![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 8:52:23
I have heard Magnesium can help reduce depressive symptoms. Is this true? I just recently started taking a Magnesium Complex (has like 3 dif. types of Mag. in it, one of them being mag. citrate) supplement. Please let me know of your personal experiences and what you have heard and know about Magnesium supplementation. Thanks.
Monte
Posted by SLS on July 24, 2006, at 9:50:33
In reply to Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 8:52:23
> I have heard Magnesium can help reduce depressive symptoms. Is this true? I just recently started taking a Magnesium Complex (has like 3 dif. types of Mag. in it, one of them being mag. citrate) supplement. Please let me know of your personal experiences and what you have heard and know about Magnesium supplementation. Thanks.
A lot of people find it calming and sleep-promoting. Magnesium taurate might be the better preparation. You can gain the added benefit from the taurine complex, but you might want to get some feedback on that.
I don't think magnesium could hurt you at this point, but you may not want to add too many ingredients into the mix just yet. Become educated, develop a strategy, and add things sequentially.
- Scott
Posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 9:59:53
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by SLS on July 24, 2006, at 9:50:33
> > I have heard Magnesium can help reduce depressive symptoms. Is this true? I just recently started taking a Magnesium Complex (has like 3 dif. types of Mag. in it, one of them being mag. citrate) supplement. Please let me know of your personal experiences and what you have heard and know about Magnesium supplementation. Thanks.
>
> A lot of people find it calming and sleep-promoting. Magnesium taurate might be the better preparation. You can gain the added benefit from the taurine complex, but you might want to get some feedback on that.
>
> I don't think magnesium could hurt you at this point, but you may not want to add too many ingredients into the mix just yet. Become educated, develop a strategy, and add things sequentially.
>
>
> - ScottGood advice Scott, i appreciate it. How are you feeling? Do you take many supplements yourself?
Monte
Posted by JLx on July 24, 2006, at 19:37:27
In reply to Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 8:52:23
> I have heard Magnesium can help reduce depressive symptoms. Is this true? I just recently started taking a Magnesium Complex (has like 3 dif. types of Mag. in it, one of them being mag. citrate) supplement. Please let me know of your personal experiences and what you have heard and know about Magnesium supplementation. Thanks.
>
> MonteMagnesium has done wonders for me. I used to be suicidally depressed (while on Zoloft and Provigil). Then one day, I stumbled upon George Eby's site http://www.coldcure.com/html/dep.html about his experience recovering from depression using magnesium, and thought I'd try it too (despite my psychiatrists advice not to bother).
I felt so much better the very next day I quit my meds. Not recommended, I know, but I've usually quit stuff like Xanax cold turkey and never had anything more than some mild shakes.
I also stopped eating calcium rich foods at the time, which I think was important for me. That was a few years ago and I've learned since that I seem to be sensitive to excitatory substances like MSG and aspartame too. I had no idea they were contributing to my insomnia and "nervous wreck" feelings so much.
Magnesium also has a curious effect of directly preventing "hate myself" type mental comments, which used to lead to suicidal ideation of "I wish I were dead". Stress seems to trigger this effect even though I may not be thinking of myself as that depressed. I take more magnesium, and then these thoughts are gone.
I've experimented with various types of magnesium. I now usually only take magnesium taurate (Cardiovascular Research Brand) and/or magnesium orotate. I have that in bulk form from Beyond A Century and put it into capsules myself. Mg orotate is supposed to be especially good for the heart.
Most people who have tried magnesium on this board seem to think it has had some good effect but there have been a few who thought otherwise.
An interesting magnesium page from an antiaging specialist: http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/1999-No3-MagnesiumandAging.cfm
Magnesium: The Stress Reliever http://www.healthy.net/scr/column.asp?Id=74
Magnesium page from a nutritionist: http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html
JL
Posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 20:59:40
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for? » Crazy Horse, posted by JLx on July 24, 2006, at 19:37:27
Thanks JL. Very positive and informative ..exactly what i was looking for. I am very happy that it has helped you so much and hope that it will me also. :)
Monte
Posted by SLS on July 25, 2006, at 7:05:16
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for? » Crazy Horse, posted by JLx on July 24, 2006, at 19:37:27
> I also stopped eating calcium rich foods at the time, which I think was important for me.
I once tried taking a calcium supplement. I forget the dosage, but it was over 1000mg. I experienced an immediate and severe worsening of depression. It was so stark, I was afraid to ever go near calcium again.
- Scott
Posted by JLx on July 25, 2006, at 19:49:13
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by SLS on July 25, 2006, at 7:05:16
There are so many women who take calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis supposedly, and very rarely are they also advised to take magnesium. I wonder how many of them are nervous wrecks as I used to be on calcium supplements? I quit taking them when I had a calcium kidney stone, which is one of the risk factors of calcium supplementation that no one usually mentions. But once you have a kidney stone, you definitely don't want to be in the 50% who have ANOTHER one!
