High magnesium -- how long?

[Helen Baumer]

Hello Tex, Gabes and fellow MCers
I've been taking a high dosage of magnesium for over a year and would like some feedback on how long such a high dosage is necessary. I suffer from frequent constipation, migraine (greatly reduced frequency now) and occasional foot cramps. Under stress, constipation becomes a fixture (when I was in hospital for 12 days I didn't go once), and migraine frequency and severity increases. My daily magnesium intake: 600mg Doctor's Best Chelated Lysine Glycinate magnesium spread over three mealtimes plus 200g magnesium in the form of Epsom Salts footbath in the evening. In stress situations, I occasionally add magnesium spray in the early morning -- up to a 200-300g equivalent. I also take 1 vitamin D3 tablet a day (14,000 IE).
My questions:
1. Can I expect the constipation and migraine to disappear eventually if I continue with this dosage?
2. Is it recommended to continue with this dosage for so long?
Thank you so much for your help!!
Helen

[tex]

Opinions are going to vary on this, but I would think that after year at that rate, your magnesium deficiency issues should be easing. Are you drinking enough water?

Regarding your second question, I doubt that you could find a doctor who would recommend those doses, because doctors are ultraconservative on magnesium and vitamin D, but if you need those levels, you need those levels. I was able to back off to about half that magnesium level, eventually, but my constipation case may not have been as bad as years. If you're taking the magnesium mostly to combat constipation, you should get better results taking magnesium citrate, because it has better laxative qualities than magnesium glycinate, and it should be as easily absorbed as magnesium glycinate, so you should be able to reduce the dose, and still get better control. If it were me, I'd reduce the vitamin D dose, especially if you lower the magnesium dose, because high levels of vitamin D can cause calcium to be absorbed so well from your diet, that you may eventually start developing kidney stone problems.

But as I mentioned, opinions are going to vary on this, so these are just my thoughts, for what their worth.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

in regards to what your daily dosage should be my answer is 'it depends'

depends on your age, what you are eating and drinking etc
there are many different factors that deplete magnesium:

certain medications deplete magnesium
some foods, drinks and coffee deplete magnesium
how much calcium is in the supplement you are taking
hormone fluctuations
stress

if you are still eating dairy, it depletes magnesium
Tex has already covered that Excessive Vit D will deplete magnesium
Excessive protein depletes magnesium
alcohol and sugar are items that deplete magnesium

[Helen Baumer]

Tex and Gabes, I'm so grateful for your quick and very helpful replies!
On the basis of your comments, Tex, I will
- endeavour to be more consistent in my water consumption
- reduce Vitamin D3 consumption to 10,000 IE
However, I am loath to switch magnesium to magnesium citrate as this has provoked diarrhoea in the past.
Gabes, I'm happy to say that I consume no dairy, no calcium supplement, no coffee, no alcohol, no sugar other than dates and I have no hormone fluctuations as I am too old for this! However, it is impossible to avoid stress completely all the time, although I do meditation, breathing exercises, footpaths and daily walks to help reduce it.
What I found very interesting, though, was your comment about excessive protein. I deliberately keep my protein consumption up, so as to encourage gut healing. Might I ask you, what level of protein consumption depletes magnesium, as far as you know?
Again, many thanks to you both, and also for the fantastic forum, which I read regularly and find extremely useful.
Helen

[Helen Baumer]

PS. Footpaths in the message above should be FOOTBATHS.

[Gabes-Apg]

I deliberately keep my protein consumption up, so as to encourage gut healing. Might I ask you, what level of protein consumption depletes magnesium, as far as you know?


this is the tricky part - everyone is different so I can't give you a concise answer
might be worth doing some reading on the net