Do you take magnesium?

[PinkTulip]

If so, what type and brand?

I woke up this morning with a pretty bad vestibular migraine - to the point I couldn’t sit up or get out of bed without extreme dizziness and nausea. Fortunately, I’m feeling better but still have low-level dizziness when moving about. 

I dove down the Google rabbit hole today and learned that many migraine sufferers are low in magnesium and I’m thinking I’d like to supplement. But there are so many different forms, and a million brands - I’m looking for recommendations from people who are actually taking a supplement. Thanks!

[BlsdMama]

Magtein’s L-threonate after a lot of research.

[Catwoman]

This is the brand that my husband originally got by prescription from his doctor, but it’s available on Amazon. It’s the one that I use for my migraines and it has made a tremendous difference for me. (I have used it for several years now.)

https://www.amazon.com/MG-PLUS-PROTEIN-White-500/dp/B0083URC82/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1BIVV9DEDVGX4&keywords=mg+plus+protein&qid=1702255080&sprefix=mg+plus%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-3

If you decide to order it, make sure it is sold and shipped by Miller Pharmacal, because that is the manufacturer. They ship very quickly, and are very reliable.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by Catwoman

[prairiewindmomma]

Doctor’s Best magnesium as magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate.

[Katy]

I can’t tolerate magnesium but I can tolerate a large green smoothie with just a bit of fruit (1/4 blender or less fruit over tightly packed greens & water). If it’s got a pound of greens the magnesium content is really high. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I cannot take magnesium capsules, because they give me such intense painful intestinal cramps that I can’t stand up—there’s a delay, too, but it happens each time I have tried to take them.  

But I frequently soak in Epsom salts, which are magnesium salts, and that is very helpful.  I find that my natural cramping, which has become more common as I’ve gotten older, pretty much is held at bay by doing this.  If you need a gentle application, I would suggest trying this.

[goldberry]

I take it when my migraines flare up, which means I don't have any right now.  But it definitely helps me when I start having more than one migraine in a month or so.  Look up feverfew also, that is more helpful than magnesium even in my experience.

[Eos]

9 hours ago, goldberry said:

I take it when my migraines flare up, which means I don't have any right now.  But it definitely helps me when I start having more than one migraine in a month or so.  Look up feverfew also, that is more helpful than magnesium even in my experience.

I have some of this growing and a dd who gets migraines.  How do you use it?

[ShepCarlin]

I take Calm: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Magnesium-Citrate-Powder/dp/B093WD7JBF/ref=sr_1_7?crid=BNQOS7IUVY8&keywords=calm+magnesium+powder&qid=1702304556&sprefix=calm+mag%2Caps%2C692&sr=8-7

Originally, I had been taking magnesium pills (I don't remember which ones, they were green pills made by Nature Made). They gave me horrific gas. I mean, horribly embarrassing, clear out a room gas.  I switched to Calm and things are, well, calmer ;). It helps me sleep at night and I do think it helps with  headaches but I will say too that once I got on blood pressure medication that is where I saw huge improvement in my headaches. 

I take two heaping scoops every night at 8pm mixed into about 6 ounces of water. 

[kbutton]

I take Vitacost mag. It’s a glycinate form. Nothing expensive.

For a while I also needed to take potassium. I do fine with tablets (usually two 99mg), but I don’t seem to absorb it from foods with an equivalent amount. If my muscle cramps won’t stop with mag, or if I start craving potatoes, bananas, etc., I take potassium for a couple of days.

At one point, I had to take both daily for months at a time, but something is much better now.

[dsmith]

I take Calm every night. I find it helps with restless leg and muscle cramps. I also take it to help with my blood pressure. Most magnesium pills are too large for me to take so I've found the Calm to be the best for me. I didn't take it when I was suffering from migraines regularly. I don't know if menopause is what finally did it for me, but I rarely get them anymore and if I do it's not as bad as they used to be when I was taking Imitrex, which ended up making them worse in the long run.

[gardenmom5]

I give dudeling "Magnesium theronate", currently using Jarrow

Dh get's a cal-mag combination, either from Thorne or Designs for health

 

I take complete minerals by designs for health, and sometimes add another magnesium sup like dh's.  (considering how my legs have been cramping, I probably need to take it.)

[prairiewindmomma]

FWIW, from what I can tell in reading, the main difference between the threonate and the glycinate forms of magnesium are that the threonate can cross through the mitochondrial membrane/blood-brain barrier. Initial studies show it may be particularly good for cognitive fog and neuro issues. Magnesium glycinate is chelated and has high absorption and bioavailability. Because it's bound with glycine, it has more calming qualities and is also better at muscle relaxant. It's also very gentle on the stomach.

Mag citrate increases water in the bowels, thus is useful for constipation. Mag oxide is not chelated and is bound either to an organic acid or fatty acid. It's been in the most studies (as an older form) with re: to migraines, but it's not very bioavailable, and is prone to causing digestive issues.

The Natural Calm gummies are made of mag citrate.  The powder is magnesium carbonate (325mg a serving). The capsules are magnesium glycinate.  Magnesium carbonate when mixed with hydrochloric acid in our tummies turns to magnesium chloride which is supposed to be helpful with GI issues---it will have antacid properties in that form. 

Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate (that lovely fire they put in your veins when they try to slow preterm labor or for seizure prevention with preeclampsia).  I've started to be able to find magnesium flakes made of magnesium chloride---it's better absorbed dermally than the sulfate version. 

---

Someone upthread asked about feverfew.  It did nothing for my migraines, but you make a tisane from the leaves. 1 T of leaves, brew for 8 minutes, drink daily.  Don't eat the fresh leaves; it can really irritate your mouth.  If you have a ragweed allergy, do not use feverfew; you can get a cross reaction as it's in the same rough pollen family. 

[goldberry]

8 hours ago, Eos said:

I have some of this growing and a dd who gets migraines.  How do you use it?

I take it in pill form, 200 mg.  This article mentioned leaves though.

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/feverfew

Here's another medical article.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210009/