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Magnesium Deficiency
Sun, 03/13/2005 - 15:35Have any of you tried magnesium supplements and found them to be helpful? I have been doing some research and come across a theory that many people with epilepsy are magnesium-deficient. I realized that I have not had a seizure for 9 months, and I have been taking Rolaids for the past year. I have been taking them for the calcium content, but they also contain magnesium. Any thought on this?
Blessings,
Angie
Comments
Re: Magnesium Deficiency
Submitted by jakamimi on Tue, 2010-03-02 - 07:30
IT REALLY HELPS
My 9 year old boy had a tonic clonic seizure 12 months ago. I took him to two specialist one wanted to put him on tegretol and other epilium , any way i was not convinced this was my best option as the only other two symptoms he had was 2 cases of locked jaw fort-night before. Any way i have been giving him Endura magnesium and electolyte since that first seizure 12 months ago and has not had any since. For the first few months he had pins and needles down his face and twitches in the body whilst asleep but now he seems amazing. i use the hydralyte cause were we live its extremely hot, and we only moved here 14 months ago , i sometimes wonder if the change of extreme heat made him have a seizure as he had never had one where we lived for 9 years.Through the extreme heat i use the magnesium with hydralyte to keep his brain hydrated and in winter which only last 3 months max he jus has normal magnesium powder.I believe the powder works better than capsules. i believe lots of rest is important as he had sleep depravation for many years prior to this cause he worried about everything and is scared of sleeping and many bad night terrors for years. These have mostly stopped as well. so YES magnesium powder i believe is a BIG YES> hope i have helped some people with their decissions....
HAPPY MUM
IT REALLY HELPS
My 9 year old boy had a tonic clonic seizure 12 months ago. I took him to two specialist one wanted to put him on tegretol and other epilium , any way i was not convinced this was my best option as the only other two symptoms he had was 2 cases of locked jaw fort-night before. Any way i have been giving him Endura magnesium and electolyte since that first seizure 12 months ago and has not had any since. For the first few months he had pins and needles down his face and twitches in the body whilst asleep but now he seems amazing. i use the hydralyte cause were we live its extremely hot, and we only moved here 14 months ago , i sometimes wonder if the change of extreme heat made him have a seizure as he had never had one where we lived for 9 years.Through the extreme heat i use the magnesium with hydralyte to keep his brain hydrated and in winter which only last 3 months max he jus has normal magnesium powder.I believe the powder works better than capsules. i believe lots of rest is important as he had sleep depravation for many years prior to this cause he worried about everything and is scared of sleeping and many bad night terrors for years. These have mostly stopped as well. so YES magnesium powder i believe is a BIG YES> hope i have helped some people with their decissions....
HAPPY MUM
Magnesium Deficiency
Submitted by redbeard on Tue, 2011-03-01 - 11:37
All of my life I have had "twitches in my legs while asleep." The leg jerking would wake me up and it would take literally hours to fall asleep. In 1996 my seizures began after contracting encephalitis. Never thinking about mentioning the leg jerking (very dumb me) to the neurologist he ordered a blood test when I mentioned this to him. He checked the hematocrit and blood binding (?) levels. I was at 1/3 of normal. He instructed me to begin taking iron supplements. He said to take only iron Without any calcium, caffine products, on an empty stomach, or any other ingredients added on the iron label. Read the label Very Carefully-most iron supplements have added calcium to the iron-which then will not allow the body to absorb the iron with vitaman C - about 500mg of vitamin C. The vitaman C helps the body absorb the iron. Leg jerking went totally away. Be advised. Read the label about 2 side affects. The stool might be tar black or green. Mine alternates color looks terrible (sorry for the description). I am glad I read the possible side effects. I have been lax the past several months with taking the iron and the leg jerking returned. Several months ago I had 2 seizures two weeks apart and the doctor added Mirapex (pramipexole dihydrochloride. This medicine is used for extremity jerking) to the Lamictal -which is the only seizure medicine I am on. The doctor added this when I mentioned the leg jerking returned. The jerking stopped, but in the past 3 months I have had 4-5 seizures. Prior to that it had been 1-2 years prior since the last seizure. So now I need to find out what is causing the poor nights sleep which seems to be a trigger for seizures. I had a seizure yesterday and my wife had me change my scheduled appointment to a closer appointment day which will be next week. I shall see what his advice is regarding poor sleeping - which I believe is my fault and not any meds. Too much caffine and lack of iron. My excuse for not taking my iron is my several pots of coffee intake daily and not wanting the iron near the same time. On researching the caffine has a 6 hour half life so I prefer not to take the iron (which should be on an empy stomach) for 4-6 hours after my last cup of coffee. Time will tell.
I say this to say: ask the doctor if poor or lack of sleep may provoke seizures. And what would help with a getting a good nights sleep. And is there any abnormal blood levels that also contribute to the seizure activity.
redbeard
All of my life I have had "twitches in my legs while asleep." The leg jerking would wake me up and it would take literally hours to fall asleep. In 1996 my seizures began after contracting encephalitis. Never thinking about mentioning the leg jerking (very dumb me) to the neurologist he ordered a blood test when I mentioned this to him. He checked the hematocrit and blood binding (?) levels. I was at 1/3 of normal. He instructed me to begin taking iron supplements. He said to take only iron Without any calcium, caffine products, on an empty stomach, or any other ingredients added on the iron label. Read the label Very Carefully-most iron supplements have added calcium to the iron-which then will not allow the body to absorb the iron with vitaman C - about 500mg of vitamin C. The vitaman C helps the body absorb the iron. Leg jerking went totally away. Be advised. Read the label about 2 side affects. The stool might be tar black or green. Mine alternates color looks terrible (sorry for the description). I am glad I read the possible side effects. I have been lax the past several months with taking the iron and the leg jerking returned. Several months ago I had 2 seizures two weeks apart and the doctor added Mirapex (pramipexole dihydrochloride. This medicine is used for extremity jerking) to the Lamictal -which is the only seizure medicine I am on. The doctor added this when I mentioned the leg jerking returned. The jerking stopped, but in the past 3 months I have had 4-5 seizures. Prior to that it had been 1-2 years prior since the last seizure. So now I need to find out what is causing the poor nights sleep which seems to be a trigger for seizures. I had a seizure yesterday and my wife had me change my scheduled appointment to a closer appointment day which will be next week. I shall see what his advice is regarding poor sleeping - which I believe is my fault and not any meds. Too much caffine and lack of iron. My excuse for not taking my iron is my several pots of coffee intake daily and not wanting the iron near the same time. On researching the caffine has a 6 hour half life so I prefer not to take the iron (which should be on an empy stomach) for 4-6 hours after my last cup of coffee. Time will tell.
I say this to say: ask the doctor if poor or lack of sleep may provoke seizures. And what would help with a getting a good nights sleep. And is there any abnormal blood levels that also contribute to the seizure activity.
redbeard
Re: Magnesium Deficiency
Submitted by jimj on Fri, 2013-05-17 - 01:14
Robin, you said your daughter takes 1000 mg of magnesium. Would you mind sharing your daughter's age and weight?