dancer67 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I have heard that magnesium can help with cramps. I have been looking around on this board and on the internet, and it doesn't state how much to take(without overdosing and getting diarrhea from it). How much should I start with, and do I take it all month, or only before I start my period? Is it safe to take if you are on a beta blocker? I also would like to take Vitex. Which is the best brand out there, and is it okay to take with Natural Progesterone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I have heard that magnesium can help with cramps. I have been looking around on this board and on the internet, and it doesn't state how much to take(without overdosing and getting diarrhea from it).How much should I start with, and do I take it all month, or only before I start my period? Is it safe to take if you are on a beta blocker? I also would like to take Vitex. Which is the best brand out there, and is it okay to take with Natural Progesterone? Yes, magnesium is great for cramps, etc. Anywhere from 400 mg (minimum for most) to 1200 mg is fine. Glycinate won't give you diarrhea. Let me get back to you later. I have the info, but not on me right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Thanks Negin:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I take magnesium glycinate (from Swanson Vitamins) - 600 to 800 mg a day, all month long. It has really helped with cramping, and my neurologist also recommended it for migraines, so I take it all the time. I've taken Vitex for years, although for most of those, it was tea made from the herb itself. Now I'm taking a perimenopause formula (Enzymatic Therapy) that has 40 mg in it. I don't know about taking it with progesterone, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 ok. I just need to double check and make sure magnesium is okay to take if you take a Beta Blocker. It only says it interacts with Calcium Channel Blockers, but just in case................. And, bumping on the Vitex question(brand), and nat. progesterone together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'll share all the info I have on magnesium. I vary my dosages according to time of the month. I take more right before and in the week of my period. I take a week's break from it a week or two after. I have a schedule set up. That's because I'm that sort of personality - a bit of a nut-job when it comes to organization and structure. My body does better when I give it a bit of a challenge and don't take every single supplement every single day. I don't think beta blockers should be a problem. Then again, I'm not sure. I would google it or ask a good pharmacist or someone who knows. I take magnesium with Vitex & Natural Progesterone (Emerita, in my case). I have had no problems with it. Then again, my body is not that sensitive. You could build it up gradually and see how your body handles it. I love magnesium. My favorite mineral. :D Magnesium is a key mineral that many are deficient in. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency: Anal spasms Angina Anxiety Arthritis Asthma Autism ADD Blood Clots Bowel Disease Cardiac Arrhytmias (rapid heartbeat) Chronic fatigue Constipation Craving for Chocolate (interestingly, chocolate is highest in magnesium of all foods) Cystitis Depression Diabetes Fatigue Fibromyalgia GERD - Magnesium deficiency is one of the causes of reflux because magnesium helps the sphincter at the bottom of the stomach relax, allowing the food to go down. Headaches - anything that feels tight or cramp-like Heart Attacks High Blood Pressure Hypoglycemia Inflammation in the body and higher CRP levels Insomnia Irregular, Rapid Heartbeat Irritable bladder Irritable bowel syndrome Irritability Joint Pain Kidney Disease Kidney stones Leg Cramps Menstrual cramps Menopausal Disorders Migraines Muscle cramps or twitching or spasms Nervousness Obesity Osteoporosis Palpitations PMS Raynaud’s Syndrome Reflux - Magnesium deficiency is one of the causes of reflux because magnesium helps the sphincter at the bottom of the stomach relax, allowing the food to go down. Restless Legs Sensitivity to loud noises Sleep Disorders Spasms Stress Tooth Decay Tremors Trouble swallowing Unexpected Cardiac Death Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 BENEFITS OF MAGNESIUM INCLUDING ABOVE BONE HEALTH Bone density and overall bone health Magnesium is key to good bone health, balancing calcium and converting vitamin D for better calcium absorption. Without enough magnesium, the calcium you take will not be absorbed. Unabsorbed calcium that is not excreted (and most isn’t) gets into your joints where it becomes arthritis or in your arteries where it becomes atherosclerosis. Taking more magnesium can prevent your blood vessels from calcifying and developing into atherosclerosis. IMPROVES SLEEP Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Helps maintain healthy melatonin levels Marvelous for just about everything including periodic nocturnal awakenings when it can coax you gently back to sleep HEART HEALTH