So... magnesium is a conundrum. On one hand, it's said to be vital to recovery. It's good for your muscles. On the other hand, Lyme is said to deplete it. What is it doing, eating it? And, if it is being used/consumed by BB, should we be taking it?
Posted by Laura_W (Member # 31491) on :
Well, I'm going to use it. I can't handle the muscle twitches/cramps. Whether lyme eats it or whatever.... my body needs it.
Lyme takes alot from me, wouldn't surprise me if it did take some magnesium as well. I am not educated on this.
All I know is that Lyme needs to die!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I think we'd all be worse off by not taking it. It could seriously affect your heart too if you had a deficiency in Mg.
[ 06-16-2011, 07:48 PM: Message edited by: Lymetoo ]
Posted by thomasx (Member # 13431) on :
I'm not saying that what I'm saying is even accurate. I am curious what people know about this.
Posted by Beth22 (Member # 30232) on :
lymetoo is right. just got bk from llmd appt and asked this. she recommends taking magnesium and vit D even though there is some talk of it feeding the spirochetes, she feels it is better to have it than not.
Posted by RC1 (Member # 31923) on :
From what I understand the Magnesium aids the spirochete in making biofilms.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Everything our cells do, they do with enzymes. Enzymes need magnesium to function.
The Lyme bacteria live in our cells and use up the magnesium to live and reproduce.
Once our magnesium is low, our enzymes cannot work properly, and the cells cannot function well. Nerves twitch erratically. The heart muscle beats erratically.
Our liver needs magnesium to make glutathione to neutralize the poisons. Lyme bacteria give off stuff that is poison to our nerves. These neurotoxins cause symptoms.
Our brain cells need alot of nutrients to function well. When our magnesium is low, they cannot make energy like they should. They also need blood sugar and oxygen.
When the brain is not functioning well, we get depression, anxiety, panic attacks, memory problems.
Lyme's a bi#ch. Posted by thomasx (Member # 13431) on :
So we end up feeding the very thing that's making us sick. How fascinating.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Ugh, the bacteria are feeding on the nutrients in our cells. If we don't replace those nutrients, we get sicker with more symptoms.
Look around here, so many of people's complaints are related to symptoms of low magnesium. That, and vitamin deficits from poor bowel absorption.
Posted by thomasx (Member # 13431) on :
Why is there poor bowel absorption?
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
If lyme is depleting our magnesium, then all the more reason to supplement with it imo. Mag is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and plays a vital role in our functioning.
Carol's post is spot on. I say supplement.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
quote:Originally posted by thomasx: Why is there poor bowel absorption?
There can be a couple of reasons.
One is that people take medication that reduces the level of acid in the stomach. The acid in the stomach tears apart the cells of the food we eat, so that we can later absorb the various nutrients in the small bowel.
When the stomach is not acidic enough, the food cells do not get broken down enough. As an example, this includes the things that make up Vitamin B12.
The constituants of B12 are put back together again by bacteria, at the end of the small bowel. This doesn't happen when the parts haven't been broken down properly first.
People who are taking meds to reduce stomach acid are going to be deficient in B12. Low B12 can result in neuropathy, among other things.
Leaky gut syndrome will also result in poor bowel absorption. This is a situation where the walls of the intestines are inflamed, which can be caused by dysbiosis, a poor balance of gut bacteria and overgrowth of yeast.
Antibiotics kill bacteria in the gut, resulting in an imbalance between the good bacteria and the bad bacteria. The bad bacteria and the yeast proliferate.
THIS is one of the reasons why you should not take antibiotics. It's what people mean when they say that a long course of antibiotics has "trashed their gut."
Normally, only individual molecules pass through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream.
When a person has Leaky Gut Syndrome, the gut wall is inflamed and swollen. The junctions between the cells are not as tight as they should be, and larger groups of molecules can pass through.
Usually the larger groups of molecules do not pass through until they have been thoroughly digested, or broken down. This stuff in the bloodstream can cause allergic reactions.
It can also cause symptoms of arthritis. Some people have noticed that their arthritis improves when they fast.
Posted by RDaywillcome (Member # 21454) on :
Carol, What about poor bowel absorbtion sans abx? Do lyme and CIs cause it?
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Thomas, I don't know. I was trying to explain and simplify some of the reasons.
I know that many people cannot read and understand long medical explanations.
Posted by ihavelyme (Member # 30170) on :
Wow! That was an extremely helpful explanation, Carol in PA. Thank you for simplifying a complicated medical issue.
I have "trashed my gut" with long term abx. Working hard to restore balance now. now that bart has been nearly wiped out by abx, I am switching to Bar-1.
I am hoping this will help with all the gut issues. By the way, I do supplement with Magnesium. LLMD is of opinion that it does more good than harm.
Posted by DoctorLuddite (Member # 13853) on :
Certain types of magnesium are better absorbed than others.
Mag Oxide is the lowest and ironically the most common in many store bought supplements. Mag citrate is well absorbed, but not the mag citrate drink used to stimulate gut function, Mag citrate in tablet form.
Mag malate, or glycinate are also supposed to be better absorbed. A good health food store will have the good ones, they aren't that expensive.
I was having cramps in my feet a few years ago and from the first tablet, I was better.
I have read that there are 4 magnesium ions in every vitamin D receptor; if you want your vitamin D to work, and believe me, you do, take it.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)