Magnesium pills

Anyone else take them? I started two days ago and my calves are not as tight and uncomfortable now.... coincidence?

[SheffieldJane]

I take them when I remember, no appreciable difference. I’d take the loose comfortable thighs as a sign that it is the right supplement for you though, David.

[GOOD_GRIEF]

Probably not a coincidence. You also might want to try some potassium.

Pred seems to diminish our stores of each.

And while there are many food sources for both, you may not get enough from diet alone.

Don't go overboard. Start with the MDR for them, and see how it goes. More is not always better.

[piglette in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

I think you should be careful about recommending potassium. It seems I have Chronic Kidney Disease stage 3. Possibly caused by pred, but maybe not. If you have CKD you should not take potassium supplements and also you should cut down on your potassium intake in general. I only discovered I had CKD because of the blood tests I had for PMR.

[Lonsdalelass in reply to piglette]

I, too, have CKD stage 3. Only picked up in blood test about three years ago, way before my diagnosis of PMR. I take one Magnesium daily but not Potassium, as piglette says.

[Hidden in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

I do eat a banana or two most days. That covers the potassium I think? And it keeps me off bread and potatoes....

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Hidden]

Yes, great choice. I ate a ‘nana every day when at higher doses of pred. Really helped with cramps (legs, feet & hands).

As fruit goes, they are quite high in sugar.

[ralinn in reply to Hidden]

Watch the two bananas they are very very high in sugar 🍌

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Like everything else, one needs to know their own medical issues, co-morbidities and other medications. But pred is a known depleter of potassium, so it's worth looking onto. You need about 4700mg per day.

As always, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

For me, yes, we have no bananas - YUCK!

Canned cling peaches are good for potassium as are cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, (oh, I know, sugar!). As are potatoes with the skins on (oh, I know, carbs!) Broccoli, spinach (not if you have kidney trouble), mushrooms, peas, cukes, zucchini, eggplant (oh, I know, nightshade!).

Everything in moderation including abstinence, unless you hate it (bananas) or have a sensitivity to it.

[Lonsdalelass in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Just curious, why shouldn't we eat spinach if we have kidney problems?

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Lonsdalelass]

It has something to do with potassium and oxalate.

[Robinsnest72]

I was taking magnesium and it really helped with the leg cramps at night.I then decided to take a multi vitamin also and my stomach was upset. I stopped the magnesium and just stayed on the multi as recommended by the pharmacist. This worked for me

[Rose54]

Magnesium supplements stopped my Pins and Needles would not be without them

[Pippah45]

I have recently added Magnesium to my evening regime. I understand there is a very good Facebook group. I have suffered far fewer leg cramps etc - and enjoyed better sleep since adding Magnesium. If I still bathed as opposed to showering - I would be adding Mag salts or Epsoms to the bath. Now I put some in a large tub in the shower and soak my feet that way.

[alvertta]

I take it every day. Good for blood pressure too.

[xdbx]

I don't take the pills as I'd rather get my regular magnesium via food but I'd definitely recommend using a topical version of magnesium - cream or oil or lotion. It's the fastest way to get it into your system, it goes directly to where you want it to go, i.e. where you apply it, like calves or in my case shoulders - and it doesn't mess with your digestive system. With pills, the brain will send the magnesium to where it 'thinks' it's needed which is usually the major organs and not where you actually want it to go!

I often have an Epsom salts bath before bed too.

Either way magnesium deficiency is very common and it definitely does make a difference🙂

[Hobbitses]

I take it for Restless Leg Syndrome...

[Hidden in reply to Hobbitses]

Does it work effectively for rls? I have used capsaicin cream and am using the bar of soap in the bed method. Its hard to know if latter helps 😂. My rls can be episodic but once it arrives it arrives stroppy.

[Hobbitses in reply to Hidden]

Two people recommended a high dose of Magnesium (around 400 whateveritis) when I was moaning about rls one evening years ago. I've been taking it ever since, initially in the evening but then was having problems of a different nature (the squits very early in the morning) and read somewhere that a high dose of Magnesium in one pill could cause this, so I now take a split dose morning and evening (better for my system, but the lower dose pills are the size of a small submarine). The only problem with having episodic rls is you won't get an instant reaction, they have to build up. What is 'the bar of soap in the bed method'?!

[Hidden in reply to Hobbitses]

I think someone on here mentioned it. You put a bar of soap under the sheet at tbe foot end of the bed. Some brands don't work apparently so they think it might be magnesium in the soap. Some swear by lavender soap. This is all anecdotal but you wil know that you sometimes dont care what you do to get sleep. The episodic nature makes it hard to know if effective but it was 15p. 🤣🤣🤣 i will try the double daily dose of magnesium.

verywellhealth.com/how-to-u...

[Hobbitses in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the link, interesting - it would certainly be cheaper. But would I be willing to risk it not working and come off the method I trust? Probably not! Incidentally, I hope you don't mean 'a double dose'...

[Hidden in reply to Hobbitses]

😂😂😂 i wouldnt risk a successful method either. No. Not a double dose....half dose twice daily. I went for the alliteration.

[Mellow-Yellow]

I take magnesium at night and an Epsom salts bath every other night.. as advised by a nutrionist,no cramps since!

[EdithWales]

I take them everyday together with the Magnesium spray that I use on my legs, that really helps.

[Hellyowl]

I take magnesium daily time varies as I have a rubbish routine. I started taking it for Pred Head when I was on higher doses and it did name a difference (for me anyway) it helped a lot with concentration. 100mg per day and I recently started taking zinc too . I have never had cramp I don't think I noticed any difference with anything else

[artfingers]

I'll never forget, I was in Maine trying to hike and barely able to walk with some friends there. I started crying as I just could barely move (let alone climb a mountain) due to tight, cramping legs! My cousin reminded me to try taking some magnesium. I did and was able to go hiking the next day. So now I supplement with magnesium regularly. I have to watch because if I take too much, it leads to loose bowels. I suspect a topical version would avoid that issue.

[Nerak12]

Hi David

My calcium & VitD tablets have magnesium 150mgs in them along with some other elements. I take 2 per day. If I forget to take them I get leg cramps at night, so I would say taking Mg works for me. Hope you find a solution soon. 😀

[daworm]

Heck no, it helps...a few differant kinds, some isn’t absorbed as good as others...

[jbarie]

Mag glycinate better absorbed than citrate ..high prob.that anyone over 65 will be mag. deficient....but serum mag not reliable measure....best measure of deficiency is rbc mag level...easier to just take mag. 400mg qd.