Magnesium Supplements for Chronic Pain?

Hi web... I think a lot of the evidence out there with magnesium and pain is anectodal/based on case review rather than backed by good scientific study - but for all that I do find that it helps me. I get severe muscle spasms (less so these days thanks to my baclofen pump) and while the mag never helped much on its own, I would say it helps as an adjunct to my other meds. I know my PM is of the opinion that it helps boost the effects of ketamine during an infusion too...but my body doesn't much like having either IV.

I believe there is also a thought that combining magnesium and malic acid can help with some pain conditions such as fibro.

And yes...it definitely has use as a laxative (usually as mag citrate, I think?).

Especially if you're currently on other meds and intending to continue with them, I'd definitely consult your doctor before you start taking it...while its relatively safe at lower doses (higher doses can potentially cause arrhythmias) there are interactions between magnesium and some common classes of meds ... either affecting the action of the other med, or increasing the amount of mag in your system.

L

Hi web,

I also take magnesium. I don't know that it actually helps my pain at all. But my doc told me that it was important that I take it, because it could help with pain, sleep, and depression, by acting on the NMDA receptors in the brain (magnesium is required to keep the NMDA receptors turned off, and NMDA receptors play a role in the transmission of pain signals in the brain, and also play a role in depression). So I take at least 300 mg of magnesium glycinate every night.

While I don't really feel like the oral magnesium relaxes my muscles at all, I've had magnesium administered IV several times. And boy does that feel strange! It makes you feel very relaxed and warm. So I know that it certainly does have the potential to act as a muscle relaxant, too.

Skeye

Post Edited (skeye) : 4/11/2015 12:34:31 AM (GMT-6)

Thank you so much for posting this. I have muscle 'knots' from the damage to my right shoulder. I'm gonna try this after clearing it with the pharmacist!

Magnesium is an amazing product.. Thou my pain issues go further than this thread I've read extensively about it. When your low in magnisum your muscles and nerves are unable to function properly and your body will get stressed and anxious . Ers use magnesium to calm stressed out patience when in trama . I myself have a lot of nerve damage from a bad car accident and a labour job. I also suffer from anxiety and magnesium is my go to everyday . I can deal with the burning in my arms n legs and even my back but I get it horribly in my face which we have figured out is from tmj and acid reflux moving up the back of the throat burning the sinuses . I find the magnesium calms the spazims in the sinuses to a manageable degree but I also take liquorish root to calm the stomach and tylonal and I'm able to cope. Ultimately what I eat effects how much pain I'm in and being a coffee drinker for so long I depleted my magnesium. I just pray one day the pain stops

i find magnesium oil very helpful for pain , it gets absorbed exactly where you need it .
Athletes use it after training. xx

I have constant back spasms so a while back I bought some magnesium oil from an ancient seabed. After using it for about a week or so I had the opposite of constipation.

So I stopped using it except for when I start getting backed up. Then I spray a few squirts on each leg and rub it in. Seems to work for me but I have a really strange stomach.

I was having terrible charley horses in my thighs. My PCP put me on it for those & it took care of them. My potassium was fine.