MUSCLE SPASMS MAY BE A MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY.
Mark London
magnesium deficiency. A magnesium deficiency can cause muscle spasms, plus a
host of other problems. And while so many people seem concerned about calcium
for bones, few people talk about magnesium. Bones are not only formed from
calcium, but also from magnesium. Without magnesium, the resulting formations
will be soft. Teeth will have soft enamel, nails will be brittle.
Magnesium deficiency is very common in the general US population. Not only is
our daily intake low, but we eat a diet which increases the demand for
magnesium. And unfortunately, urinary magnesium loss can be increased by many
factors, both physical and emotional. Magnesium loss increases in the
presence of certain hormones. Stress can greatly increase magnesium loss.
Even loud noises can extra magnesium loss. One article on the web goes so far
as to say that that almost everyone is the United States is at least
marginally deficient in magnesium. So there is an excellent chance that a
person with fibromyalgia has a magnesium deficiency. But since people with
fibromyalgia often have high levels of stress, and a disrupted hormonal
system, they are more likely to be candidates for magnesium deficiency.
Plus, sleep deprivation has been shown to cause lower magnesium levels:
Magnesium is extremely important to many functions in the body, which is why a
deficiency can cause many different symptoms. It is the activating mineral
for at least 350 different enzymes in the body, more than any other mineral,
so it is crucial for many of the metabolic functions in the body. Magnesium
is a catalyst wherever phosphoric acid (PO4) is metabolized. Magnesium is
necessary for almost all the enzymes that allow the glycolytic and Krebs
cycles to turn the sugar and fat we eat into ATP, which is why fatigue is a
common symptom of magnesium. And because of the disruption to carbohydrate
metabolism, hypoglycemia is also a common symptom. Certain forms of insulin
resistant diabetes have been helped by magnesium supplementation.
Also, since twenty percent of the total body ATP is used by the brain, low
levels of ATP can result in diminished brain cognitive functions, a common
problem in people with fibromyalgia. And since ATP influences transport
of magnesium into cells, a vicious cycle can arise in which low ATP levels
give rise to even lower intracellular magnesium, causing still further ATP
reduction. Other health problems associated with a magnesium deficiency are
migraine headaches, mitral valve prolapse, and Raynaud's phenomenon, all
problems also commonly found in people with fibromyalgia.
Adequate magnesium is necessary for proper muscle functioning. Magnesium
deficiency promotes excessive muscle tension, leading to muscle spasms, tics,
restlessness, and twitches. This is due an imbalance of the ratio of calcium
to magnesium, as calcium controls contraction, while magnesium controls
relaxation. Plus, in fibromyalgia, changes are seen in the muscles, such as
"significantly lower than normal phosphocreatine and ATP levels" and "values
for phosphorylation potential ... also were significantly reduced":
But all of these same changes are found also in magnesium deficiencies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8988330&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7847586&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8399369&dopt=Abstract
Magnesium may also help Myofascial Pain Syndrome. According to Devin
Starlanyl's web page "Myofascial trigger points can be identified and
documented electrophysiologically by characteristic spontaneous electrical
activity (SEA). They may also be identified histologically (which means that
the structure of the cells have changed) by contraction knots-- the lumps and
bumps we know only too well. Both of these phenomenon seem to result from
excessive release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) from the nerve
terminal of the motor endplate (the complex end formation of the nerve)." But
magnesium is well known for being able to inhibit ACh release:
And in fact, intravenous magnesium sulfate is used in emergency situations
because of this effect on acetylcholine:
http://www.templejc.edu/ems/drugs/Magnesium.html
And it's because of magnesium's ability to regulate nerve function that other
deficiency can occur. When synaptic magnesium levels are too low, nerves fire
too easily from even minor stimuli. For example, noises will sound excessively
loud, lights will seem too bright, emotional reactions will be exaggerated,
and the brain will be too stimulated to sleep, all symptoms commonly found in
fibromyalgia. And if the oversensitivity to light and noise reminds you of
someone suffering from a hangover, they are one and the same problem, as
alcohol is known for decreasing magnesium levels, and magnesium
supplementation has been found to relieve hangover symptoms.
Because magnesium is involved in so many processes in the body, a deficiency
has a spiraling effect. Low magnesium levels causes metabolic functions to
decrease, causing further stress on the body, reducing the body's ability to
absorb and retain magnesium. A marginal deficiency could easily be
transformed into a more significant problem. Any stressful event could
trigger magnesium loss. So one could postulate that stressful events which
trigger fibromyalgia are doing so by creating a high loss of magnesium.
Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is not easily detected, as serum levels do
not reflect the levels of magnesium in tissues. This is the reason why it is
so overlooked and ignored, both by doctors and by studies. And unfortunately,
oral magnesium supplementation can be difficult because of absorption
problems. Digestion and diet play a key role in absorption. People with
fibromyalgia often have conditions like Irritable Bowel System, gluten
intolerance, or other problems that might limit absorption. Phosphate can
bind to magnesium in the gut, creating magnesium phosphate, an insoluble salt
that can't be utilized. Many forms of oral magnesium supplements are hard
to assimilate. The most common, magnesium oxide and citrate, happen to be the
worst to assimilate. If you suffer from the laxative effect when you take
magnesium, it is often not because you are taking too much, but because you
are not assimilating it well. Take a well assimlated form, split up into small
doses during the day.
Further information about magnesium, and a study on it's use with fibromyalgia
patients, can be found on the following web page:
http://www.fibromyalgie.net/artikelen/hypothesis_management_of_fibromy.htm
It especially has some good information regarding magnesium's ability to
regulate calcium and phosphate within cells, which is necessary to maintain
proper ATP synthesis. It also discusses magnesium in regard to proper cell
membrane permeability. Further discussions of this and other topics regarding
magnesium deficiency can be found here:
http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum/dur18.html
And the disruption of proper cellular membrane permeability is believed to
lead to a decrease in the intracellular antioxidant system, shown in the
following study, one of several in MEDLINE:
This might explain recent studies which have shown oxidative damage in people
with fibromyalgia.
http://bubl8.lib.strath.ac.uk/journals/soc/cbomt/v03n0198.htm#2metabolic
And the changes in cell membranes and subsequent intracellular imbalance in
cells reduces the body's defenses against toxins such as heavy metals. A long
term magnesium deficiency may lead to many other secondary problems that have
their own host of symptoms.
Also, a magnesium deficiency can be the cause of a high ratio of serum
phosphate to calcium. The parathyroid affects the urinary levels of those
minerals via secretion of PTH. However, magnesium is necessary to allow
tissues to properly respond to PTH. It is also necessary for proper
metabolism of vitamin D. If there is a magnesium deficiency, this could
disrupt calcium and phosphate levels and metabolism. A calcium deficiency
can result, because even though calcium intake may be normal, the body cannot
utilize it properly. In fact, there is one study in MEDLINE which shows that
this scenario might be common in fibromyalgia. It showed that females with
fibromyalgia had low serum calcium, even though PTH levels were normal:
Another recent study MEDLINE on fibromyalgia used hair analysis to conclude
there is both magnesium and calcium deficiency.
A magnesium deficiency in fibromyalgia could also explain the low blood volume
and hypotension that often occurs. Usually, low blood pressure would
stimulate production of renin in the kidneys, and then renin would be
converted into the adrenal hormone aldosterone. Aldosterone then has the
ability to increase sodium and water reabsorption in the kidneys, thus raising
blood pressure. But in fibromyalgia and CFS, aldosterone and renin are often
found to be low. Some people believe this is due to adrenal disfunction.
Such a disfunction could indeed be due to magnesium, since magnesium is
necessary in many metabolic process. However, there is yet another
possibility. As explained in the following long, but excellent description of
renin secretion, cellular calcium has a strong ability to inhibit the release
of renin:
http://www.uninet.edu/cin2000/conferences/OleS/OleS.html
But as described earlier, magnesium has long been known to control cellular
transport of calcium:
A magnesium deficiency would increase intracellular calcium, thus inhibiting
renin secretion. And calcium has a special affinity for accumulating in the
kidneys:
And a few more studies for those interested on the effects of a magnesium
deficiency on cell disturbances and mitochondria damage:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9529585&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9641824&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7738680&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8988330&dopt=Abstract
An aldosterone deficiency not only causes low blood volume, but it also
worsens a magnesium deficiency. This is because aldosterone influences the
magnesium reabsorption rate in the kidneys, in the same way that it influences
reabsorption of sodium. Thus, if an aldosterone deficiency is present, it
results in further magnesium losses. It is yet another vicious cycle, i.e. a
magnesium deficiency results in lower aldosterone levels which causes a
further decrease in magnesium. Another example of why it is so easy for a
magnesium deficiency to occur in suboptimal health conditions.
Some people might be surprised to find that a magnesium deficiency can exist
at the same time as low blood pressure. Classically, a magnesium deficiency
results in high blood pressure, as it causes aldosterone levels to rise to
increase the reabsorption of magnesium in the kidneys. But this also causes
an increase in sodium and water retention, increasing blood pressure. And
indeed, some people with fibromyalgia do have high blood pressure and water
retention. The fact that a magnesium deficiency can exist with both low and
high blood pressure is yet another example of how that the same medical
condition can present totally different symptoms. There are simply too many
variables in the body to produce the exact same symptoms in everyone.
And I think it's time for doctors to realize that higher doses of supplements
might be necessary, given the higher stress levels in fibromyalgia. I
personally started taking magnesium for spasms and facial tics, only doing so
on my own after neurologists simply told me to either get better sleep or
take a prescription drug. The magnesium helped almost immediately, and I then
slowly increased the dose to about 225% the RDA (balanced with 100% calcium
RDA). At that point, all spasms and tics stopped completely, and they have not
returned since starting that dose several years ago. I doubt any traditional
doctor would have been willing to prescribe that much magnesium. In fact, few
would have prescribed magnesium at all.
Mark London
M...@PSFC.MIT.EDU
ice witch
didn't cure anything. my migraines are less frequent, i do still have
muscle spasms though as much as before, and eye pain. but dizziness is
less and i have finally stopped vomiting. yes a lovely visual but trying to
make a point, the magenesium did help a lot. but it's not a cure.
lori
Mark London <m...@psfc.mit.edu> wrote in message
news:10OCT00....@psfc.mit.edu...
thai
> If you suffer from the laxative effect when you take
> magnesium, it is often not because you are taking too much, but because
> you
> are not assimilating it well. Take a well assimlated form, split up into
> small
> doses during the day.
>
And a well assimilated form would be?????????????/
thai
Stephanie A. Hall
Chronic Pain and Fatibge Research Center has studied magnesium and FM. He
_did not_ find that people with FM have an identifiable magnesium
deficiency in the blood or in the muscle tissue. Clauw, in addition to
being an expert on FM, has also done ground-breaking research on magnesium
deficiency in other conditions, so he has the credentials to do this kind
of research. He _did_ find that taking magnesium supplements helps
considerably with FM pain and muscle cramping. Magnesium should not be
taken by people with kidney problems and may interact with some
medications,so you should ask your doctor about starting this supplement.
Clauw recommends 1000-2000mg of magnesium, the upper limit depends on
weight (again, ask your doctor). You may want to work up to a higher dose
from a lower dose. The amount you take may depend on what your stomach
will tolerate, the amount it takes to help your pain, and the upper limit
for you.
The website for the Georgetown U Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center
is: http://www.dml.georgetown.edu/depts/pharmacology/fmscfs/
There is good reason to think that people with FM do not use magnesium and
calcuim efficiently. Some research has found evidence of this, but
apparently it is not bad enough to show up as a deficiency (though, of
course, any individual might have a deficiency). So it isn't clear why the
magnesium helps FM pain so much, but it does help. This is important:
Clauw tested many different forms of magnesium to see how they affected FM
pain. He found that _it did not matter_ what kind of magnesium was taken,
they _all_ helped. That means we can try different types to find which
agree with our stomachs, and also it means that we can shop around for a
good price. So beware of anyone telling you that "only our brand/variety"
of magnesium works-- the research does not support that claim.
All forms of magnesium are slightly laxative, some are very laxative, and,
since people with FM may have sensitive stomachs, some may be more
irritating to an individual than others. Two kinds that may be a problem
are magnesium oxide (milk of magnesia), which is the most common
inexpensive type found in vitamins. At a high dose level it may be
irritating, though some people may do just fine on it, and save money by
taking it. Magnesium citrate, touted by some alternative-health advocates
as the "best absorbed," is _very_ laxative, and it may not be possible for
many individuals to take it at these doses ("poor assimilation" is not the
reason it is laxative: it is laxative in everybody). Some types of
magnesium are processed with an acid to make them easier to digest, and
these have less of a laxative effect and so they can be easier to take in
large doses. Examples are: magnesium malate, amino-acid celeate of
magnesium, magnesium taurate, and magnesium aspertate.
Spreading the dose out through the day (at least two doses) can help make
it easier on the stomach. It may also help with absorbtion since the body
can only absorb so much of any mineral at once.
I think calcium, potassium, and lots of water may also be important to
helping with FM pain. Potassium and calcium can be gotten through diet or
with supplements. Magnesium and calcium work together to help muscles and
to prevent osteoporosis (and PWFM are prone to develop osteoporosis). The
potassium and lots of water carry calcium and magnesium into the tissues.
I hope this helps
Stephanie
opinions mine
thai (tha...@sympatico.ca) wrote:
: Mark wrote
thai
> Magnesium citrate, touted by some alternative-health advocates
> as the "best absorbed," is _very_ laxative, and it may not be possible for
> many individuals to take it at these doses
>
Okay...this is the answer that I was looking for. The magnesium Is
citrate that I am taking now and the toilet is getting a superb
workout!!!!!!!!!!
I will try one of the other types and see if I can tolerate them
better....thanks for the info.....thai