As a firm believer in magnesium citrate making a huge difference in my arrhythmias, I was wondering who on here takes magnesium in large ish doses as I do.
I take 800 mg religiously every day. Take it on holiday with me and have only missed one day in iver 5 years.
I take ++ other supplements too but believe magnesium is the most important one.
My background FYI, is many years of ‘palpitations’ which I believe were mainly atrial ectopics, bigeminy and tachycardia plus a single violent AF episode in June 2012.
Once I discovered the supplement route all the above has tailed off to not much at all and no more AF episodes.
I’m sure doses of 200 or 300 mg is better than no magnesium but I’m especially interested to know if anyone takes a similar dose to me and what results you’ve had.
Btw, in case you’re thinking 800mg is a high dose,there are many people taking double my dose or more.
Pat.
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fallingtopieces
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Yatsura, it reacts only in a good way for me. Just a guaranteed daily normal movement in my case with no more constipation. Initially I experimented with doses and increase gradually until signs of a too loose bowel movement, then scaled back from that.
I sometines take an occasional 1000mg/1g without any adverse effects either.
Bob, I understand the inconvenience of that as I think everyone has their own threshold but it is worth the perseverance.
I take 400MG Mag Oxide and also 500MG Niacin. Successfully so far it has made a difference for me. I would think 800 might be troublesome to your bowels.
Magnesium citrate 400mg for me. I wouldn't take anymore than that because given the kind of foods that I eat I'd be worried about overdoing it.
I wouldn’t worry if I were you. It takes an awful lot more of a dose to overdo it.
You can’t rely on magnesium content in food any more. These days magnesium levels in food are significantly less than the stated levels. Soil levels are depleted so are just not there to be absorbed by the crops.
Hi Falling I to take 800 a Day was on 400 when taking amiodaronee but my EP pulled the amiodarone and told me to add 400 so take half dose morning half dose evening and doing good
Pleased to hear your EP telling you to take 800mg. I take all mine just after my evening meal. It possibly would be better eking them out but this seems to suit me and easier to remember.
I haven’t seen my EP for 3 years but although interested in my success with supplements and asking me questions, he was very guarded in advising any at all. He loved my Kardia(Alivecor) though and wanted to get some for his surgery.
Hi Pat, despite my magnesium level being at the bottom of the recognised range (Red Cell test) I don't take a lot of Mg, estimate 200mgs/day and some spray on Mg oil (evening only). What I think helps me more is the CoQ10, which my Naturopath also got me on to and I do 200mgs/day of that taking me over the top of the recognised range but too low for some Alternative Practitioners.
It is such a long detailed individual process of trial and error to hope you have identified the right solution that you end up becoming your own prescriber, which is a tad scary but probably safer?!
I take 200mg of q10 daily too! so that could also be partially responsible for my success.
Add to that: omega 3, vit C, vit D, folic, B12, taurine, potassium 200,probiotic,hawthorn and couple of others.
I’ve just had(last week) a full array of blood tests, which I asked for, and without taking any pharmaceutical drugs whatsoever, my total cholesterol was 5(ratio3.4), potassium 4.7, haemoglibin A1c level 33(new glucose test but equivalent to old 5.2) plus everything else in normal range.
Hawthorn yes I understand that is good (and the traditional way to treat AF) but can I ask how did you get reliable info on that, the right supplier and dose?
I was taking 600mg Doctors Choice Magnesium glycinate, but from tomorrow have decided to try 800mg. Im still Afb/flutter free after an ablation on 19/6/18, (was in persistant), and would like to keep it that way. The other supplement I take is 400mg Ubiquinol which I have read is helpful for Ejection Fraction
That’s good news and think you’re doing the right thing. We need to do what we can for ourselves.
I’ve tried the glycinate form of magnesium but preferred magnesium citrate. Incidentally I don’t rate mag citrate in capsule form, I much prefer the huge chalky tablets. More difficult to swallow though.
Hi Pat. What is the advantage of Citrate over glycinate? I thought I had read somewhere that glycinate is better as it doesnt cause bowell problems? Not sure though
I don’t know. That’s my honest answer. This is all from my own experience as I’ve tried all, or most types of magnesium. I actually like the effect it’s had on my bowels which is not extreme but just guaranteed and regular.
Many people think their AF is induced by digestive problems and that sounds like lack of magnesium to me. Magnesium ensures the digestive tract moves along as it should.
Mg glycinate is Magnesium attached to the amino acid Glycine,
Glycine is much more readily absorbed in the small bowels than citrate.That is the only difference.Vitamin C or fruits containing vit C will enhance the absorption of Magnesium in the GI tract.
For me, magnesium calmed the beating feeling I could feel(hear) in my ear. It made that disappear. (I can still accurately take my heart rate without feeling my pulse or using a monitor,by just concentrating on the beat feeling I can sense in my body.)
Also, my waking in the night with a fast heart rate stopped. That had been a regular unwelcome experience for me so I’m pleased that stopped.
All you can do is try. Persevere for a couple of weeks but not on a nominal dose, not much point in a small dose. You need to find your own suited dose which is probably going to be over 600mg. There’s nothing to be afraid of.
As it’s a supplement - no you don’t need approval however do read up on the contraindications first as there are some conditions which may be adversely affected by magnesium supplements. It does help many - but dangerous for me.
I have to agree Pat - unless they are trained in Functional Medicine - then they know a lot. We are lucky enough to have one in our surgery and we, myself, a friend and this GP, have just started a local social enterprise group organising and promoting educational talks delivered by experts in the fields of nutrition, sleep, exercise and movement and stress.
