Magnesium CAUSING muscle cramps

[SteveT3]

Forgive the capitals.

I have found the sweet spot for magnesium supplementation for constipation and its about 600mg split between 2 doses of 1/4 ts oxide but its also unfortunately causing me muscle cramps and dry eyes to the point I can't wear contact lenses during supplementation.

I have tried many forms of magnesium over the years, and I can tolerate magnesium glycine and intermittent threonate, ie once very 3 days before bed. In either case those doses are small - about 100mg.

Magnesium citrate causes me extreme gastrointestinal pain so don't take that. Magnesium taurate doesn't agree with me either yet I can take taurine in high doses and magnesium independently.

Magnesium oxide is the only one that actually helps with my digestive constipation anyway.

The only problem is when I take the equivalent of 600mg magnesium no matter how spread out I get muscle cramps. I drink 2-3 litres of water a day and eat plenty of veg too.

Can someone help explain this phenomenon?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

I can't explain this but how are all your other vitamins looking? Ferritin, folate, B12 & D3.

Another consideration could be omega 3 level which helps substances get into your cells. Tests are available: barebiology.com/collections...

[SteveT3 in reply to Jaydee1507]

My results here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

- Anti-Thyroglobulin Antibody: 237 (below 115)

- Tsh 4.16 (0.5 - 5.5)

- T4 15.6 (11.9 - 21.6)

- T3 3.88 (3.1 - 6.8)

- Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) 12 (below 34)

- folate 10.2 (3.8 - 26.8)

- vit D 124 (25-375)

- B12 512 (197 - 771)

-Iron 21.8 (5.8 -34.5)

-Ferritin 42.19 (20- 300) - update

- TPO 11 (<9) update

Omega 3 test I did a couple of year ago and it wasn't ideal but not terrible.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

I can see that you have had a very comprehensive reply regarding your thyroid and vitamin levels here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Muscle cramps are a sign of hypothyroidism and in this instance I would suspect that your levels being on the low side of 'normal' are whats causing you the problems.

Reading your previous post a heart rate of 46 isn't normal at all, even if you do running training.

Suggest you always use the blood test protocol recommended here.

Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)?

Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day.

[SteveT3 in reply to Jaydee1507]

thanks. Yes I understand the low heart rate and high value of anti-thyroglubulin antibody. Though the question is on muscle cramps caused by magnesium. I don't get them otherwise.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

That particular type of magnesium might just be triggering this symptom of hypothyroidism.

I mentioned omega 3 due to your issue with dry eyes which it is known to help with.

Hypo symptoms are widespread and varied and although you think you have few symptoms I would think you probably do, just you haven't attributed some things to being hypo yet.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

Symptoms more likely because you are hypothyroid and in desperate need of dose increase in levothyroxine

My tsh has balanced out from 4 to 2.31 (0.34 - 5.6) mui/L

Obviously that’s totally inadequate just testing TSH

You need to get FULL Thyroid (and ideally vitamins) testing done

Ferritin was woefully inadequate

[SteveT3 in reply to SlowDragon]

yeah but if i supplement ferritin it worsens my constipation and hemorrhoids

[greygoose in reply to SteveT3]

Do you take vit C with it?

[SteveT3 in reply to greygoose]

I have - pure encapsulations iron-c- iron bysglycinate 28mg

- vit c 100g

- calcium 11mg

When I take it I add liposomal vitamin c. I can't take pure l ascorbic acid because it aggravates my stomach.

[greygoose in reply to SteveT3]

Why are you taking calcium?

[SteveT3 in reply to greygoose]

its 11mg and its in the supplement. Its nothing.

Incidentally I take kefir and its one of the only things that helps with my gut and there is a lot more calcium in that. What's the problem with calcium? If anything, it helps the muscle cramps caused by the magnesium.

[greygoose in reply to SteveT3]

There's a difference between calcium in food and calcium supplements. The later are not easily absorbed and tend to build up in the soft tissues and arteries.

But, quite apart from that calcium and iron have a tendancy to bind together, restricting absorption. I find it strange that there would be calcium in an iron supplement.

[SteveT3 in reply to greygoose]

probably to reduce the acidity of the vitamin c

[greygoose in reply to SteveT3]

Er... can't really imagine that that's the reason. But that would be a shame because it's the acidity of the vit C that helps you absorb the iron. So, whichever way you look at it, the calcium is out of place.

Hypos especially need the acidity that vit C provides because they usually have low stomach acid, make digestion and absorption of nutrients difficult. Which is why we need the supplements in the first place.

That's also one of the reasons we have constipation.

[SteveT3 in reply to greygoose]

11mg is about what you get in a glass of water

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Looks like you are using the magnesium to deal with an issue that is caused by being under-replaced, your frees are too low and TSH too high along with bradycardia, what dose are you on as you certainly need an increase

[SteveT3 in reply to TiggerMe]

I'm not on any dose. Doctor hasn't recognise a thyroid problem. I don't know how to get them to recognise it.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to SteveT3]

Ah... with results like that and all the symptoms you'd need to see a private Endo to get a quick resolve as the NHS could drag it out for years 😳

I'd suggest you request the Endo List from Thyroid UK and see who is in your area

[SteveT3 in reply to TiggerMe]

interesting. Thanks. I'll register

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

Also get ultrasound scan of thyroid

thyroiduk.org/testing/other...

