Posts: 1,921
9/2/09 11:37 P

I'm taking Finest Natural Magnesium - the drug store I went to was limited in their vitamin section and didn't want to put off starting taking them - my leg was still cramping from the Dr's and it was at least 45 min later.
Then my Dr(a naturopath) prescribed Magnesia Phosphorica - for cramping and Surreninum - for the Adrenals.
The next day no cramping when walking and even dared to not wear my ankle brace with very little annoyance in that area. I have 2 injuries in the same ankle that flares at random times.

Posts: 10,003
9/2/09 5:54 P

I can't find the link about magnesium. I thought we discussed when we talked about vitamin D, but I don't have time to search threads. You can never bring this stuff up too much though - THANKS!

A great book re: magnesium is Carolyn Dean's The Magnesium Miracle. bit.ly/vwJqe

One thing I learned is that there is "bowel tolerance". You take enough to get you to the loose stool stage and back off a dose for your particular dose. Of course, talk to your doc for other health concerns.

What is more important about this mineral is how your vitamin D (and subsequently calcium, phosphorus) is not absorbed without it (unless from skin). Regular serum magnesium does not show your true magnesium levels as most magnesium is busy 'working' in your tissues (2% are found in your blood and that's what's tested. If you're low on a reg serum test? You're LOW ... my DH was and his cramping was awful. I told him: please take magnesium! I don't want to wait for your heart to "cramp"!). TRUE levels can be found by doing what's called a red cell blood test. My doctors give me "the look" when I asked about it. There was a lab who does it in NY, but I don't have time to check it now (will edit later when I can update). In the meantime, here's a little info w/a query to google: bit.ly/NC7lk

I take Natural Calm cause it's easily absorbable. www.petergillham.com/ I've been taking it about two years and I 'just' learned to wait for it to absorb in the water. It's quite fizzy and off-putting (esp in coffee - I don't recommend that - lol) at first, til I learned to leave it be for a few minutes til it became clear in the glass. It's more palatable. *sheesh the suffering I do in the name of health*

Which products do you use, please share.

Blue?

Edited by: DOTSLADY at: 9/2/2009 (17:59)

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9/2/09 3:37 P

Leg cramps seem to be caused by a mineral imbalance for me. I take calcium and magnesium before bedtime each night but I also need to have some potassium during the day too (usually a banana in my morning smoothie). It does depend on it all being balanced and being absorbed. (You know if you get too much magnesium because it has a laxative effect. Also, a friend of mine took a bath in epsom salts, which are magnesium salts and her blood pressure dropped too low and she almost passed out. Be careful with balancing your minerals!)

Posts: 20
9/1/09 11:04 P

I suffered from severe leg cramps in both legs every night and sometimes during the day for months before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. After being on a gluten free diet for a few months, I never had another leg cramp. I do believe it was due to the lack of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that I was not properly absorbing due to the malabsorption that goes with celiac. I'm sure there are a myriad of problems that are caused by celiac that may not be yet associated with celiac by the medical profession.

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8/31/09 10:24 A

WOW very interesting....thanks for the info

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8/31/09 2:34 A

If you figure celiac disease causes malabsorption - which it does - then you have to keep your eyes out for any of the vitamins and minerals we need showing up in short supply.

A quick read of Wikipedia shows:

"Over 300 enzymes require the presence of magnesium ions for their catalytic action, including all enzymes utilizing or synthesizing ATP, or those which use other nucleotides to synthesize DNA and RNA. ATP exists in cells normally as a chelate of ATP and a magnesium ion."

And

"Excess magnesium in the blood is freely filtered at the kidneys, and for this reason it is difficult to overdose on magnesium from dietary sources alone.[10] With supplements, overdose is possible, however, particularly in people with poor renal function; occasionally, with use of high cathartic doses of magnesium salts, severe hypermagnesemia has been reported to occur even without renal dysfunction."

So, we really really really really need enough magnesium, and it's pretty darn difficult to get too much.

[off to go take a mag supplement]

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Posts: 1,921
8/31/09 1:03 A

After complaining to my Dr about calf cramps when walking more then 10 min. He put the blood pressure cuff on my calf to see how long before my leg started cramping. It didn't take long. He has ordered me to take 1200mg of magnesium a day and 800 of calcium. Normal dose is 350mg on Magnesium now that I've done a little research the high level scares me a little but I'm thinking it will be for a short period of time to build it up then back to regular levels.
In researching about magnesium found that it is common in people with malabsortion diseases or Type 2 diabetes amongst other things but since I'm pre-diabetic and have CD those jumped out at me.
I don't think I ever saw low magnesium levels mentioned in a possible problem with CD. It's possible that it never registered since I didn't think it was applicable to me.

I didn't see any posts on this so thought I'd share.