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Hi All,
As you probably recall, Some time ago, I complained of not being able to sleep at night, due to breathing problems. Quite often, I would feel the need to take a deep breath, but I would not be able to do so. This, of course, would make me conscious of my breathing, which would probably add to the problem. When the problem was present, I would eventually fall asleep, only to promptly wake up, with the feeling that I had forgotten to breathe. For all I know, this may be some form of panic attack, but I've never noticed any symptoms of a panic attack, otherwise. The problem finally got so bad, that one night, a couple of weeks ago, I gave up, and tried to sleep sitting up, which, of course has it's own problems, but at least I got a little sleep, that way.
The RDA for magnesium is around 400mg. Doing the math, I found that with my restricted diet, I'm probably averaging somewhere between about 200mg to 250mg per day, (on a good day, and including the magnesium in my multivitamin), and it has been that way for the past 5 years. In addition, prior to that, for about 4 or 5 years, I had a severe malabsorption problem, so I probably wasn't any better off then, than I am now, regarding magnesium absorption. Soooooooo, either I have a magnesium deficiency, or the RDA is way off. I mentioned this to my doctor, so he gave me a magnesium test, but since it was a blood test, I expected it to be worthless, and I wasn't disappointed - it showed a normal level of magnesium. The reason for that is because the body makes every effort to keep blood levels of magnesium in the normal range, and it will pull magnesium from the cells, in order to do that. IOW, until your body is totally out of magnesium, the blood level will always be in the normal range.
Anyway, when I looked for a magnesium supplement, about all that the little pharmacy that I went to, had in stock, was a 250mg tablet. I figure that my diet is short by about a little over half that amount, on an average daily basis. After a little experimentation, I have found that if I take one tablet every other day, I am fine. If I try to stretch it out to a longer interval, (that is, one tablet every 3rd or 4th day), then I have a return of the breathing problems, (not being able to take a deep breath, sleeping problems, etc.). I don't want to take any more than is absolutely necessary, because of the laxative effect of magnesium. The day that I take the tablet, I do indeed have a somewhat softened stool, (as expected), but by the second day that effect is gone. Probably, if I had tablets with half the dosage rate, so that I could take a uniform dose every day, that would eliminate the laxative influence. I'll look for some of those, the next time I get to a larger pharmacy.
I'm also able to sleep much longer now, (7 to 8 hours, rather than 5 to 6), but that could be affected by the treatment I'm taking for Parkinson's, (Parkinson's can interfere with sleep patterns, especially stage 4 deep sleep).
Anyway, magnesium supplementation seems to work for me. The multivitamin that I take only contains 50mg of magnesium, (13% of the RDA), but some contain twice that, which might be enough to make a difference, for some people. I'm not suggesting that anyone else here has a magnesium deficiency - it's unlikely, as long as you eat a pretty well balanced diet. As usual, though, YMMV.
Tex
Magnesium, Diet, And Sleep Problems
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Magnesium, Diet, And Sleep Problems
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Wow, I'm impressed. I'm so glad you figured out what was causing your sleep problem, Tex. I wonder if it would help me.
Is there any certain type of magnesium required? I take a Potassuim-Magnesium Aspartate supplement.
Potassuim = 99 mg........ Magnesium = 70 mg.
Love, Shirley
Is there any certain type of magnesium required? I take a Potassuim-Magnesium Aspartate supplement.
Potassuim = 99 mg........ Magnesium = 70 mg.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
Interesting, Tex. I'm glad that you are finally getting a decent night's sleep.
I think we all investigated the amount of magnesium that we are taking. I'm getting about 40% more than I need each day through my calcium supplements. I wonder if that's what's giving me looser stools? Some nights I sleep well; some nights I lie awake for a few hours. I haven't correlated any of this to the magnesium intake.
Gloria
I think we all investigated the amount of magnesium that we are taking. I'm getting about 40% more than I need each day through my calcium supplements. I wonder if that's what's giving me looser stools? Some nights I sleep well; some nights I lie awake for a few hours. I haven't correlated any of this to the magnesium intake.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Shirley,
The reason I tried this is because one of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency is shortness of breath. It can also cause you to sigh a lot, or try to yawn, in an exaggerated attempt to draw a deep breath. There are a lot of other possible symptoms, in just about every part of the body, but the deep breath issue, (and the neurological issues), are what caught my eye. There's a pretty detailed discussion of symptoms, and other issues, in this article:
http://www.mbschachter.com/importance_o ... _human.htm
It was easy for me to figure out how much magnesium I get in my diet, because I eat a rather limited diet, so my average daily intake does not vary much, and my average weekly intake is extremely stable. Here are some tables showing the magnesium content of various foods.
