MAGNESIUM

[gerryatriq]

Just wondered if anyone had tried taking Magnesium (citrate) with Vit D, and noticed any improvement in AF symptoms?

[BobD Volunteer]

I take a magnesium supplement from Healthspan. Many people say it helps.

BobD

[gerryatriq]

It was originally suggested to me over 13 years ago when AF was first diagnosed, but that was by a Cardio in Europe.

What sort of dose do you take and have you ever had a bloodtest or any other test to determine your actual body level of Mg?

[pip_pip in reply to gerryatriq]

When in difficulties AF or flutter etc, the medics might give you Magnesium drip. It will lower the heart rate quite substantially. My magnesium levels were quite low just last week when I had a problem with flutter, and a drip was administered. Not for the first time. However, over the counter purchase you would need to work out proper dosing.

[Alemo27 in reply to gerryatriq]

If magnesium level in blood test normal ,do I need to take any type of magnesium to stop or prevent AF . Than what about beta blockers? In some occasion I even take

Flecaidine 25 mg.if Bisoprolol doesn't help to stop arrhythmias.

[Hidden in reply to Alemo27]

As far as I know, the only reliable way to find out about magnesium depletion is to have your red cell magnesium checked. The standard serum magnesium checked by your GP apparently doesn't help.

I think a lot of people feel magnesium helps without knowing whether they are magnesium deficient. As long as kidney function is normal, I believe magnesium won't do you any harm if taken at the correct dose, as advised by your GP.

[stormcloud]

Yes, I have. Started taking mag.cit without vit D about 4 months ago. Before this I was very

symptomatic and having episodes very frequently. I was also on the list for ablation.

However, a few weeks after starting the magnesium the episodes stopped and I have not had one since I'm almost afraid to write that in case it's tempting fate!.

[gerryatriq in reply to stormcloud]

the reason i asked is that my brother, like me, who has had chronic af for 15 years, started with Mg about a month ago and it was him that has told me that he is feeling much better and even suggested that he is of the belief that his AF is somehow less than it has been. All very interesting. I have just got myself some Mg effervescent pills in citric acid, at 500mg per tablet. Will give this dose a go for a while and see what happens, I think 500mg is about 100% RDA, so assuming I am already getting some from food sources that shouldn`t be over the top.

[Hidden]

Have you had a blood test done? Are you low in Mag? GP should be able to get that done for you I'd have thought. Hate supplements, too much of something in an unnatural form may either go straight through you or actual lead up to you needing more. Just my opinion.

[paolina in reply to Hidden]

You're probably right Koll, and it's much more enjoyable to eat bananas and lots of dark chocolate

[kakapo in reply to paolina]

I was on sotalol about three months ago and having a really rough time with Atrial fibrillation several times a day , lasting anything from a few hours to 48 hours. I was also getting SVT and ectopic beats. One night the ectopics were every third to fourth beat for seven hours. My wife in desperation brought me home some magnesium supplement to try. Three hours later I was back in normal rhythm and never had another murmur for two weeks. Unfortunately the effects didn't last and I ended up back in hospital where the sotalol was discontinued and I went on rate control. It's pretty obvious looking back that the sotalol was causing most of my arrhythmias but I'm still taking a magnesium supplement and I do believe it is beneficial. Currently I'm getting about one attack a week lasting for 6 to 12 hours and am on the waiting list for ablation (five months wait in New Zealand).

[gerryatriq in reply to paolina]

yes true but dont like dark choc and a banana only has 27mg of Mg. yes i do eat a balanced med diet, good fish and beans, but as we get older as i see it some loose the ability to absorb. I got it wrong before the tab i am gonna try is 200mg, so still need 200mg more, which i trust i will get from tab. Have emailed cardio to ask if it should be OK as a trail for 30 days or so.

[gerryatriq in reply to gerryatriq]

in addition being on warfarin I have always been careful about too much green veg, which is another good source of Mg..

[johncb in reply to gerryatriq]

The thing with absorbing Magnesium via veges etc is that a lot of the soils in which the veges are grown has, over a period of time, been leached of most of the trace elements and minerals, including magnesium. Also blood tests for magnesium are known to be very inaccurate so taking it in tablet form sounds like it's worth a try. From the literature of have read, the suggestion seems to Magnesium Taurate.

[gerryatriq in reply to johncb]

yes I have read exactly that as well. As I understand it only a very small amount of Mg is in the blood the majority being deposited in bones and muscle, making any blood test pretty unreliable. I guess i could get one done as a marker, to be repeated in a couple of months time. In addition to the AF I also have osteopenia and do experience tremendous major muscle tiredness on the slightest exertion, and again Mg can be useful.

[Hidden in reply to johncb]

I'm a livestock farmer and magnesium is a massive issue. i.e. low mag = dead livestock (within hours if you don't catch it). The mag in the soil, even if it's there in sufficient quantity, has to get through to the beast via the plants they eat. Grass isn't too good at sucking up mag for example, clover is much better. We put a lot of clover into our leys. But then, even if you do that, the beast may not actually absorb the mag sufficiently either, don't know why that happens!

Low mag in livestock, which would show up immediately (as I say with dead livestock) normally happens only in spring and autumn. Lost two cows last autumn, and one one this year. We put mag licks out but some don't like them. I wouldn't know but I wonder if the best sources of mag from meat production are binned, i.e. offal etc, my favourite.

[jeanjeannie50]

Yes, I took magnesium citrate for a long period a while back. I thought it helped my AF, but unfortunately it made my stomach sore. I've heard you can get creams that absorb through the skin, so I may try taking it that way.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I have been taking it for years but, and this is a big one, it can make one " a little loose". When I posted this a while back Beancounter said that was the understatement of the century. You would know if you took too much!

BobD

[mzoren]

I started taking mg after reading about it on sites like this one. It, together with potassium, has reduced my ear pounding palpitations to none or minor ones. AF episodes have also diminished but since I started on CPAP at about the same time, I'm not sure which helped more. I take cleated mg (400mg daily - 200 2x) and don't have intestinal issues. I get my potassium from low sodium V8, one small can daily.

Good Luck, Mitch

[gerryatriq in reply to mzoren]

ah yes difficult to know in that case, presume that is for sleep apnea. For me its too early to say if I feel any different on my 200mg Mg C, but no real issues so far. I did email my cardio to ask if it was OK to take but as usual no reply at all.