question about magnesium supplements

I've started taking magnesium supplements at my dr's recommendation. (I also get intravenous magnesium about once a month.) I've been taking magnesium oxide supplements, 400 mg, and am having a lot of stomach upset. I've read that other forms/brands of magnesium (such as Mag-Tab SR) may reduce the risk of these side effects. Since the magnesium in Mag-Tab SR is supposed to be more bio-available than regular magnesium oxide, I was wondering if anyone knows what dose of Mag-Tab SR would be equivalent to 400 mg of regular magnesium oxide.

Thanks, and I really appreciate any feedback. This is my first post here -- I apologize if this is something that's already been addressed. (I did a search but didn't see anything exactly on point.)

First of all - welcome to the forum.

About your question. Magnesium doesn't seem to sit very well with many of us (myself included). Someone suggested Magnesium glycinate as it's easier on the stomach although I can't find the post that discussed it. I don't think that the dosage changes as long as you are still getting the 400mg. If you read the labels, they will tell you how much Magnesium you get from each pill.

Hope this was helpful.

Welcome Lila. Some good advice available on this forum.
Dont ever feel you cant ask.....


I agree Becky it is a hard one to ingest, and we are probably al in need of it.
Dietary intake is not that easy either.
Something I want to try again, but butterbur first I think.
P

You could call your pharmacist for an answer to your question.

Cheryl

Very good point Cheryl. Pharmacists are often wonderful resources that we forget about. There's a new one at my pharmacy and she has been so helpful with all the changes that have been going on lately.

Obvious experts on meds and such, and you can get an answer in a minute or two that can be trusted

Just a phone call away.

Cheryl

since i have tried all the magnesium forms available, but didn't give up, i'm the one who posted about glycinate. i have absolutely NO gut effects from this. the one i buy is from health food store; KAL brand, and it has 400 mg. mag.

i posted about butterbur yesterday, re: my outrageous bad reactions from most supplements and most drugs. but this brand has only the magnesium, plus the fillers cellulose, stearic acid, and magnesium stearate. all these are tolerable for me.

so please try this, if you are still determined to find a magnesium you can take. and yes, do call a pharmacist or two, as you might find valuable information from these knowledgeable folks. dianne

Thank you so much for all the replies -- this is really helpful (and I can't believe it took me this long to discover this forum). I'm going to try the KAL magnesium glycinate.

Good luck Lila, remember to tell us how it goes.

P

I use magnesium citrate. It's magnesium that has been dissolved (pre-digested) in citric acid. Any minerals I take are citrate suspended and I have never had any stomach problems. I take 1000mg a day in two 500mg doses morning and afternoon.

Most macro minerals are very alkaline and need a lot of acid to neutralize them for absorption. You do not want to be using up your valuable stomach acid to be neutralizing thousands of milligrams of minerals.

There are hundreds of mineral formulations out on the market that should never be sold. Magnesium oxide is oxidized magnesium, and I would not consider that a healthy and absorbable mineral. Once oxygen bonds with a mineral it has robbed most of it's electrons.

Brent wrote:I use magnesium citrate. It's magnesium that has been dissolved (pre-digested) in citric acid. Any minerals I take are citrate suspended and I have never had any stomach problems. I take 1000mg a day in two 500mg doses morning and afternoon.

Thanks so much for this information.

I just checked my magnesium, and it is oxide, although I haven't had any stomach problems directly related to it. I always buy calcium citrate because that was specifically recommended by my doctor. I should have kept that in mind.

You always have such valuable information, Brent! Thanks so much. It's these little changes that can make a big difference in our migrainey lives.

I have a friend that is a naturpath doc an he is a very good source for no BS info on supplements. So I just pass it along like he does for me.

Brent ~ isn't magnesium citrate used as a laxative? I looked around for a magnesium supplement and found the mag. citrate but only in a laxative bottle.

Of course a side effect of both of the medications I am currently on is constipation so maybe it would be beneficial in two ways for me?

Where would I find mag.citrate other than the laxative type?

Thanks!

Magnesium sulfate is the ingredient in Epsom salts. I take 1000mg magnesium citrate per day and it has never had a laxative effect.

Maybe in much higher doses and in a liquid form it might have a laxative effect. Any electrolyte in hi enough doses will pull water from your GI tract and trigger a "purge" effect.

Brent,

what don't you know? I didn't know that Magnesium sulfate was the main ingredient in epsom salts but the PA did say that it has a laxative effect. Will be watching for that and changing if that becomes an issue.

Becky

Was your PA trying to discourage you from using magnesium supplements?

Brent, not about magnesium nor anything to do with migraine...but do you think it is good to drink mineral water as a "health drink?"?

Cheryl

No she wasn't just saying that it was a possible side effect.

That's interesting that she would warn you about a supplement for a mineral that is found in almost all produce. But how many docs warn us about all the far more dangerous side effects of the prescriptions they give us? Most fruit will also act as a laxative if you eat too much but that does not mean there are not a lot of health benefits.

She also may have mixed up mag citrate with mag sulfate. All things in moderation and moderation can vary from one person to the next.

Cheryl, is there a specific mineral water you're talking about? I use a concentrate from the Great Salt Lake in my water. It has 96 macro and trace minerals in it and it's very cheap. But it doesn't take very much to give it a saline/brackish flavor.

Brent ~ what magnesium citrate do you take if I may ask?

Now Foods from Iherb.com.

Brent wrote:Now Foods from Iherb.com.

Thank you!

Brent, I was thinking of something that can be purchased in ordinary grocery stores, like Perrier. It's expensive, but I was wondering about any health benefits.

I'll have to look up what you mentioned.

About magnesium...a physician recommended to me magnesium malate. She said it is expensive but something high quality. What she takes as a preventative.

Cheryl

I looked it up and Perrier does have some minerals but not in any beneficial quantities. Even with the ionic minerals I add to my water I am only getting the vital trace minerals. And I can definitely taste them.

I take Mag Tab SR. I was taking 1 tablet 2x/day. Not sure what the equivalent would be though. The service people at Niche Pharmaceuticals are very helpful and could probably give you the info. I am trying another form of magnesium recomended by another migraine sufferer, it is magnesium aspartate. I just started, so I cant say if its working or not. I also take epsom salts baths several times/week. Hope this helps.
Cindy