Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Has everyone had any success using Magnesium?

Let me try that again............has anyone had success with magnesium?

Many people find that magnesium helps with WED/RLS symptoms, others find that it makes no difference.
It is worth trying.
I have read that it helps to take a B vitamin complex or a multivitamin with magnesium, because the level of vitamin B6 in the body determines how much magnesium the body absorbs.

The way I understand it, if you are deficient in one of several vitamins and minerals - E, magnesium, B complex, iron - you may benefit from supplemental therapy. If you are not deficient, it appears it does not help.

More recently, my MD sent me to a naturopath for a urine test that mainstream medicine has not accepted, though I suppose they might some day. The interpretation of this test was that I had SIBO, plus a number of problems with cellular metabolism (many of them probably caused by the SIBO), including a probable Mg deficiency. I was given a supplement that consisted of a mix of Mg citrate and Mg malate, and told to start at 100 mg/day, and increase this every few days up to 700 mg/day, stopping at 700 or before that if my stools became too soft. I took it faithfully for a few months, 700 mg, then I slacked off and I rarely remember now, but it seems to make no difference.

She told me that Mg is best taken in the evening because it can make you sleepy, but it does not have this effect on me. (I was also told to take B12 in the morning because it makes you more energetic, but again, I don't notice any such effect.)

I find that magnesium can sometimes be helpful. Almost all of the alternatives to milk; e. g. almond milk, coconut milk, etc are fortified with calcium. On the surface this seems like a good thing. But it can put your calcium magnesium balance out of wack. So I take magnesium a few times per week to help keep things in balance. I heard a well known nutritionist/naturalist say that magnesium is something that everyone should take anyways for good health.

Agree that Mg is imortant but for the reasons mentioned above it's difficult to know how much to take orally. I've had multiple doc's for my rls, and two of them suggested that Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) baths are the best source of the metal since only a fraction of the dosage in ingested tablets actually gets into the circulatory system. The transdermal method is more efficient since the skin only absorbs what the body needs. Also it's inexpensive and easy.

Magnesium worked for a while coupled with other stuff, but it was only temporary

I posted a link here once -it is hard to find any solid evidence that Mg is actually absorbed through the skin.

Re my comment below that I had been slacking off on the oral Mg without apparent ill effect - well, the gains I made with the Wahls diet have stalled, and reversed a bit. Perhaps it's because I've slacked off on the Mg. I also stopped eating enough veggies, and I've been under stress. Who knows what has caused it.

I returned to taking Mg faithfully a week or so ago.

badnights wrote:I posted a link here once -it is hard to find any solid evidence that Mg is actually absorbed through the skin.

That, in a nutshell is the sad truth about SO many things! There really isn't much, if any, research on minerals, supplements, vitamins, or non-pharma therapies. My niece was talking to me tonight and saying how great magnesium chloride is and how is made her RLS/WED go away, etc. She mentioned how much proof there was on the internet....

Ah.

People will take confirmation from just about any source, won't we? .

I found magnesium to be helpful -- it allowed me to reduce my medications slightly (and I will take what I can get). I found oral magnesium more effective than Epsom salts baths (but the baths were soothing, so go for it!). I can no longer remember the dosage, I just remember taking a half tablet because a full tablet made me feel a bit wierd.

I no longer take it because it is contraindicated with one of my medications.

I have been following this group: http://gotmag.org/ They have some very interesting information and ideas about magnesium. They insist that having serum magnesium tested will not reveal a mag deficiency unless it is really extreme, because the body will rob mag from the cells to keep an even level in the bloodstream. Red blood cell magnesium will show the real status of your magnesium levels.

I take about a gram of chelated magnesium a day, and have not found it to help with the RLS/WED. It does help loosen my bowels a bit, which counteracts that horrible side effect of methadone, which turns my innards into concrete.

Some people say they get relief from magnesium oil (mag chloride) applied onto the legs or the bottom of the feet. It does seem to help me some, but when the legs get going I am trying so many things at once I can't say, for sure, that it's the mag oil that is helping.

SquirmingSusan wrote:
I take about a gram of chelated magnesium a day, and have not found it to help with the RLS/WED. It does help loosen my bowels a bit, which counteracts that horrible side effect of methadone, which turns my innards into concrete.

Funny! I was just coming here to post the same thing! I'd forgotten just how effective magnesium can be to loosen the bowels. Today I overdid it - I accidentally took a senna (I usually do not) with the magnesium before sleep, then had chili with beans for lunch, then a cup of coffee with creamer (I am lactose intolerant). I've visited the bathroom twice this afternoon and am feeling relatively cleaned out after the last visit .

I know, right! I used to take senna every single day. Now the magnesium keeps me going, if you know what I mean.

Alluded to this on another thread, but will be more specific here.

I am hoping to curtail my use of Requip, if possible. It works well at a low dosage (.50 x 1 a day), but am convinced of some unwanted side effects (weight gain, itchy skin, tinninitus, etc., experienced by many who take it). I read on another RLS forum that some people are getting relief from Magnesium Oil, used as a skin rub (transdermal). I was skeptical, but decided to give it a try, as I could at least use it as a bath oil if it didn't help my legs! Have been using it daily for about 3 weeks. First few days, no effect. Then, one afternoon, I realized that I was 3 hours past the time that I usually took my daily dose of Tramadol (50 mg.), and no symptoms..........waaaaay out of the norm for me. Ordinarily, 5 minutes past med time, and I am rudely reminded that I forgot. This has continued daily for the past 2 weeks (before the time change). Same scenario for the .50 mg. of Requip that I have taken religiously at 9 every night; have been symptom-free until midnight for a couple of nights, and both nights, used only half my Requip dosage. I hope I can be brave enough to also soon halve the Tramadol, and try cutting out the Requip altogether.

I am not recommending this approach to everyone, because I am well aware that what works for one may not for others; also, that what works for a little while may be absolutely useless further down the line. I post this only as an FYI , pertaining to what is definitely helping me right now, in the hopes that it might be useful to someone else. My mag. oil is magnesium citrate, in a spray bottle ~ I rub about 5 sprays into my abdomen about an hour before bedtime, then rinse when I brush my teeth.

Will update in a month or so, good or bad!