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH, especially low ferritin

Getting vitamin levels optimal likely to increase TSH so you can get started on Levothyroxine

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

Stop iron supplements 5-7 days before test

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Good iron but low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Iron deficiency without anaemia

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:

Females 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 180

Females 40 ≤ age < 50 30 to 207

Females 50 ≤ age < 60 30 to 264

Females Age ≥ 60 30 to 332

Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442

Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518

The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

I's suggest you take your provate results where your TSH is 4.16 to your GP who will likely want to repeat them. Also show them your positive antibody result.

Ask them to monitor you for hypothyroidism. They should offer you a blood test ever 3-4 months.

Always test at or before 9am, fasting, only drinking water before the test for consitent results and highest TSH.

[shaws Administrator in reply to SteveT3]

I had to diagnose myself as professionals couldn't.

If you click on my name you can read my history!

I suspect that is how many people fail to get diagnosed i.e. GPs haven't a clue about clinical symptoms as we used to get diagnosed due to symptoms alone before blood tests were introduced but nowadays few GPs have any knowledge.

I've had some awful statements from GPs.

[radd]

SteveT3,

If you are only taking magnesium to help with constipation and it is giving you other awful side effects such as dry eyes and muscle cramps, why don’t you take some thing else to make you go such as prunes, Vit C, etc?

[SteveT3 in reply to radd]

Unfortunately prunes don't improve my transit time like magnesium does. In fact I'm not sure it has any improvement.

[radd in reply to SteveT3]

SteveT3,

Constipation is classic hypo symptom. As you have elevated thyroid antibodies a good read would be 'The root Cause' written by Isabella Wentz. She was a Hashimoto sufferer herself and gives great advice on all the areas of hypothyroidism.

[asidist]

SteveT3, sorry for the delayed reply, just seeing this post. 600 mg of magnesium per day is quite a bit higher than the safe upper limit (via supplements) for adults, which is 350 mg/day, at least per US health agencies (was not able to find relevant guidelines from the UK). See below

"Magnesium that is naturally present in food and beverages is not harmful and does not need to be limited. In healthy people, the kidneys can get rid of any excess in the urine. However, magnesium in dietary supplements and medications should not be consumed in amounts above the upper limit, unless recommended by a health care provider." ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/M...

Edit: Sorry, I misread your post initially. I see you're taking magnesium for constipation vs cramping, and cramping is just the side effect. Deleted part of my initial comments.

Perhaps there are safer remedies you could trial for constipation? I'm sorry I can't offer much in that regard. Personally, I used to have issues with constipation in my younger 20s but stopped once I cut out refined foods and started eating whole grains, raw veggies (have a huge salad most days) and other fiber rich foods instead. Haven't had any issues in the decades since then, and the only time I do is when I skip raw fruits/veggies for days at a time. Not sure if that helps you.

[SteveT3 in reply to asidist]

Thanks for reply. I can't eat raw veggies. They aggravate ibs for me. I do eat plenty of steamed vegetables though, twice a day and porridge, but without meat I get incredibly weak. Its not 'constipation' in the sense I don't go every day because I do. Its just slow transit, in small bits and hard. The magnesium quandary is a grey area also because serum blood tests often measured by doctors do not represent cellular level. Its also an expensive and difficult test to even get hold of that most people have not heard of: EXA Test. I found an easier test to do, while not perfect is a sufficient alternative and generally my mag score is low: oligoscan. This correlates with my htma. Supplementing magnesium above but probably more like 4-500mg every day for last year has improved my score but its still below range. Slow progress within my own comfortable level. Its just if I upped it to 600 then I get cramps. Every article I read about magnesium advocates are taking much more, though they take better forms of magnesium. Mine is mostly to relieve constipation - hence the oxide. I should add - I have lymphoma. It could be tumour burden on my messenteric lymph also narrowing the colon. Though I can't say for certain. I haven't had a scan in 5 years since my last rituxamab shrunk them all down.

[asidist]

Very sorry to hear about the lymphoma, Steve. I hope it is not flaring up and causing those issues for you.

I will just mention that another option for improving your magnesium levels without going over the declared safe upper limit for supplements is to get magnesium through food. I mention this because it doesn’t seem to be an often considered option. Not sure if dietary mag will would help your intestinal movement (would presume not unfortunately, but maybe?). Nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin seeds and almonds) as well as whole grains and whole legumes are rich sources. I’m able to get ~400 mg + each day wholly via diet with just a bit of conscience effort. Even if you got just 250 mg extra via diet, added to 350 mg from supplements, that would put you in the 600 mg range you’re shooting for, and perhaps would also bypass the cramping issue.

Hope you’re able to sort it all out in a way that works well for you. Best of luck.