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How to quickly get my magnesium level up?

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Posted 11/13/2008 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Since right before going through perimenopause, I had spells of having alot of irregular heartbeats. It seemed to have something to do with my hormones too. I even went to the ER once for it. The doc gave me I.V. magnesium and told me to take supplements regularly. I've taken Calcium and magnesium every day since. A couple months ago, I went on Zoloft. It gave me such bad diarrhea, I had to quit the magnesium for awhile. I have since gone down on the Zoloft and back on the magnesium. But for a couple weeks now, I'm having tons of irregular heartbeats. Its such a pain. I know they're harmless, but they're still scary. I had a stress echo a couple months ago, and it was all normal. I've seen a cardiologist for these in the past, and I guess they can be very benign.
I've tried to increase my daily intake of magnesium, but it gives me diarrhea. Anybody have any good ways of raising my magnesium without getting the diarrhea? Hmmm......I just thought of something. Maybe I could take pepto bismol for a few days, while I increase my magnesium.
I think it is low magnesium, because I've also gotten alot of other muscle twitches and buzzing recently. Any ideas on the best way to get my magnesium up fast? I'm alternating mag citrate with mag oxide. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.
Posted 11/13/2008 1:00 PM (GMT 0)
Magnesium citrate is the easiest to be absorbed by the body.  How much magnesium are you taking?  I'm getting around 700 mg a day.  It is in the malic acid/magnesium supplement.  So, I'm taking half of it in the morning and half in the evening.

 

I would start out with about 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg in the evening.  Do this for several days.  If you have no diarrhea, take 200 in the morning and evening.  Wait and see what happens.  Your body might need to get used to the magnesium again.  If this goes fine and you want to take more, then keep upping the incriments in this manner.  That's how I did it and I don't not have a problem with diarrhea.  Hope this helps!

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/13/2008 3:16 PM (GMT 0)

I'm so glad you asked this question becasue I have been wondering the same thing myself.  I don't get diarrhea from magnesium but I get gas...I also don't know what a safe level is.  I only take 250mg a day because my vitamin and mineral book considers anything over 400mgs to be dangerous.  As Sherrine knows, I have had twitching and buzzing in my legs lately....I wonder if 250 mgs is enough??  I'll put up with the gas if a larger dose helps these sensations.

I hope you can figure out a way to by pass the magnesium side effects...if you do...let me know!

feel better,

donna

Posted 11/13/2008 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Sherrine and donna,

I used to take about 500mg/day, along with my 1200mg of calcium. but I've been hearing you're supposed to take more magnesium than that.
Donna......you can't really take too much........if you take more than you can handle, you'll get diarrhea, but I've heard its not dangerous to take alot (if you don't get diarrhea).

Like I said, I quit taking magnesium for about a month, when I got so much diarrhea from the Zoloft. Then about 10 days ago, I started taking it again. I'm back to the 500/day, but in the past week I've gotten sooooo many irregular beats, that I've tried to sneak in another 250-500 during the day, but it still gives me diarrhea.
I do have some magnesium citrate, which I've started taking instead of the magnesium oxide, but it does tend to give me even more diarrhea.
I wonder if people can get irregular beats from Zoloft? I've had them off and on for a long time, but what I've been having recently is just too much. My body seems to react with alarm, and then I have to take a xanax!

When I got the high dose of magnesium I.V. in the ER, it never gave me diarrhea. Wish I could have some of that.

I usually get bursts of irregular beats for a number of possible reasons: leaning over and lifting alot (hiatal hernia??), aggravation of GERD, or a burst of my hormones. I haven't had a period in about 4 years, but I swear, my ovaries are still spitting, hissing and clanging! I've actually had some ovary pain recently, so I really wonder about that.
Thanks again.
Posted 11/13/2008 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Donna, I spoke with my pharmacist who knows a lot about herbs, etc. and he said that 700 mg was safe.  My doctor knows I'm taking that much too.  Also, the pharmacist said that when people have heart problems they are prescribed over 1,000 mg.  So, maybe you need more magnesium to help you.  See what your pharmacist has to say.

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/13/2008 11:31 PM (GMT 0)

I don't know much these days but this I DO know.  SSRI's can give you diarrhea(geez, I can't spell either) and the heart skipping a beat thing.  So can fibro...so can anxiety.  I have the other problem with Lexapro...constipation.  But I have a friend on Zolfot and she has the opposite affect.  My heart skips beats almost every day.  The sensation is annoying but not dangerous,  as long as you have been checked out....which it sounds like you have.

As far as magnesium, I am allergic to nuts and legumes so I know I don't get enough in my diet.  I'm glad I read this post because I'm going to up my dose and take the malic acid with it.  I hope it helps this buzzing and tingling.

donna

Posted 11/14/2008 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Donna......take sublingual B12 for your buzzing and tingling. It has helped me alot.
I slowly went up on the Zoloft, and was feeling great. When I got to the "therapeutic" dose, I began have 3-4 episodes of explosive, liquid diarrhea. This went on for 3 weeks, every day. I got so I didn't want to leave the house. The doc kept saying "it will go away."........but I thought 3 weeks was long enough. I have gone down on the dose, and am at 25, but I don't think its giving me as much "mental" help as the high dose was.
gosh, I hate when you find something that works well, only to begin to have intolerable side-effects!
Posted 11/14/2008 12:38 AM (GMT 0)

Cathy...can I get the sublingual b12 over the counter or is it a prescription?

Donna

Posted 11/15/2008 12:43 AM (GMT 0)
Donna, you can buy sublingual B-12 over the counter. Julie:-)
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