Credit where credit is due!

[hollyweb]

What a pleasant surprise I had today at my visit with my GI doctor! I handed him my list of medications (mostly supplements) as usual and then I handed him my EnteroLab results as well as a copy of the article (the entire article, including references) posted here (THANK YOU!) regarding non-celiac gluten/food sensitivities. I was expecting my doctor to dismiss the EnteroLabs and the article and give me his usual speel.

But something amazing happened! Maybe part of it was because, thanks to the ReMag, I'm not quite as emotional as I've been for some time. Maybe part of it was because I gave these to him in a very calm manner, with complete confidence in the accuracy of both these pieces of information as well as their importance to my health. Maybe part of it was because I told him that I had spent some time with celiacs and discussed in detail these very same things, with which they were in complete agreement.

He was very interested! He agreed that non-celiac gluten/food sensitivities do exist! He agreed that they exist in people with MC! He understood that my preference for treatment was to eliminate the foods causing the inflammation to my intestines, rather than take Budesonide. We talked about the fact that veterinarians treat pets all the time for food allergies when the animals present with chronic diarrhea, nausea or constipation, and that it is the first line of treatment to put them on an elimination diet with basically one protein and no grains.

He expressed concern for me that my EnteroLabs didn't show ANY foods that I could eat! I explained that yes, it was challenging, but that I was starting from a place of at least knowing for sure what was causing an autoimmune response in my intestines, so that right now, I was working with foods such as turkey, lamb, sweet potato, etc. that were not tested but were recommended by the many MCr's here.

So I was able to open up to him about my concern regarding the increase in my A1C, and the fact that I was taking the ReMag and trying to treat what I felt to be a long-time magnesium deficiency. I also was able to share with him that for the past week, I've been having a flare and wasn't sure whether it was caused by the sugar or sunflower seeds in the Sunbutter I'd tried, or ?? He told me that ANY magnesium can cause soft stools, including the ReMag. (And I've gone up very quickly with it; in 2 weeks from 1/8 tsp to a little over 2 tsp per day, plus I'd been adding 100 mg Dr's Best.)

I felt so validated and grateful to be able to have this kind of discussion with him. We came up with a plan, which is for me to back off on the magnesium a bit, and then if the soft stools don't resolve in another week or so, that I might consider starting the Budesonide again at a 3 mg or 6 mg dose per day for up to 4 weeks to see if that helps to calm me down. While I prefer not to take the Budesonide, the 8 weeks I was on it after my diagnosis were not really accomplishing anything as I hadn't a clue that food sensitivities were a problem for me, nor how extremely sensitive/inflammed I truly was.

Anyway, just had to share. Who knows? Perhaps he might use some of these things in discussions with other MC patients! Or, perhaps my next appointment will be with "Mr. Hyde" again!!


~ Holly

[tex]

Holly,

Kudos to your doc.

He's right about the magnesium. If we take more than we can absorb, the excess amount remains in the gut to act as a laxative. And if we absorb more than our body can utilize, the kidneys have to remove the excess amount from our bloodstream and dump it in the bladder in order to prevent the danger of too much magnesium in the blood. As long as the kidneys are functioning normally, all is well, but if they should have a problem handling all the extra work, it can lead to other problems.

By "utilize" I mean use/consume for daily requirements plus replenishing reserves in cells. The body can only transport magnesium to the cells for storage at a certain rate, depending on the amount of insulin available for the purpose. As insulin resistance declines and insulin production improves, magnesium can be transported to cells significantly faster. But it takes time to get to that point if one begins a magnesium supplementation program with a serious magnesium deficiency.

Tex

[dhouts]

I like it when an appt with the Dr goes that well. It feels so good to be validated and understood; and, this can only help your healing. I hope that the flare is as simple as too much magnesium.

All my best to you!

[hollyweb]

Thank you, Tex! It is so reassuring to me to have your feedback on this. I didn't intend to up my dose so quickly with the ReMag. But I kept having cramps in feet and lower legs, so knew my body was wanting more ... plus the inflammation and pain in my hip from a back injury in 2012 is almost completely gone! Not to mention how improved my mood and outlook on life is now, or how much better my posture! And, lest I forget ... those horrid bags under my eyes no longer reach the floor! They're hovering around mid-calf level now!!

So the ReMag is definitely helping, and my body is definitely responding to it! But yes, I understand that my deficiency is chronic, and that, coupled with the insulin resistance that I've had for over 10 years, is going to be challenging to overcome and will take more time. So, thank you for explaining things so clearly!

Diana, yes! It IS a wonderful thing when we feel we're getting the attention and care from our medical professionals that we need! And thank you for your positive thoughts; I, too, hope that cutting back a bit on the magnesium will put things back in balance. I remember that you had a recent flare ... how are you doing?