Magnesium deficiency is common in those with heart disease. Helps muscles, including the heart, relax Lowers total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising HDL (good) cholesterol Appears to reduce high blood pressure, cutting the risk of heart attack and stroke Lessens the risk of heart arrhythmia and limits the complications of congestive heart failure Magnesium, a natural calcium channel blocker, is an effective treatment for heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmias. An astounding number of studies have documented the effectiveness of IV magnesium in helping prevent cardiac damage and even death following a heart attack. The reason for this is that 40 to 60 percent of sudden deaths from heart attack are the result of spasm in the arteries, not blockage from clots or arrhythmias! Without adequate magnesium, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure increases. Magnesium keeps excessive sodium out of your heart. Sodium attracts water, so a magnesium deficiency can contribute to edema (swelling) in your heart or lungs. KIDNEY STONES Helps prevent formation of those painful kidney stones (calcium oxalate crystals) DETOXIFICATION Helps the liver do its all-important job of detoxification by acting as an escort to toxins—including estrogens—as they leave the body CONSTIPATION Magnesium helps keep bowels regular by maintaining normal bowel muscle function. Milk of magnesia has been used for decades to help constipation. Magnesium helps restore good bowel tone and normal peristalsis – that alternating muscle relaxation and contraction in the intestines. HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES Helps occasional headaches that can come with caffeine withdrawal Magnesium helps eliminate peripheral nerve disturbances that can lead to migraines There’s a strong correlation between migraines and hormonal fluctuations. Estrogen hormones (right before, during, or immediately after your period) can block the body’s absorption of magnesium, leading to low blood levels of this mineral. A number of scientific studies found low levels of magnesium in people with migraines. Many women with monthly migraines have low blood levels of magnesium. Remember that the more calcium you take, the more magnesium you need. Try cutting back on calcium while you increase your magnesium and see how this change affects your migraines. RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME Is a natural muscle and nerve relaxant that calms the involuntary spasms and creepy-crawly sensations of RLS (restless legs syndrome) SKIN HEALTH Keeps skin fresh and moist ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS, AND DEPRESSION Magnesium helps keep adrenal stress hormones under control and also helps maintain normal brain function. Crucial for the synthesis of serotonin and other neurotransmitters Magnesium is usually lacking in those with depression. In fact, one study reported “rapid recovery from major depression†after treatment with magnesium, and found that magnesium helped relieve the anxiety and insomnia often associated with depression. Many women have an undiagnosed magnesium deficiency, which can contribute to anxiety ASTHMA Magnesium helps relax the muscles of the bronchioles in the lungs. INFERTILITY Magnesium can relax spasms in fallopian tubes that prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. NERVE PROBLEMS AND MUSCLE SPASMS Magnesium helps eliminate peripheral nerve disturbances that can lead to migraines, leg and foot cramps, gastrointestinal cramps, and other muscle aches and pains. PMS RELIEF AND MENSTRUAL PAIN RELIEF RELIEVES CHRONIC FATIGUE AND FIBROMYALGIA Some people with chronic fatigue have diets that are very high in calcium and low in magnesium. Once they increase their magnesium (beans, whole grains, green vegetables) and eliminate dairy products (worth trying for at least 2 weeks), their symptoms are greatly lessened. You may very well need more magnesium. Magnesium is one of the best nutrients – if not, the best – both for energy production and pain control. Everyone who has CFIDS or fibromyalgia – or even general fatigue – should try increasing their magnesium before turning to more expensive remedies. While magnesium won’t eliminate fibromyalgia completely, it often plays a major role in improving energy, reducing pain, and lessening other symptoms. Malic acid is an acid found in apples and other fruits. It reduces fibromyalgia pain. When you add malic acid to magnesium, you have a powerful supplement that can reduce fatigue in a few weeks, and reduce your pain in a few days. CHOCOLATE CRAVINGS Craving chocolate can be a sign of a calcium/magnesium imbalance. It could mean that you’re getting too much calcium and not enough magnesium. Most women need 500-600 mg a day each of supplemental calcium and magnesium. The rest we get from a healthy diet. But we’re being told to take 1500 mg calcium and half as much magnesium. This isn’t enough magnesium and our chocolate craving tells us so. Magnesium is excreted in higher-than-usual quantities when you’re