Magnesium

[LoisTonya]

My concept of a good night has changed. This time last year if I wasn’t driven from my bed before 4am I thought I was doing well. Now, with a variety of magnesium products, I can stay in bed as long as I like. Even at 7am I get up for other reasons not rls.

A couple of nights ago I tried magnesium powder that you mix with water. I stupidly misunderstood the ratios and took 4 times the suggested dose but had a reasonable night. Worried about overdosing I had no magnesium the next day, not orally nor on my skin and my legs kicked in at 4am this morning. Is this proof that my regime of magnesium is effective?

[Neil46]

HI LoisTonya. As you have found, Magnesium is a good reliever from RLS for many people. The doses people on this site seem to use range from 100mg to 400mg and even up to 800mg. (Magnesium Citrate) but some use other magnesiums. However, excess magnesium is not good for the body and can cause imbalance with other minerals.

A Hair Sample Test is the best to find out your relative mineral levels. I had a blood test done, which shows the levels but only in the blood. It does not show cell levels.

What is the type of magnesium powder you are using?

Neil

[LoisTonya in reply to Neil46]

Hi Neil

BioCare Magnesium powder. Magnesium citrate and magnesium malate. Product information per daily intake 1.5g but it also says 200mg 53.3 % NRV so I suppose one is weight, the other magnesium content. I don’t quite understand. The liquid one I was taking is Floradix magnesium glutonate mixed with a variety of fruits and herbs. And I was taking 20ml which is 250mg of magnesium and it worked well .i have yet to see if this powder is as effective.

[Neil46 in reply to LoisTonya]

I just looked up NRV (Nutrient Reference Value) and it is a new term instead of RDA, prompted by the EU. It is pretty tricky to calculate but I found a table in Just Vitamins (justvitamins.co.uk) which says it is a direct replacement for RDA. The NRV for Magnesium is 375mg per day, so you can take more than the 200mg quoted if you need to. Your diet will probably add to the 200mg supplement too.

If you take too much Magnesium your bowels will tell you, so I reckon you have done no harm with the (800mg ?) you took. I honestly don't know where the 1.5g comes from.

Just Vitamins gives NRV's for other vitamins and minerals too.

I hope the powder works for you and you regain good sleep.

Neil

[LoisTonya in reply to Neil46]

Hi Neil,

Here I am at 4am so the powder is not as effective as the Floridex liquid. It is difficult to dissolve and quickly forms unbreakable lumps.

Thank you for your information. I see you posted a couple of hours ago so are you up in the small hours or in another time zone?

[Neil46 in reply to LoisTonya]

I think my head is in several time zones at once I am in England, south coast. Though my pregabalin is controlling my legs I am finding it hard to get to sleep. Probably four or five hours total in the last four days.

I used Magnesium Citrate, 300mg, to get to sleep but that is not working so well lately. I think I am getting stressed because of not sleeping; viscious circle.

I found a tip from a post a little while ago; Cammomile tea, two bags in a cup, drunk hot. That sometimes works; not bad either. But tonight it will be Temazepam which is my standby for these times.

Just a thought - have you had your serum ferritin checked lately, it can go up and down according to how much our bodies use for our tasks. Our minerals have to be in balance for best health. In the meantime is it back to the liquid?

Neil

[LoisTonya in reply to Neil46]

Hi Neil,

Magnesium deficiency is a well known cause of rls. In Cheltenham it is difficult to get Floridex magnesium and I have taken tablets, powder etc and my nights disturbed by rls returned. Yesterday I managed to get the last Floridex at Holland and Barret and not a twitch all night! Strange!

Floridex has fruits and herb extracts as well as the magnesium. What is the ingredient that helps?

I’ve tried Camomile tea at bedtime but, oddly, I sleep better drinking real tea.

This rls is a matter of experimentation for each of us.

[Neil46 in reply to LoisTonya]

You are so right, trial and error every time. We try so many things in our quest for relief yet there is never a "one size fits all".

I have just looked up Floridix Magnesium from Holland & Barrett and it contains Magnesium Gluconate and Magnesium Citrate, so that is what calms you down for sleep. It doesn't state the individual measures but a table states there is 62.5 mg of magnesium per 5ml liquid, so your 250mg seems right for 20ml.

Ingredients are:-

Water, pineapple, pear, mango, apricot, grape, carob extract, apple, lemon. Aqueous herbal extract (34 %) from: camomile flower (Matricaria recutita), fennel fruit (Foeniculum vulgare),bitter orange peel (Citrus aurantium), carrot root (Daucus carota), spinach leaf (Spinacia oleracea). Magnesium gluconate, honey, magnesium citrate, natural flavours.

As for me, my trusty Temazepam worked after just over a hour and I slept for about 7 hours. Great, I needed that.

[Hidden in reply to Neil46]

Hi Neil, Thanks for mentioning the chammomile tea. I use it a lot and haven't seen it mentioned here before. Not sure if it helps my rls but it always helps my anxiety which easily goes thru the roof when my legs hurt. I always have chammomile tea available. BTW elsewhere tonjght I added to some posts about sibo and leaky gut. When my stomach is bothering me chammomile (and sometimes) peppermint tea help significantly. I would say they raise my coping ability for whatever is going on. irina1975 (ormer user name burmag).

[Hidden in reply to Neil46]

Hi Neil, I use chammomile tea often. When I'm very stressed and take a 1/2 of Xanax I have a cup of chammomile and plug in one of my playlists with earphones. This enables me to feel caim and comfortable with less meds. I also rely on several other herbal reas. I have some GI probs-nothin serious- but uncomfortable at times. The docs gave me some PPI pills (Proton pump inibitors.I don't take them, don't want more pills. A cup of peppermint tea works better and safer. Open to other 'tea therapy ideas'.

[Hidden]

Hi Loistonya. This info is in quite a few informative posts aboutmagnesium but I will repeat. Sometimes I take too much but there is a built in reminder you've had too much magnesium. If you get diarrhea your body has probably gotten too much magnesium and is a sign to cut back til GI system is under control again. This will help you find an appropriate dose for you. But always remember, you can get too much of ANY med/supplement so maybe do some magnesium research. Also there are different forms and routes take magnesium and trial and error is probably the best was for each of us to find our own best way to take magnesium. PS it;s a common deficiency but since current blood tests show normal levels many doctors don't see this deficiency as a problem. The issue is often with the common blood test that measures our level. Magnesium is such an important part of many body functions and it seems to be up to us-the patients to gather and incorporate findings. Try 'Dr Google' and many posts found on this site. Good luck with your research.