~ Holly

[Erica P-G]

Good visit Holly!

My last visit with my Dr. was quick and to the point...he knows I only see him if I know exactly how I want to deal with myself and he didn't bat an eye with the cholestyramine request, not the change when I called in and said the fake sweetner was giving more D than I could tolerate....so am very happy for you....Drs. really like back up when it comes to requests, solid no bullsh*t kind of back up.

Yes too much internal Mag can give us more D than we like too...so that is when I apply the Mag lotion or oil spray (the oil I let sit on my skin for half hour or more and wipe off before putting clothes on or going to bed). I only take 3 of the Drs. Best now days because of the re-mag and external applications.

Hugs
Erica

[dhouts]

Hi Holly,

I'm doing great! Thanks for asking. The flare forced me to start entocort; I have to work and couldn't imagine how I was going to even take one step out of the house, so I had to do it. I'm taking this break to really concentrate on my diet and supplementing.

I like Erica's idea to topically apply the magnesium. The customer service rep at ReMag said that you can apply a few drops to the top of your hands. I've done that, as well, particularly in the morning when I don't have time to drink any. I also take Epsom salt baths that I add a few drops of lavender essential oil, nice way to end the day.

[hollyweb]

So glad to hear you're both doing well, Erica and Diana! Yes, we need to do what we need to do to best take care of ourselves! I actually have been using the mag oil for months now ... up to 1,600 mg/day ... however, when my lab came up still critical at 1.4 in the blood, I knew that I needed a different form to make a dent in my huge mag deficiency. I also still had all my mag deficiency symptoms. Since starting ReMag, I still use the oil, morning and night (but much less than before). The ReMag is the first type of mag to even begin to reverse some of my stubborn symptoms.

I'm glad I had the blood draw so I knew I hadn't changed my baseline. For me, it would seem quite a little dance to do with age, the insulin resistance and biotoxin exposure (also long-term), etc. to be able to get that mag into my system efficiently (once the level is that low in the blood, which only has about 1% of the amount in the body, it's my understanding that there's virtually little to no mag in the rest of the body, yikes! Is this correct?).

I'll try putting some ReMag onto the backs of my hands, thank you for reminding me of that trick! Fortunately, I don't seem to have any problem with Vit D, as my levels consistently test higher than the highest parameter on the lab sheet. However, now that I think about that, it seems I've read somewhere that high levels of Vit D can also inhibit mag absorption ... hmmm ... has anyone heard of this?

Dancin', dancin', doing the magnesium mambo!!

~ Holly

[tex]

However, now that I think about that, it seems I've read somewhere that high levels of Vit D can also inhibit mag absorption ... hmmm ... has anyone heard of this?

That's mostly claimed by Dr. Dean, and most Internet citings trace back to Dr. Dean. But IMO she doesn't quite understand the problem either (though she is close). She says:

Here’s one possible answer. Vitamin D is really a hormone with a feedback loop to calcium. When the body has enough calcium less Vitamin D is required and the levels drop.

We are a calcified country, so the effect of high calcium may be lower levels of Vitamin D. And without understanding the complex chemistry involved, most people think we just need to take more.

But MORE Vitamin D pulls in more calcium and bumps out magnesium, making people more magnesium deficient.

Notice that she says, "one possible answer". She's just guessing, and she is guessing incorrectly. The problem is that while it's true that vitamin D is a hormone (it's actually a steroid hormone), it does not provide any feedback in the process of regulating calcium uptake. Like magnesium, vitamin D (in its active form) is only a required ingredient in the calcium absorption process. The regulation of the calcium uptake process is completely controlled by parathyroid hormone (PTH). That can be easily seen in the description of the process at this link:

Calcium Homeostasis

It's true that if either vitamin D or magnesium are deficient, that will throw a monkey wrench into the process of converting blood calcium into bone tissue, but that's no reason to blame vitamin D for a magnesium deficiency. So while it's true that too much calcium intake depletes both vitamin D and magnesium unnecessarily, it is not true (IMO) that an excessively high level of vitamin D depletes magnesium. Sure, if vitamin D levels are deficient, then magnesium is not likely to become depleted, because without adequate vitamin D, neither vitamin D nor magnesium will be used in significant amounts to produce bone tissue from calcium in the diet. The balances can also get out of hand if the parathyroids are not functioning correctly, because if the PTH level is elevated (when it shouldn't be, it continues to promote the absorption of calcium, and the absorption of calcium depletes both vitamin D and magnesium. Most people take a vitamin D supplement to promote the absorption of calcium. But if adequate magnesium is not also taken along with vitamin D, then the magnesium reserves will be used up.