The 3rd will be a talk by an NHS Consultant in Rheumatology who is also a Functional Medicine Doctor in Budleigh on July 14th. It sold out and the previous talk was also a full house. There is SO much interest in more natural approaches than taking the pharmaceutical route.
My wife has found that 400mg a day (together in one dose at breakfast) serves her well. She takes it for muscle pain and also as it relieves her chronic constipation. I tried this level myself in the hope it might prevent my AF, but found that it did not do my digestion any favours, so I returned to 200mg daily. We take Magnesium Citrate,
Hi Pat
Similar age to you and also have PAF on flecainde bisprolol and apixaban . No probs with the meds and flecainde gets rid of 99% of my AF. I take about 600 mg magnesium plus Co Q10 and don't eat any rubbish . Also use magnesium spray which I think helps me sleep better which helps with AF.
You’ll need someone else to tell you for sure but as far as I’m aware it doesn’t. Americans have been going down the magnesium route for a long time and the site ‘Afibbers’ is where I initially acquired a lot of my knowledge on this subject. Many on that site are on warfarin(or the US version) and the new anticoagulants.
Am on xzerolto. I have been since 2016 which was when my first afib attack occurred. I was on my way to get a colonoscopy and din’t think I was going to make it. Needless to say I never had the colonoscopy as I was rushed to the emergency room. Since then I have had one more attack that sent me to the emergency room to get my heart back in sync. I believe both times were caused by dehydration. First time the colonoscopy prep, second time dehydration from the flu. I now drink a lot more water.
Hi Tenorjk, I have AF and take bisoprolol and warfarin, after reading all the good things about magnesium(calming wild heart beats, anxiety etc) i decided to try some. Just a small dose 200mg per day. I am afraid my blood went too thick I had to increase Warfarin ( 2x1mg Monday to Sunday inclusive) Then it went too thin I had to take 2tabs Mon to Fri and only 1tab Sat and Sun. The magnesium didn't do anything for me except upset my bowels and make my blood count unstable, so I stopped taking it after about 2months. Cheers Gladie x.
I'd been on Warfarin for three years when I started taking 400mg of citrate and it didn't affect me at all. Having said that beetroot, strawberries and pomegranates amongst other things send my INR through the roof when others have no issues demonstrating that we are all very different
Andy, I’d like to say I don’t eat any rubbish but if cake and chocolate are rubbish then I do. I never have take aways though, I cook from scratch, have daily blueberries, blackberries, banana, soya milk and am a complete food snob so eat organic if possible but I’m almost rubbish free.
I have the disadvantage of being a post menapausal woman though and feel it’s no coincidence my arrhythmias increased as my girly hormones ebbed away ☹️.
I’ve been prescribed flecainide in the past but yet to take one! Bisoprolol took my heart rate too low and slowed me up so I only took that for a short period. I’ve never been prescribed an anticoagulant but I do take a nattokinase supplement.
Hi is magnesium citrate different to magnesium. Always suffering constipation tried prunes kiwis coffee eight fruit and veg a day. Fybo gel but nothing works. Red wine used to 😏 but don’t drink much anymore as I would feel heart bit funny. Had ablation in February thanks
You are the perfect candidate! I am so pleased to tell you that I’m sure this will transform your life. I know because that was me too. Can I take a guess that you are post menapausal? The problems I think you’re experiencing, as I was too, are due to a lack of ‘internal’ elasticity after menapause.
Going back 5-6 years or so I was experience various gynae problems which were unintentially all put right once I started taking Magnesium for my AF/arrhythmias. That is a dim and distant memory for me now.
Start today. Ditch that fybo gel and start yourself on 600mg of magnesium citrate. You will not regret it. Take it every day, early evening is a good time. Persevere and Increase your dose from 600mg if you can. Let me know how you get on please.
Yes I took 400mg for a while before I got up to 600mg, then upped it to 800mg. Now I can take 1g without consequence. When I was on a lower dose I had more ectopics break through and occasional short runs of tachycardia. It does take perseverance but it is worth it.
Hi I am getting lots of Ectopics. Normally I can link them to a virus. If it is a virus then after around six to eight weeks they seem to subside or I dont notice them because they are happening rarely. At the moment it is like it once every eight to nine beats. I had an ablation fifteen years ago which was successful. I have had two episodes of AF which I know was caused through a large alcohol intake so I don't do that too often. Another came after what I thought was covid 18 months ago (before we could get tested). I fell ten weeks ago fracutring my skull and breaking my arm. The ectopics happened about four weeks later. I dont know if there is a link. I am now getting very anxious with all of this which I think is making me worse, I hope there is someone out there with a remedy. I am scared to take any supplements incase it makes me worse
I’ve had that pattern of beats before too.I’m 3 years further on from this post, 3 years of taking 800mg of magnesium citrate daily- never miss a day, and I’m really well.
If I were you I would not be frightened at all about taking magnesium. Thousands of people take high doses and many take much higher than me. Just try the magnesium citrate on its own, you need to take it every day and persevere. it will make a difference. Try 600mg a day which will be 3 x 200mg tablets. If you’re fine with that, toilet wise, then you could add one more to make it 800mg.I say ‘toilet wise’ as Excess magnesium is excreted (so it doesn’t build up in you if that’s what worries you) which is why you might be a bit ‘loose’ to start with.
Is not nice suffering all these arrhythmias. I’ve been in your situation.
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