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/ma ... -foods.htm
The stuff I'm taking just says "Magnesium". I think it's probably important to take it with a meal, to reduce the laxative effect. I doubt that it would help, unless you are deficient in magnesium, but who knows? Remember, though, it's a pretty good laxative, if you get too much of it.
Love,
Tex
The reason I tried this is because one of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency is shortness of breath. It can also cause you to sigh a lot, or try to yawn, in an exaggerated attempt to draw a deep breath. There are a lot of other possible symptoms, in just about every part of the body, but the deep breath issue, (and the neurological issues), are what caught my eye. There's a pretty detailed discussion of symptoms, and other issues, in this article:
http://www.mbschachter.com/importance_o ... _human.htm
It was easy for me to figure out how much magnesium I get in my diet, because I eat a rather limited diet, so my average daily intake does not vary much, and my average weekly intake is extremely stable. Here are some tables showing the magnesium content of various foods.
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/ma ... -foods.htm
The stuff I'm taking just says "Magnesium". I think it's probably important to take it with a meal, to reduce the laxative effect. I doubt that it would help, unless you are deficient in magnesium, but who knows? Remember, though, it's a pretty good laxative, if you get too much of it.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Gloria,
I doubt that large amounts of natural magnesium in your diet would cause any problems, because the human body has evolved to operate on food, as fuel. Supplements, though, are an entirely different matter. If you are already getting your normal RDA through your diet, then 140% of your RDA from supplements, on top of that, would be very likely to cause soft stools, (or worse), IMO.
If you meant that the sum of your diet, and your calcium supplement, (IOW, your total magnesium intake), adds up to 40% more than your RDA, then it might, or might not, cause stool texture issues. I would be somewhat suspicious of it, until I was able to rule it out by testing. Supplements are always more suspicious than foods, since the body does not "perceive" them as food. I'm pretty sure that if I were taking over 400 mg of magnesium daily, in a supplement, Norman would be about as elusive around my place, as the ivory-billed woodpecker is, in Southern swamps.
Tex
I doubt that large amounts of natural magnesium in your diet would cause any problems, because the human body has evolved to operate on food, as fuel. Supplements, though, are an entirely different matter. If you are already getting your normal RDA through your diet, then 140% of your RDA from supplements, on top of that, would be very likely to cause soft stools, (or worse), IMO.
If you meant that the sum of your diet, and your calcium supplement, (IOW, your total magnesium intake), adds up to 40% more than your RDA, then it might, or might not, cause stool texture issues. I would be somewhat suspicious of it, until I was able to rule it out by testing. Supplements are always more suspicious than foods, since the body does not "perceive" them as food. I'm pretty sure that if I were taking over 400 mg of magnesium daily, in a supplement, Norman would be about as elusive around my place, as the ivory-billed woodpecker is, in Southern swamps.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I take 6 calcium/magnesium supplement pills most days in order to get adequate calcium. Each pair of pills contain 47% of the RDA for magnesium, for a total of 141%. My multiple vitamin gives another 6%. I probably get another 30% - 60% from my diet, for a total of 176% to 206%.
During my last attempt to get off Entocort, I noticed that my problems began after I added the calcium powder to my rice milk. Hmmm. I didn't even think about the magnesium in the powder.
I hunted high and low for calcium that didn't contain corn or soy, and these from The Vitamin Shoppe were one of the few I found. I may have liked this supplement because it was made out of powder which I could blend into the rice milk. I have some bottles of calcium supplements that I haven't used because they contain corn. I could probably try some of them to see if it makes a difference. I think I am able to handle corn without problems. I don't want to overdue it in case my overactive immune system thinks it's found another challenge to keep it happy.
Here's a list of foods that supply a significant amount of magnesium (according to the USDA nutritive value of foods):
Cocoa and chocolate
Dark green vegetables (most)
Dry beans, peas, and lentils
Fish
Nuts and seeds
Peanuts and peanut butter
Whole grains
Gloria
During my last attempt to get off Entocort, I noticed that my problems began after I added the calcium powder to my rice milk. Hmmm. I didn't even think about the magnesium in the powder.