Once a magnesium deficiency is established, then vitamin D levels may continue to climb to excessive levels because vitamin D cannot be utilized to remove calcium from the blood for rebuilding bone, without adequate magnesium. And if magnesium is deficient, then blood levels of calcium will also tend to increase because it cannot be transported out of the blood to build bone cells.

On the surface, the resulting high vitamin D level may appear to be the cause of a magnesium deficiency, but that's simply not true. The vitamin D level continues to climb because it cannot be used to build bone because of the magnesium deficiency. The magnesium deficiency is actually the result of continued vitamin D and calcium intake in the absence of adequate magnesium intake.

The same thing happened to me when I was magnesium deficient — my vitamin D level was at the top of the range. When I increased my magnesium intake, my vitamin D level came down.

So IMO (and the evidence clearly supports this) a magnesium deficiency is not the result of a high vitamin D level. A high vitamin D level is the result of inadequate magnesium intake (because vitamin D cannot be used and therefore will continue to build up in the blood if magnesium is inadequate)

I hope I haven't just added to the confusion. Here's Dr. Deans blog about this issue:

Too Much Vitamin D?

Tex

[hollyweb]

Tex,

Thank you again for all your help! I'm sure it was Dr. Dean's blog that I'd read about this.

Most people take a vitamin D supplement to promote the absorption of calcium. But if adequate magnesium is not also taken along with vitamin D, then the magnesium reserves will be used up.

I took calcium supplements for years and years without taking any Vitamin D or magnesium supplements. Oh boy, if we only knew then what we know now ...

So IMO (and the evidence clearly supports this) a magnesium deficiency is not the result of a high vitamin D level. A high vitamin D level is the result of inadequate magnesium intake (because vitamin D cannot be used and therefore will continue to build up in the blood if magnesium is inadequate)

Yes, this really helps me understand. I sort of had it backwards (or was concerned it might be that way) ... my unusually high Vit D readings make sense given the length of time and severity of mag deficiency. I haven't taken any calcium supplements since Nov 2015, which is when I started supplementing with Vit D and the methylated B's. But still no magnesium, not until April this year and then only the Ancient Aliens mag oil. Understand that this deficiency will take time and I'll need to be literally monitoring symptoms on a daily basis to manage dose. Thankfully, as Vanessa pointed out, ReMag is a great product for this as you CAN adjust the dosage very easily.

It's good to know you experienced the same thing and that your Vit D leveled out as you overcame your mag deficiency. Also on the positive side ... there's much to look forward to! You have given me great hope that, in time, I will be able to reverse this deficiency and not only will my mag deficiency symptoms continue to improve, but there's a good chance some other metabolic conditions I've had for some time may also be improved (ie, blood sugar control, type 2 diabetes, sometimes high cholesterol readings, sometimes high blood pressure). THANK YOU!

~ Holly

PS ... my tummy is much better today after going back to bone broth yesterday, not taking the Dr's Best mag at night, and going down to a little over 1 tsp ReMag plus the mag oil! Maybe those months on the oil have helped after all ... not enough to notice change in symptoms, but perhaps getting some mag into the cells so that I wasn't completely at zero when I started the ReMag, despite what my blood level showed on the lab.

[hollyweb]

Okay, I'm re-reading this part of your earlier post, Tex.

If we take more than we can absorb, the excess amount remains in the gut to act as a laxative. And if we absorb more than our body can utilize, the kidneys have to remove the excess amount from our bloodstream and dump it in the bladder in order to prevent the danger of too much magnesium in the blood.

What a valuable gem of information! I think I'll put up some posters in key places to remind myself of this. So, if I'm understanding this right, up til yesterday I was taking more mag than I can absorb right now, hence the soft stools. I lowered my dose yesterday and my tummy feels much better today. Therefore, I should stay at this dose, or close to it, for awhile, to allow my body to adjust to getting a constant source of mag.

In time, maybe a few weeks (or if I start to get the foot/leg cramps or other deficiency symptoms), I can gradually increase the dose, slooooooowwwwwly. The dance is to try to saturate my cells with magnesium, without causing a laxative effect from taking more than can be absorbed, or overworking the kidneys by absorbing more than can be used. Does this sound right? I know Dr. Dean and others (including here on the board) talk about maintaining a therapeutic dose for perhaps 8 weeks in the case of reversing a chronic mag deficiency, before going down to a maintenance dose. If it's not too much trouble, could you (or anyone) share a little about how you handled that and successfully treated your own mag deficiency?

Thank you so much!

~ Holly

[Vanessa]

Great news Holly! I suppose we all have a little Jekyll and Hyde in us.....we must forgive our Dr.'s for they know not what they do! Good discussion about the Vit D levels. That has always been confusing to me. I need to retest with vit D council now that my mag has been increased! I did go from 10,000 Ius daily down to 5000. I spend a lot of time outdoors as well in summertime.

