posted
I have a question about Muscle twitches & magnesium supplements. First of all, I want to say that muscle twitches is one of the worst symptoms that I have. My muscle twitches is what got me going from Doctor to Doctor seeking out what was wrong with me, I was finally diagnosed with Lyme in October 2012.
I started taking Magnesium and my muscle twitches got better. They never left for good, but were no where as severe as they once were. I had been twitching for about 7 months. Sometimes is felt like my skin was crawling & that Iwas vibrating at times.
My muscle twicthing has started to come back again. It is not as bad as it was originally, but it is enough that bothers me. I have a couple of questions:
1. How much Magnesium should i take? I currently take 2 doses/ day 350mg each dose= 700mg/day
2. What type of Magnesium works best? My LLMD put me on Magnesium Taurate, but many people have said that I should be sterate or citrate.
3. Do the muscle twitches ever go away? I want to get back to normal one day. I try to take all my meds & supplements. I work out a few days a week. I try to eat a healthy diet, so I hope one day I can be normal again. Only issue is I keep gaining weight. Even with regular exercise & diet my weight seems to keep climbing up the scale.
Please feel free to share your comments, advice, stories or any other info you want to share with me. Thank you very much for all the replies.
Posts: 10 | From Jacksonville, NC | Registered: Oct 2012
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
You could try making the doses larger, adding a third dose of magnesium or a different kind. Don't bother with mag oxide...it's cheap but poorly absorbed.
It's difficult for magnesium to be absorbed, and a couple doses throughout the day will work better than one big dose. However, magnesium should not be taken at the same time as some antibiotics...check with your doctor or a pharmacist about this.
You'll need enough Vitamin D for your body to incorporate magnesium. When you buy it, look for D3.
Eat foods high in magnesium. Dark chocolate, Almonds, almond butter, Beans, baked beans, bean soup, refried beans, rice and beans, bean burritoes.
Opinions differ on what makes a "healthy diet." Are you cooking for yourself? If you dine at restaurants, the temptations are enormous.
Some people mistakenly try to eliminate fats from their diet. They never feel sated, or full, and eat more carbohydrates.
Some medications cause increased appetite. A slow thyroid can cause weight gain. You may not be able to lose weight if your metabolism's set-point has changed.
Posts: 6956 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Page 28 of Burrascano Guidelines:
"MAGNESIUM (required)
Magnesium supplementation is very helpful for the tremors, twitches, cramps, muscle soreness, heart skips and weakness. It may also help in energy level and cognition. The best source is magnesium L-lactate dehydrate (�Mag-tab SR�, sold by Niche Pharmaceuticals: 1-800-677-0355, and available at Wal-Mart). DO NOT rely on �cal-mag�, calcium plus magnesium combination tablets, as they are not well absorbed. Take at least one tablet twice daily. Higher doses increase the benefit and should be tried, but may cause diarrhea. In some cases, intramuscular or intravenous doses may be necessary."
"Magnesium deficiency is very often present and quite severe. Hyperreflexia, muscle twitches, myocardial irritability, poor stamina and recurrent tight muscle spasms are clues to this deficiency. Magnesium is predominantly an intracellular ion, so blood level testing is of little value. Oral preparations are acceptable for maintenance, but those with severe deficiencies need additional, parenteral dosing: 1 gram IV or IM at least once a week until neuromuscular irritability has cleared."
This second quote tells you that this symptom can be cleared once you get enough mag. You may need magnesium shots or IV.
But, go to the Wal-Mart pharmacy and order the Mag-Tab SR first. It comes in in a day. Take at least 4 per day. Take as many as you can take without getting diarrhea. Hopefully, in a week, this will do the trick.
The problem with oral magnesium is getting it absorbed. So, you can't go by the amount you are taking. You want to take the most absorbable one.
I hope you have a lyme doctor who can order the IM mag for you if this doesn't clear the symptom.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
I used Mag Tab SR for a long time, then switched to Mg Malate. Still I ended up not only Mg but also Ca deficient. Mg is generally poorly absorbed by the intestines. I recently started using Magnesium Oil, which is not really an oil, but highly concentrated Mg Chloride, which I rub into my skin all over twice a day. I let it absorb for 30 min, then take a shower because it is a bit sticky. My LLMD recommended it, and after looking into it I read that the effectiveness of transdermal Mg, which is what this is, is second only to Mg shots. I kept taking the Mg Malate for now. Because it is important to balance Mg with Ca I use MCHC Calcium, also recommended by my LLMD. But Citracal will do too. The brand of Mg oil does not really matter. I started with Life-flo, because that was available locally, but then ordered a large bottle of Swanson on Amazon. Don`t spend your money on Ancient Minerals, there is no difference except in the price. My muscle spasms have definitely improved, my blood circulation also, even my sleep is better. I read that it takes about four weeks for the Mg levels to get back to normal with the oil, but I think they are talking about otherwise healthy people. I will keep using it for as long as my skin can tolerate it. It is quite drying, even if you use a moisturizer afterwards. Because of that, and because it stings, I now dilute it a bit it with filtered water. Read the reviews on Amazon to see if you want to try it.
Posts: 210 | From VA | Registered: Mar 2002
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