the beginning. We are aware some people don't get along with magnesium.

 

We take anything from a pop medicine blogger with a grain of salt.

[MrMiyagi]

On 11/18/2011 at 8:47 PM, Altostrata said:

That seems odd, but you can always conduct an experiment. Don't take the mag for a few days and see if you get zaps anyway. After a while with no zaps, try the mag again.

Do you think Magnesium L thornate would be superior since it's the only one that can cross the bbb ? I've been on chelated glysinate with little benifit I was going yo try this other form 

[Altostrata]

3 hours ago, MrMiyagi said:

Do you think Magnesium L thornate would be superior since it's the only one that can cross the bbb ? I've been on chelated glysinate with little benifit I was going yo try this other form 

 

No. We're not recommending magnesium for its effect on the brain, we recommend it for its effect on the body. 

 

If you prefer to try magnesium threonate, go ahead.

 

Magnesium is not a miracle cure and you might find it doesn't do much for you.

[ChristopherC]

Anyone know of a good Magnesium to take as a cream/oil vs a pill? I have tried Magnesium in the past but even small amounts give me diarrhea. My doctor told me to avoid Carbonate and take Citrate or Glycinate (better) vs Carbonate and do so with very small doses. But would like to try via cream/oil to avoid any problems. 

[Altostrata]

There is something called magnesium oil that you can rub on. Good for aching joints. Also, Epsom salts baths.

[SleepPls009]

Hi all! I started trying magnesium glycinate recently, but noticed that it really doesn't do a whole lot for me - quite surprising, given how sensitive I am to most other supplements/drugs. I've tried it on about 3-4 occasions; I started with ~25mg, then tried 100, then 200, but the only effect that I noticed was that I got a very mild headache and felt a slight need to use the restroom at 100mg (not even at 200mg!). 

 

My question is, should I keep trying? Is this something that might work if I keep using it regularly, on a daily basis? Or would it make sense to switch to a different chelate, such as magnesium citrate? Or to try another supplement altogether? 

 

Thanks! 

[Altostrata]

Magnesium works best taken in small doses throughout the day. It's not a wonder drug and it may or may not be of benefit to you.

[itscodyman]

Anyone ever experience insomnia after introducing magnesium? I’ve taken magnesium glycinate before on this journey of getting off antidepressants. Recently re-introduced it at 250mg. That was 5 days ago. The last 2 nights I’ve had really bad insomnia, which I haven’t dealt with to this degree in a long time and it scares me as this is the reason I got on Temazepam over 2 years ago. The muscle tension is so tight in my face and head - comparable to if I was doing a bicep curl and tried holding it mid curl. Just struggling to get my nervous system to calm down for sleep. Waking up 2-3hrs into sleep and unable to go back to sleep. The only other thing I can think of thag I changed was trying a new recipe that had some different spices in it that maybe my body didn’t like right now. 
 

please let me know! Right now I can’t function and am missing work due to lack of sleep

[itscodyman]

Also, I practice good sleep hygiene/regulation. Sunlight in the morning to kick start the circadian rhythm, meals at the same time each day, avoid fluids a few hours before bed, avoid artificial blue light a few hours before bed, and I’m sure some others I’m not thinking of right now. I’ve been pretty conscious of it for about 3-4 years 

[Doctorsrcrap]

Can anyone recommend a body lotion that's good for adding epsom salts to, to make your own mag lotion? 

I've tried some but they end up a watery mess that instantly separates. 

Any suggestions great fully received 

[FeralCatman]

So I recently learned from someone who had a meeting with Baylissa Frederick who is a therapist and withdrawal coach that she has had people come into our practice that ran into problems after supplementing with magnesium long-term and developed withdrawal like symptoms. The solution was to start the supplement again and then taper off it over a few weeks and I found a couple of links that show this to be a known problem for some people. So if you are on magnesium and you stop it and have a sudden recurrence of symptoms then you may just have to taper off it more slowly instead of just stopping it.

 

https://www.restonyc.com/what-happens-when-you-stop-taking-magnesium/

 

https://naomedical.com/blog/magnesium-withdrawal-symptoms-nao-medical/

[Altostrata]

Withdrawal symptoms from stopping magnesium are very unlikely. Magnesium does not cause neurological adaptation.