I also took 2 months to slowly get up to 2 teaspoons a day of ReMag and make sure I sip all day long. I still have WD in a cyclical fashion, so I have to go by other symptoms.. I recently tried to go down to 1 1/2 teaspoons and had heart pounding all night again, just like old times....but I wonder about vicious cycle. Am I taking too much mag causing some D, so then I'm mag deficient, cycle continues. Or am I doing right by filling up mag on the back end trying to catch up what I keep losing? Here's to the ongoing experimentation that is MC

[hollyweb]

Clinking glasses of bone broth and pretending it is champagne with you, dear Vanessa!!

Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts about this. How long have you been at 2 tsp a day of ReMag? And yes, I was/am sipping throughout the day (and night), too. Definitely. It's really interesting ... you've mentioned before you had numerous mag deficiency symptoms also. Even today, after just one day of less magnesium, although my tummy is much better (and Norman returned, I'm so thankful!) ... I have more anxiety and my hip pain has returned, although not quite as bad as it's been prior to starting ReMag.

Perhaps it might be helpful for you to get a Vit D reading to see if it's changed after your time on ReMag; it would be something measurable, at least. Have you tried putting some of the ReMag on the backs of your hands? Maybe if you did that you could back off to 1 3/4 tsp oral ReMag and see if your bowels feel better? As Tex says, it's the oral form, even the picometer sized ReMag, which can contribute to a laxative effect if we're taking in more than we can absorb.

It seems incredible that some of us can be THAT sensitive, doesn't it? But we know our bodies best, and these symptoms are real. Maybe things like no heart palpitations for you and less anxiety/back pain for me indicate how we SHOULD feel when our mag deficiency is reversed ... but maybe our bodies have to undergo a lot of other changes before being able to absorb and use mag properly? Well, there's plenty of room on the dance floor, if anyone wants to join in the "magnesium mambo"!!

~ Holly

[tex]

but there's a good chance some other metabolic conditions I've had for some time may also be improved (ie, blood sugar control, type 2 diabetes, sometimes high cholesterol readings, sometimes high blood pressure). THANK YOU!

Yes. Those are all symptoms of chronic magnesium deficiency IMO, including type 2 diabetes. You'll find a detailed discussion of the reasons/mechanisms in my Pancreatic Cancer book (if I ever get it finished).

but perhaps getting some mag into the cells so that I wasn't completely at zero when I started the ReMag, despite what my blood level showed on the lab.

Remember that blood test results are only snapshots of conditions in an instant of time. If the blood draw were made a day later, or an hour later, or 10 minutes later (in some cases) the results might be significantly different. Some parameters tend to be much more stable than others. Note how often blood draws are made when someone is recovering from major surgery, for example. And if you ever have an opportunity to review those data you will see that some of the test results do often vary significantly from one draw to the next.

But one thing's for sure — anytime we are able to "catch" our magnesium level out of range on a blood test, there's no question that a serious problem exists.

In time, maybe a few weeks (or if I start to get the foot/leg cramps or other deficiency symptoms), I can gradually increase the dose, slooooooowwwwwly. The dance is to try to saturate my cells with magnesium, without causing a laxative effect from taking more than can be absorbed, or overworking the kidneys by absorbing more than can be used. Does this sound right?

Yes. Reading the signs is usually not easy because there are almost always confusing factors, but that's basically what we have to do if we want to optimize our recovery. Some people ignore the signs of an overdose (diarrhea) and eventually their body becomes able to tolerate the extra magnesium. Some refer to this as "getting worse before getting better" (the Herxheimer effect), but I'm not sure that's a necessary evil. Why punish yourself if you can accomplish the same goal without the punishment?

The problem of course is determining the optimum dose.

Tex

[tex]

Vanessa,

Your heart palpitations concern me. How much elemental magnesium is in 2 teaspoons of ReMag?

Tex

[Vanessa]

Hey Tex,

2 teaspoons of ReMag is 600 mg of mag chloride. I wonder also if my body is still recovering from stopping the use of the benzodiazepine Klonopin even though it's been many months. I really think GABA receptors can take a very long time to heal. Also, the skipping and pounding seem to again be tied to my hormones. I know we use more mag around those times as well.

I've had normal EKG and heart CT in 2012 but never used a holter monitor. My last Dr. I found,whom I adore, wanted me to wear one during PMS but the holter hadn't been brought back to the office yet May be that will be next order of business. Hormones were slight estrogen dominance with slight elevated cortisol. No surprise there since that was only 3 months off of benzo at that time. Anyway,not in peri menopause.... The 600 mg doesn't necessarily get rid of palps but allows me to fall asleep and puts them in the "background". Also lessens the incidence of them if that makes sense.