Magnesium for migraines...what is the best form?

[Ottakee]

My son has migraines.  The doctor suggested magnesium.  He has been having some stomach upset though.

What is the best form of magnesium for migraines...that is also gentle on the stomach?   He gets upset stomach/nausea easily.

I figured Dr Hive is more up on this that google where everyone is trying to sell me their product.

[Katy]

The best option when you have stomach upset is probably epsom salts in a hot bath. 

[drjuliadc]

Not magnesium oxide, which is poorly absorbed (less than 10%) and what you will get if you buy magnesium from a drug store or Walmart, Sams, Target.

You need chelated magnesium like malate, aspartate, glycinate, citrate, taurate or threonate. Citrate has more of a laxative effect, so avoid that one if regular. We get most of our patients on magnesium and we start most of them on magnesium Malate. We use the Designs For Health brand. We get it from Emerson Ecologics.

Magnesium should be taken with food.  1/2 an hour after a meal is too late. Stomach acid is needed to absorb minerals and there isn’t stomach acid in your stomach if there isn’t food in it.

[historically accurate]

My kid started with migraines before she could reliably take a pill. So I got her Calm gummies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078KJLT6G/ref=sns_myd_detail_page Even though she can now take pills, we've kept these because they don't upset her stomach at all. 

We've also used Magnesium lotion as well. It is pretty heavy on the scent though. https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Lotion-Health-Products-Liquid/dp/B01HIYJRMC/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2XHD2EGGN4MF6&keywords=magnesium+lotion&qid=1644674736&s=hpc&sprefix=magnesium+lotio%2Chpc%2C177&sr=1-12

 

[drjuliadc]

Magnesium doesn’t usualy bother people’s stomach unless they take it without food in their stomach. Most vitamins should be taken with food. Magnesium commonly causes loose stools, which people refer to as “bothering their stomach.” 

[drjuliadc]

Of the magnesium types I listed, magnesium glycinate is the least likely to causes loose stools. I don’t start with that one because there is less magnesium in each pill and our patients always need 2 or more pills, I don’t want to unnecessarily increase the number of pills.

We occasionally have people who get loose stools even with mag glycinate. Then we give them jigsaw magnesium which is timed release.

[Tap]

Drjuliadc is correct with her advice. DD23 has taken magnesium for years. She prefers the Mag Citrate from Pure Encapsulations but she naturally is constipated, so she wants the laxative benefit of the citrate form.

If plain magnesium doesn't work, one other suggestion is a product called Dolovent. I buy it on Amazon or direct through Dolovent. It is expensive at $55/bottle. One bottle lasts 1-2 months depending on how she takes it. It was recommended by my daughters Naturopath (she is a pain specialist at a top level teaching hospital). DD has about 8 migraines a month and she has a headache on most days. This product doesn't eliminate her headaches, but definitely lowers the frequency and intensity.

 

 

[Ottakee]

4 hours ago, drjuliadc said:

 

We occasionally have people who get loose stools even with mag glycinate. Then we give them jigsaw magnesium which is timed release.

It is more nausea than loose stools.  Of course eating with it would help.

Is the jigsaw magnesium malate a good form for headaches?   I take that brand every morning to help with sleep and it does help.  So I have that brand here at home.

Pharmacy gave him magnesium oxide as I think the RX just said magnesium.

[Carol in Cal.]

I get horrendous intestinal cramps XX hours after taking magnesium capsules.  So I keep my stores up with Epsom salt baths as needed, usually 1-2X weekly.  Hot soak for at least 20 minutes, with about 3/4 cup in the bath.  This also reduces various cramps for me, quite a bit.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Carol in Cal.

[Pawz4me]

I get bloating and pain/discomfort from every type of magnesium I've tried (all taken with food, always). So in layman's terms . . yeah, it bothers my stomach. But I have IBS and many (many) things are bothersome. So . . take my experience for whatever it may be worth.

[prairiewindmomma]

I do best with glycinate. I've never had toileting or cramping issues with magnesium. It does help immensely as a migraine preventative for me--more so than many Rx drugs I've had over the years. 

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

I get bloating and pain/discomfort from every type of magnesium I've tried (all taken with food, always). So in layman's terms . . yeah, it bothers my stomach. But I have IBS and many (many) things are bothersome. So . . take my experience for whatever it may be worth.

Have you tried Thorne magnesium glycinate? I have some GI issues, too. It’s the first magnesium I’ve been able to take. (Also Garden of Life probiotics help, too. Still have to stay low fodmap, but it does help).

ETA : Another strategy I use is to only take take one per day(30 percent RDA) and just get the rest from food throughout the day. That way, it’s not all at once, and food forms (like from greens) are less likely to make things worse anyway. Taking one per day makes it doable to get all the rest in from food. If it’s not 100 percent, it’s close enough, and I just let that be good enough. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Indigo Blue