Magnesium

[userotc]

Replies to past posts on magnesium are scant so maybe it's a difficult one for CKD? Does anyone have it tested regularly? Any relevant advice/experience re below?

For my mum, Id be interested to know if/how people manage (besides just leaving it to doctor). Like other things with CKD, I believe theres a balance with Mg - excess can cause muscle weakness, too low can risk hypertension & vascular calcification.

Does anyone here supplement Mg and/or vitamin D (where Mg can increase absorption)? If so, with tablets or spray? Mum supplements D and K2 but has avoided Mg largely due to concerns about muscle weakness. But her BP is good (ave 116/72) so maybe she can now add Mg supplements at least if her serum level is no higher than the 30% through-range that it was 2.5 years ago. Im surprised it hasnt been included in tests since so we will get it done asap.

We dont envisage much help from her nephrologist who apparently just commented "D, Mg better 3mths on/off, control K" when asked 3 years ago. And I dont believe GPs know much since I understand training on vitamins is almost nil.

[nellie237]

I'm sorry I can't answer your question - I'm sort of in the same boat.

I was dx coeliac and low on everything. I made a few mistakes ie I bought 1000 mg vit C 'capsules' to go with the Iron tablets. I bought Magnesium Taurate & K2 to help the vit D............................Then I had AKI and decided that my kidneys don't need to be filtering out excess vitamins.

It seems that good quality vitamin supplements come in quite large doses. I ditched the 1000mg of Vit C and bought some acerola cherry powder/ cut the100mcg K2-MK7 in quarters ......I'm still looking for a lower dose magnesium.

I was recommended the following sites by the thyroid group here as magnesium comes in different forms. You may find them useful

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

afibbers.org/magnesium.html

GP's know diddly squat. I had a conversation with mine this week:-

Me: I've been religiously been taking my iron and really pleased that my blood test 2 wks ago showed that my ferritin has increased to a good level, but my RBC count has been dropping and is now under range, and Haematocrit and Haemoglobin are headed the same way. Is this because I wouldn't have been producing Erythropoietin during the AKI?

GP: Erythropoietin is synthetic

Me: No it's not (not in the context I was talking about anyway). OK, so we can't check that then, how about reticulocytes to make sure that I'm actually producing RBC's?

GP: I don't know if I can request that, hold on........... Yes OK, and recommence the Iron at 1 per day.

He did send me a text later admitting that he was wrong.

I would strongly suggest very thorough research, ask for copies of Mum's blood tests, then bounce it off the nephrologist based on what you learn.

nb."control K" Vit K is clotting.

[userotc in reply to nellie237]

Thanks. We chose the glycinate for me, dad based on good bioavailability and gentle for stomach. If mum's serum level has dropped significantly, she may try 500mg/day glycinate (ie 100 active Mg, half what we take) and increase, if required. But there may be enough in her diet.

[May4]

My doctor always checks my magnesium during routine lab work and the level is almost always within the 'normal' range. Early after my transplant it was low and I was getting muscle cramps in my legs. My doctor said I could take a magnesium supplement or try increasing my dietary magnesium for a few weeks and see how that went.

I decided to try going the dietary route and started eating a handful of pumpkin seeds daily. My magnesium went back into the normal range and has stayed there since. I no longer eat a handful of pumpkin seeds daily, but do try to include a wide variety of foods.

I am of the mind that if you can get the vitamins needed through food that is a better way to go than taking a lab made supplement, often the supplements are very high amounts that we just end up peeing out anyway. Of course that is not always possible and we do need supplements sometimes. I take Vitamin D during the winter months.

[userotc in reply to May4]

Thanks. Sounds like yours was significantly below mum's level. I agree diet is best, where possible, and she gets significant magnesium in that eg green leafy veg, as well as on bath salts so will be interesting if/when retested.