CFS Healing Timeframe Experiences (Magnesium)

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , " za123z123a " <za123z123a

wrote:

 

> My husband is not taking any Mg supplements, but we do eat a diet

of

> organic vegetables, legumes and seaweeds.

 

You may want to Google for " magnesium Paul Cheney " . Paul Cheney is

a MD who is very knowledgeable about Mg and PWCs (People With

CFIDS). One thing I've observed over the years is that not only do a

lot of PWCs tend to have Mg deficiency but their genetic relatives

also appear to have problems with Mg deficiency.

 

Muscles need Mg in order to relax properly. Without enough Mg, the

muscles tend to stay overly contracted. This in itself can account

for some of the pain and a lot of the fatigue. Chiropractor and DO

adjustments may not last like they do in most people because the

overly contracting muscles can pull the back out of alignment.

 

Mg also is a GABA-enhancer. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters are supposed to be more

or less in balance so nerves neither fire to much or too little.

When GABA is too high relative to an excitatory neurotransmitter

like NMDA, coma can result. When NMDA is too high relative to GABA,

seizures can result. But long before the seizure stage is reached,

the person experiences " sensory overload " . The nerves are " firing "

so often that a touch can feel painful. This is believed to be the

mechanism behind Mg deficiency lowering the pain theshold. The

person also may feel overwhelmed by the patterns in a rug or the

smells in a supermarket.

 

Mg is one of the minerals that can be lost through sweat. For a

normal person with enough reserves, this usually presents no

problems. But for a person who is sweating a lot (like with

nightsweats) and/or already is Mg deficient or borderline, this can

be critical.

 

Modern food processing methods can remove Mg from foods. Plus, Mg

rarely is supplemented in farm lands.

 

Malic acid improves absorption of Mg. Some forms of Mg are more

absorbable than others. You'll want to research this.

 

Aluminum interferes with Mg absorption. People who are having Mg

deficiency problems definitely should get rid of any Al cookware and

replace it with something else. If they drink sodas, it's a good

idea to not drink sodas from cans. Some soft drink manufacturers

line their cans to prevent leaching of Al into the soda. But some

do not. The very tiny amount of Al that leaches out into the soda

ccan be critical for people who already are Mg deficient or low

normal.

 

I was in such bad shape that I had to have the Mg shots for a few

years. I simply could not absorb enough Mg from the pills even with

malic acid. He'll have to see a MD or DO who knows about CFIDS for a

prescription for this. I had the first shot in the doctor's office

to make sure that I wouldn't react adversely to them. The local

CFIDS support group leader (who had had nurse's training) taught my

husband and myself to give shots, and after that initial shot in the

doctor's office, he usually gave them to me. They need to go into

the butt. In some people they can be given in the thigh. They will

give one a lumpy butt. And they sting when you can feel them. I

was in such bad shape that for the first 9 months I was on the

shots, I couldn't feel them. Eventually I reached a point where I

could absorb enough from pills.

 

BTW, hair loss can be a symptom of Mg deficiency.

 

Another good source of info about Mg deficiency (and nutrition in

general) is Mildred Seelig, MD. There is a long list of health

problems that are either due to Mg deficiency or which Mg deficiency

plays a role in. Insomnia is one of them. (Not all cases of

insomnia but some.)

 

At this point I have had CFIDS for over 30 years. I didn't discover

TCM until I had had it over 20 years. There have been some very big

improvements since learning about TCM.