I hunted high and low for calcium that didn't contain corn or soy, and these from The Vitamin Shoppe were one of the few I found. I may have liked this supplement because it was made out of powder which I could blend into the rice milk. I have some bottles of calcium supplements that I haven't used because they contain corn. I could probably try some of them to see if it makes a difference. I think I am able to handle corn without problems. I don't want to overdue it in case my overactive immune system thinks it's found another challenge to keep it happy.
Here's a list of foods that supply a significant amount of magnesium (according to the USDA nutritive value of foods):
Cocoa and chocolate
Dark green vegetables (most)
Dry beans, peas, and lentils
Fish
Nuts and seeds
Peanuts and peanut butter
Whole grains
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Parkinson's causes C, and that was the trend for me, before I started taking the magnesium. On the days when I take the supplement, (IOW, every other day), I'm getting a total of between about 125% and 150% of my RDA, (depending on my diet, on that particular day). On the days that I take the magnesium, though, my BMs are typically the consistency of medium to thick paste. On the days that I do not take the magnesium, my BMs are back to C, (IOW, buckshot, pellets, etc). On those days, my total magnesium intake is between 50%, and 85%, of my RDA, (again, depending on my diet, for that day). Without Parkinson's, to skew your BMs toward the C side, I would suspect that your "D effect" would be much greater than mine, especially based on your supplemental magnesium intake, but that's sheer speculation, of course. YMMV.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I just looked up the ingredients in my other two prescription drugs.
Vytorin (taking daily): Each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: butylated hydroxyanisole NF, citric acid monohydrate USP, croscarmellose sodium NF, hypromellose USP, lactose monohydrate NF, magnesium stearate NF, microcrystalline cellulose NF, and propyl gallate NF
I checked three different statins and they all have lactose.
Fosamax (Alendronate sodium - taking weekly): inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous lactose, croscarmellose sodium, and magnesium stearate.
I have a feeling that I'm getting more than my share of magnesium.
It makes me feel like I'm
Gloria
Vytorin (taking daily): Each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: butylated hydroxyanisole NF, citric acid monohydrate USP, croscarmellose sodium NF, hypromellose USP, lactose monohydrate NF, magnesium stearate NF, microcrystalline cellulose NF, and propyl gallate NF
I checked three different statins and they all have lactose.
Fosamax (Alendronate sodium - taking weekly): inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous lactose, croscarmellose sodium, and magnesium stearate.
I have a feeling that I'm getting more than my share of magnesium.
It makes me feel like I'm
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
Magnesium stearate is a very common ingredient in tablets, and even capsules. Most of them probably don't contain a great deal of it, though, especially if they're small pills, and you only take one a day, or less. You're getting a pretty big dose from your calcium supplement, so that would be the one to look at, to see if you might be able to cut the magnesium way down, there.
This is the only statin that I can find, without lactose. It's considered to be the weakest statin, but it's also considered to be the safest statin available, (or at least that was supposedly true when this article was published):
Tex
Magnesium stearate is a very common ingredient in tablets, and even capsules. Most of them probably don't contain a great deal of it, though, especially if they're small pills, and you only take one a day, or less. You're getting a pretty big dose from your calcium supplement, so that would be the one to look at, to see if you might be able to cut the magnesium way down, there.
This is the only statin that I can find, without lactose. It's considered to be the weakest statin, but it's also considered to be the safest statin available, (or at least that was supposedly true when this article was published):
Yep, sometimes it's hard to win.Fluvastatin (Lescol) Ingredients
Lescol contains fluvastatin, gelatin, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatized corn starch, red iron oxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide, yellow iron oxide, and other ingredients listed below.
The Fluvastatin (Lescol) capsules also include benzyl alcohol, black iron oxide, butyl paraben, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium, edetate calcium disodium, methylparaben, propylparaben, silicon dioxide and sodium propionate.
Extended release Fluvastatin (Lescol) tablets also include microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyle cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, potassium bicarbonate, povidone, magnesium stearate, iron oxide yellow, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol 8000.
Keep in mind that these listed ingredients are only good for the brand name "Lescol". It does not reflect the list of ingredients for any other version or name for fluvastatin.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you for the info, Tex.
I looked up Magnesium Aspartate
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-20754-M ... nting=true
Thought it might be interesting to someone.
Love, Shirley
I looked up Magnesium Aspartate
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-20754-M ... nting=true
Thought it might be interesting to someone.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill