My daughter has been having a problem with hemorrhoids, so I suggested that she take magnesium for a softer stool (sorry if this is gross). She has been taking magnesium for about a week and she called me today saying that she thinks the mag. is causing her problems---she said she takes the mag. in the evening and when she gets up in the morning she feels a little dizzy and her stomach is upset, she feels better later in the day, this has started since taking the mag., she went to Web M.D. and found the following, I told her to stop the mag. and see how she feels. She is very slim and has low blood pressure to begin with, so the mag. could be making her blood pressure even lower.

I believe in mag. for myself but there can be problems even with this good supplement, in fact, all supplements can cause problems for some people, we should be aware.



MAGNESIUM Side Effects & SafetyMagnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth or when the prescription-only, injectable product is used correctly. In some people, magnesium might cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects.

Doses less than 350 mg per day are safe for most adults. When taken in very large amounts, magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Special Precautions & Warningsregnancy and breast-feeding: Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for pregnant or breast-feeding women when taken by mouth in the amounts recommended. These amounts depend on the age of the woman. Check with your healthcare provider to find out what amounts are right for you.

Heart block: High doses of magnesium (typically delivered by IV) should not be given to people with heart block.

Kidney problems, such as kidney failure: Kidneys that don’t work well have trouble clearing magnesium from the body. Taking extra magnesium can cause magnesium to build up to dangerous levels. Don’t take magnesium if you have kidney problems.



MAGNESIUM Interactions

Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combinationAntibiotics (Aminoglycoside antibiotics) interacts with MAGNESIUM

Some antibiotics can affect the muscles. These antibiotics are called aminoglycosides. Magnesium can also affect the muscles. Taking these antibiotics and getting a magnesium shot might cause muscle problems.
Some aminoglycoside antibiotics include amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin), and others.

Antibiotics (Quinolone antibiotics) interacts with MAGNESIUM

Magnesium might decrease how much antibiotic the body absorbs. Taking magnesium along with some antibiotics might decrease the effectiveness of some antibiotics. To avoid this interaction take these antibiotics at least 2 hours before, or 4 to 6 hours after, magnesium supplements.
Some of these antibiotics that might interact with magnesium include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), norfloxacin (Chibroxin, Noroxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), trovafloxacin (Trovan), and grepafloxacin (Raxar).

Antibiotics (Tetracycline antibiotics) interacts with MAGNESIUM

Magnesium can attach to tetracyclines in the stomach. This decreases the amount of tetracyclines that the body can absorb. Taking magnesium along with tetracyclines might decrease the effectiveness of tetracyclines. To avoid this interaction take calcium 2 hours before or 4 hours after taking tetracyclines.
Some tetracyclines include demeclocycline (Declomycin), minocycline (Minocin), and tetracycline (Achromycin).

Bisphosphonates interacts with MAGNESIUM

Magnesium can decrease how much bisphosphate the body absorbs. Taking magnesium along with bisphosphates can decrease the effectiveness of bisphosphate. To avoid this interaction take bisphosphonate at least two hours before magnesium or later in the day.
Some bisphosphonates include alendronate (Fosamax), etidronate (Didronel), risedronate (Actonel), tiludronate (Skelid), and others.

Medications for high blood pressure (Calcium channel blockers) interacts with MAGNESIUM

Magnesium might decrease blood pressure. Taking magnesium with medication for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.
Some medications for high blood pressure include nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan), diltiazem (Cardizem), isradipine (DynaCirc), felodipine (Plendil), amlodipine (Norvasc), and others.

Muscle relaxants interacts with MAGNESIUM

Magnesium seems to help relax muscles. Taking magnesium along with muscle relaxants can increase the risk of side effects of muscle relaxants.
Some muscle relaxants include carisoprodol (Soma), pipecuronium (Arduan), orphenadrine (Banflex, Disipal), cyclobenzaprine, gallamine (Flaxedil), atracurium (Tracrium), pancuronium (Pavulon), succinylcholine (Anectine), and others.

Water pills (Potassium-sparing diuretics) interacts with MAGNESIUM

Some "water pills" can increase magnesium levels in the body. Taking some "water pills" along with magnesium might cause too much magnesium to be in the body.
Some "water pills" that increase magnesium in the body include amiloride (Midamor), spironolactone (Aldactone), and triamterene (Dyrenium).


Liz

Liz - magnesium does lower blood pressure so that may be separate problem for her; if she wants to continue the magnsium, she might do better to take it during the day when she is eating and active rather than empty and sleeping but I'd be concerned about Bp dropping too low at any given time.

If she hasn't gone totally gluten and diary free for 3 - 4 months, that would be my suggestion as sensitivity to both of the 'allergenic' protein molecules are lined to hemorrhoids. She could also consider using a watersoluble fiber for more stool bulking and plenty of water to go along with the fiber. Most of these problems come from lack of fiber and really adequate hydration. Coffee is dehydrating so if she she consumes a lot of coffee, then she'll need more water to compensate.

Organic Aloe Vera gel may offer a solution... or eat a daily quantity of naturally high fiber foods... oatmeal and prunes for breakfast is a good start. If she's very thin, does this mean she doesn't eat much food? or good fiber-containing food? Lots of things to consider that might be contributory.

Jackie

Jackie:

Gail, my daughter, has always been thin, she eats but has a rather nervous dispostion, she is always doing something, walks fast, she has a high metabolism like her father, he was slim as well.

Gail eats lots of fish, chicken, lots of salads, she eats well---don't think she has ever eaten oatmeal, drinks coffee only for breakfast, she says she doesn't drink enough water however. she has never been constipated, but probably just not enough fluids is her big problem.

She got the hemorrhoids after the birth of her daughter, and has had a problem off and on, but lately they are really bothering her. I will tell her about the water soluable fiber.

Thanks Jackie
Liz

Liz,

Most of us afibbers are trying to take the most bioavailable form of Mg we can. In your daughter's case, she might try something less bioavailable. Citrate being a common case. Of course Jackie's soluble fiber suggestion, like psyllium husks, is a good one. If she takes a fiber supplement, she should increase her water consumption, too. [en.wikipedia.org]

For me, I routinely take greater than 2.2 grams/day elemental Mg, without any issues, except loose stools periodically. My blood pressure is on the low side of normal (96/54), but I have absolutely no signs of hypotension. As to the "slowed breathing," a friend was coaching me on my technique in the bumps (in skiing). He suggested I exhale for every turn, as a timing aid. Since I typically breathe about 6 times/minute, this felt like hyperventilating, to me. I did not see my breathing as a negative.



George

Liz,

Maybe she is pregnant, and just doesn't know it yet? That might explain the queasy/dizzy mornings. Just a thought.

lisa



lisa
__________________________

So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

Lisa:

Nope, she is going through menopause, although that could explain it.

George:

96/54, wow, that is low, my grandaughter has low blood pressure as well but she has on occassion expierenced symptoms of hypotension, the doctors have always said for her to use more salt.

How do you account for having such low blood pressure and not having any symptoms? Do you think it is your diet, producing ketones for energy?

Liz

Hi Liz,

"How do you account for having such low blood pressure and not having any symptoms? Do you think it is your diet, producing ketones for energy?"

Short answer - I don't know. However, I can speculate. For years, I had "white coat" hypertension. I might be 130/85 in a doctor's office. At a fairly young age. Nearly 30 years ago, I realized it was "white coat" as it was a snowy day, I'd been playing raquetball with a friend. He ruptured his Achilles tendon during the game. I had to drive him to a clinic 15 miles from my office, then rush back on icy streets for an appointment to give blood. A fair amount of stress. When they took my BP before giving blood, it was 108/70. I started taking my own BP then with a manual cuff & stethoscope.

My BP at home was always pretty normal - 120/80, 115/75 something like that. I looked back 4 years ago, after I'd added >1g/day of Mg++ and was at 3g of K+/day supplements (elemental). My BP was 110/65 or 70. Obviously there is variance from reading to reading. I weighed about 205 pounds and am 6' tall.

I've been a fairly large, fit person for my adult life. I played American Football in college. Because I was fit, people generally underestimated my weight by 25 or more pounds.

I started the low carb diet 18 months ago, I now weigh 173 pounds. In addition, I increased my intake of Mg++ to over 2 g/day. I'm guessing it is mostly the weight loss that has dropped my BP to where it is today. My K/Na ratio is about 3:1.

As to not having any symptoms, maybe the system is supposed to work that way. Possibly someone eating the way most American's eat and still having low blood pressure has other issues that cause the symptoms.

I recall reading that a big portion of keeping blood in your brain is the condition of your leg muscles. I am in reasonable shape. I try to moderate, in deference to afib. However I am active. I've skied nearly 500,000 vertical feet this season - 90% on the very steep, bumpy runs. I rock climb all summer and as weather permits in the winter. On days I don't "play", I train using a body-weight program designed by military special forces personnel. I also do an interval training routine. Eight reps of 30 seconds at max output followed by 1 minute at a slow pace. I don't do endurance training or competition anymore. Point being, my legs muscles are in pretty good shape.

My wife has always had low blood pressure. She is thin and has the low BP no matter how she eats. She can have some symptoms of hypotension. In fact, it was on this board I learned about "low blood volume" as a condition. The remedy is to eat more sodium. I suggested that to her, and the hypotension symptoms have dissipated. Later, she also started getting PVC runs. I tested her on my Polar heart rate monitor. Suggested more potassium and magnesium. She increased both and the quantity of PVC runs dropped by a factor of 10 in two days.

Maybe someone else will have some thoughts.

Cheers,

George