If you're interested in the science being calcium being an excitotoxin, this is an interesting article from James South: http://www.smart-drugs.net/ias-excitotoxins.htm
JL
> > I also stopped eating calcium rich foods at the time, which I think was important for me.
>
> I once tried taking a calcium supplement. I forget the dosage, but it was over 1000mg. I experienced an immediate and severe worsening of depression. It was so stark, I was afraid to ever go near calcium again.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by Mistermindmasta on July 29, 2006, at 20:25:45
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for? » SLS, posted by JLx on July 25, 2006, at 19:49:13
Calcium is especially bad for me as well. I definitely get depressed from taking it. If I take like, lets say, 1,000 mg / day... after the 3rd day I will go into very very strong episode of depression that i can only describe as being "dark". Like, i feel very spaced out, and my senses are kinda dulled. It's very dysphoric and nothing is fun. Magnesium, at least in doses up to 500mg, DOES NOT counteract the negative effects that calcium has on my mood.
However, I can take about 300 mg of calcium per day as long as I combine it with like 500 mg magnesium - this dosage appears to be nice and actually relaxes me nicely more than magnesium alone, I think.
Many nutritionists recommend 2:1 ratio of cal to mg. I think this is wrong for depressed ppl. For me, it has to be something like 1:2, not 2:1.
I've tried Mag aspartate, Mag citrate, Mag taurate and mag glycinate. I find all of them to be about equal as far as how they make me feel, but glycinate tends to make me feel the most sleepy and kinda spacy.
Theoretically, magnesium really should prevent depression. Part of what happens in depression is that nerve connections are excited to death, which is caused in part by excess calcium influx. The poor connections between cells is what is theorized to cause symptoms, and magnesium actually blocks excess calcium from entering the cell.
I believe some people are unable to absorb magnesium the way normal people do. People with depression often have irritable bowel syndrome, and irritable bowel is now known to be associated with very low grade chronic intestinal inflammation, which might lead to inability to properly absorb certain nutrients. That's just my own theory, though. It makes sense but has never been tested.
Posted by Crazy Horse on July 29, 2006, at 20:42:40
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by Mistermindmasta on July 29, 2006, at 20:25:45
> Calcium is especially bad for me as well. I definitely get depressed from taking it. If I take like, lets say, 1,000 mg / day... after the 3rd day I will go into very very strong episode of depression that i can only describe as being "dark". Like, i feel very spaced out, and my senses are kinda dulled. It's very dysphoric and nothing is fun. Magnesium, at least in doses up to 500mg, DOES NOT counteract the negative effects that calcium has on my mood.
>
> However, I can take about 300 mg of calcium per day as long as I combine it with like 500 mg magnesium - this dosage appears to be nice and actually relaxes me nicely more than magnesium alone, I think.
>
> Many nutritionists recommend 2:1 ratio of cal to mg. I think this is wrong for depressed ppl. For me, it has to be something like 1:2, not 2:1.
>
> I've tried Mag aspartate, Mag citrate, Mag taurate and mag glycinate. I find all of them to be about equal as far as how they make me feel, but glycinate tends to make me feel the most sleepy and kinda spacy.
>
> Theoretically, magnesium really should prevent depression. Part of what happens in depression is that nerve connections are excited to death, which is caused in part by excess calcium influx. The poor connections between cells is what is theorized to cause symptoms, and magnesium actually blocks excess calcium from entering the cell.
>
> I believe some people are unable to absorb magnesium the way normal people do. People with depression often have irritable bowel syndrome, and irritable bowel is now known to be associated with very low grade chronic intestinal inflammation, which might lead to inability to properly absorb certain nutrients. That's just my own theory, though. It makes sense but has never been tested.Very interesting, thanks for your imput. I also have irritable bowel syndrome, and also diabetic gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach) which definitely makes me a poor absorber of medication, hence EMSAM is working very well for me..transdermal delivery. I think your theory is right on.
Monte
Posted by Sunday on August 25, 2006, at 16:48:48
In reply to Re: Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by Crazy Horse on July 29, 2006, at 20:42:40
Anyone have any experience or information on best (and safe) dosage recommendations for magnesium in treating depression?
Posted by sregan on October 5, 2006, at 16:19:43
In reply to Magnesium..what is it good for?, posted by Crazy Horse on July 24, 2006, at 8:52:23
It's supposed to be a very effective NMDA blocker as well as taurine. Some people have cured their depression with Magnesium alone. CFS docs recommend Magnesium Glycinate which is magnesium chelated to glycine the smallest amino acid so it will facilitate the crossing of the blood-brain barrier.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.