under stress. This is why so many women crave chocolate before menstruation, a time when magnesium levels are lower from physiological stress. When magnesium is increased, chocolate cravings decrease. HELPS INSULIN RESISTANCE AND DIABETES Low magnesium leads to increased insulin resistance. When this happens, blood sugar levels rise and remain high. This can contribute to diabetes. Magnesium’s role in insulin resistance translates into low energy. Too much or too little glucose in your blood causes fatigue. If low blood sugar is contributing to your fatigue, be sure to eat a diet low in refined sugars and starches. And get plenty of magnesium. CANCER Increasing the amount of magnesium may decrease your risk of cancer. Magnesium helps DNA repair itself, which is crucial for preventing cells from mutating and becoming cancerous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 HOW MUCH TO TAKE For most people on a healthy diet, 400 mg of Magnesium daily should be sufficient. But for those who have symptoms of deficiency (and most of us are deficient), I would recommend more, but probably no more than 1200 mg. Add in more magnesium gradually. Your body knows how much it can handle according to how much your bowels can tolerate. The stools should feel soft, but not excessively loose. Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night I have read that it’s preferable to not take magnesium at the same time as calcium. Others say that it’s fine. This is where I am confused. I think the former makes more sense. The most absorbable forms are: Magnesium Citrate Magnesium Glycinate Magnesium Taurate Magnesium Aspartate Magnesium Malate Magnesium Succinate Magnesium Fumirate Avoid: Magnesium Oxide Magnesium Carbonate Magnesium Gluconate Magnesium Sulfate These are not absorbed well and are the cheapest forms Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to Magnesium Glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 NATURAL SOURCES Almonds Avocado Barley Beans Brazil nuts Brown rice Buckwheat Dark Chocolate Dates Figs Garlic Greens (including Collard Greens and Dandelion Greens) Kelp Molasses Millet Parsley Pecans Rye Sea vegetables (seaweed and kelp – but make sure they come from non-polluted waters and are high-quality) Shrimp Walnuts Whole Grains Wheat bran Wheat germ EPSOM SALTS BATH Taking a bath or a foot soak with Epsom salts is one of the best ways to increase the body’s absorption of magnesium. Epsom Salts are Magnesium Sulfate and are easily absorbed by the body. Take a hot bath with up to 2 cups of Epsom salts and 1 cup baking soda (optional) to help draw toxins out of the body. Try to do this once a week, but for no more than 20 minutes. A foot soak can also be very beneficial. Epsom salts are so helpful in bringing relief to: • Arthritis pain, stiffness, soreness, and tightness of joints • Muscle aches, pains and tenderness • Painful bruises, sprains and strains • Pain from over exertion as a result of exercise • Insomnia and Sleep Problems • Stress • Insect Bites and Splinters REASONS FOR MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY Diets that are highly-processed and refined – mostly white flour, red meat, and dairy – none of these have magnesium. Food processing removes much of the magnesium (as well as other minerals) that’s naturally found in certain foods. Antacids and other indigestion medicines disrupt magnesium absorption. Modern farming practices deplete magnesium and other minerals in the soil. Medications including diuretics, birth control pills, insulin, tetracycline and other antibiotics, and cortisone lead to magnesium deficiencies. Too much calcium often leads to an imbalance . These two minerals need to be in balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thank you so much Negin! Can you recommend a brand of Magnesium, and Vitex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I take Magnesium by "Jigsaw". They recommend 4 caps a day. After taking 4 for a month, I reduced to 3, this seems to be a good amount for me. Dr. Carol Dean has a website on the benefits of magnesium. I do take bio-identical progesterone and it does not seem to cause any trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thank you! I put my order in for this. Looks like this is what I have been looking for.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Can you recommend a brand of Magnesium, and Vitex? You're most welcome. :) Magnesium - we take KAL (you can get it from amazon or vitacost) Magnesium Glycinate. Bear in mind, they're huge horse pills, which dh does not like. KAL is a very good brand. There are many others that are good. I just got Solaray and I like their stuff a lot also. I think that for most magnesium, if you take the right type (as I mentioned in the previous post), Glycinate, Citrate, etc. and avoid the cheaper, not-so-good ones, you should be okay. Vitex - I take Nature's Way, which I like a lot also. Good prices and it was the only one available here. As to deciding which brands are good, this list is by no means complete. This is all based on my reading and my own experience. WHAT I PREFER Bio-available when possible – these are best absorbed. Many bio-available forms are patented and identified on the label. Magnesium or Vitex may not fall under this category, just know that any time you see the word "bio-available" it's a good thing. Anything with a short ingredient list – no soybean oil, no sugar, starches, colorings, soy, etc. – the less things in it, the better! With vitacost, you can click on side bar buttons to say that you're looking for something without soy, etc. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE – IF I COULD If I lived in the U.S., I would try my utmost to get as much as I could from Standard Process - which you have to buy from an alternatiave health care practitioner. Standard Process is wonderful. But they don't have every single supplement. They're very specialized. ALKALIZING MULTI VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS Most of us have systems that are overly acidic. Working towards a system that is balanced or more alkaline is the key to overall health. These supplements are said to be very good for alkalizing the body. • http://www.auntiegs.com/index.php 12 Systems Synergistic Multiple – one tablet per meal • Vita Lea (Shaklee) – one tablet with each meal • Bio Strath – One teaspoon with each meal or tablet as indicated – I saw it on vitacost AFTER THAT I prefer searching for good brands on vitacost or amazon – reading reviews, and looking at brands. The following are brands that I like and trust: Carlson’s Nature’s Way Twin Labs KAL Enzymatic Therapy Green Magma – for green, alkalizing drink Solgar Source Naturals Rainbow Light Solaray NOW Swanson UniKey (do a google search) New Chapter Organics Brands I've heard good things about, but have not yet tried, and don’t yet know enough about: Aerobic Life Products Blue-Green Algae Country Life Darwin’s Gaia Herbs Health from the Sun Jarrow Kyo-Green Member’s Mark Metagenics Nature’s Plus Nature’s Sunshine Nordic Naturals Planetary Formulas Pure Encapsulations Puritan’s Pride Shaklee Trace Minerals Research Vitamin World Zone Perfect HTH. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thank you so very much Negin!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treestarfae Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I would go with Nature's Way Vitex and magnesium is wonderful. Epsom salt baths are a good way to get your magnesium levels up too. I think citrate and glycinate work the same and all magnesium will relax your bowels if you take too much. You have to tell how much you can tolerate. I would start at a 400mg doase and work up to see how much you can handle without bathroom issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 I ordered the Jigsaw Magnesium SRT that Liz in CA suggested. It was a little pricey but they have a 90 day money back guarantee. I spoke live with a rep to get the size of the pills(important to me) and he says they are tad bigger then the oblong Tylenol pills. Which is fine. (My NOW vitamins are HUGE). This is dimagnesium malate, and in looking at Negrin's list, it is supposed to be one of the absorbable ones. You take 2 in the morning and two at night for 500mg. And it is Sustained release, and not supposed to have the bowel issues(I take iron so it really doesnt matter to me anyways if my stools get loose!) I will order the Vitex from Natures Way. I still don't know if you can take that with Nat progesterone together. Oh, and Negrin, my Dr said it was fine to take magnesium with the BP meds I am on. I have anxiety, depression, IBS, heart palps(was checked out all is fine), and bad cramps. So hopefully the mag will help. Thanks!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I will order the Vitex from Natures Way. I still don't know if you can take that with Nat progesterone together.Oh, and Negrin, my Dr said it was fine to take magnesium with the BP meds I am on. I have anxiety, depression, IBS, heart palps(was checked out all is fine), and bad cramps. So hopefully the mag will help. I think you should be fine with the natural progesterone and the Vitex. If you're concerned, you could add in the Vitex gradually. 1 capsule a few times a week, then daily, and so on. Most of the herbs in these things are very minimal anyway. It's hard to overdose on them or to get negative reactions. The magnesium should help with your BP. Glad to hear that your dr. said it's okay. Magnesium should help with all the conditions you describe. If you need more specific tips for each one, start new threads if you want. I'll be glad to share tips. Hope you feel much better very soon. :grouphug: I think of you so often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 Negin, Thank you so very much for ALL of your help. You have been invaluable. (I hate to keep bothering you), but thank you for the offer for help.:grouphug: I will keep you posted.. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I will keep you posted..:lol: You are most welcome. Thinking of you and hope that all is well. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.