Significant Magnesium Deficiency in Depression

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This was posted by a member of the Magnesiumforlife group. I also

found the tests discussed here of interest. So little seems to be known by many

doctors of how to test effectively for magnesium.

best wishes

Shan

 

Significant Magnesium Deficiency in Depression

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By Richard H. Cox, Ph.D.,C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. Roger K. Cady, M.D.,

Diane Veehoff, R.N., M.S.W., Ph.D., Mariann Burnetti Awell, Psy.D., Rita

Houston, L.P.N.

 

Abstract. Magnesium levels were tested in a total of 457 patients suffering

either chronic primary depression or chronic pain with depression. The

magnesium load or tolerance test is considerably more reliable than serum, red

blood

cell. whole blood, or white blood cell magnesium levels. Virtually all

significantly depressed patients are deficient in magnesium. Clinicians should

consider the potential of therapeutic benefit from magnesium replacement therapy

in

chronic depression. Although magnesium deficiency has been reported in

depression, this association is not widely recognized (Ref. 1). Over the past 7

years

we have investigated magnesium levels extensively in patients with primary

depression and chronic pain with depression. The current report summarizes the

frequency of magnesium deficiency in depressed patients as well as the greater

accuracy of the magnesium load test over various blood levels for measuring

metabolic competency of this critical mineral.

 

-------------------------

Patients and Methods

Testing Procedure

 

All depressed patients were diagnosed by a positive Zung Test for Depression

(Ref.2) as well as the MMPI and clinical evaluations. The chronic pain

patients labeled depressed were those who showed depression on the Zung test.

 

In 475 patients seen for either chronic depression or chronic pain with

depression, magnesium levels were assessed. Three hundred fifty women and 107

men

had blood drawn and sent by overnight mail to Meridian Valley Chemical Lab in

Kent, Washington for white blood cell magnesiu levels. They ranged from 22 to

78 years of age. Twenty-six patients had whole blood magnesium levels done at

another referance lab and 26 patients had red blood cell magnesium levels done

at a third reference lab.

 

One hundred of the depressed patients who had standard white blood cell

magnesium tests (Ref. 3) also underwent magnesium load testing to allow

comparison

of the white blood cell magnesium test with the somewhat more commonly

recommended magnesium load test (Ref. 4).

 

Results

 

All 100 of these patients retained well over 50% of the magnesium load;

indeed they commonly retained 85% to 100%.

 

An additional 46 chronic pain patients with depression also underwent

magnesium load testing. Thirty-one of these were deficient; 15 were not.

 

White Blood Cell Magnesium Magnesium Load

 

Normal levels 0.098-2 less than 50% retention

RBC range (4.2-6.8 meq/L) Whole blood range (1.6-2.5 meq/L)

 

 

Patients

Test Normal Low Low Normal High

Red Blood Cell 10 6 9

1

Whole Blood 1 15 10

0

White Blood Cell

(General Clinic Patients) 99 185 20 1

Magnesium Load

(Significantly Depressed Patients) 0 100 --- ---

Magnesium Load

(Chronic Pain Patients) 15 31 --- ---

 

 

Discussion

 

The magnesium load or tolerance test (Ref. 3) is apparently much more likely

to detect deficiency of magnesium than any blood test. Although the white

blood cell magnesium test is much simpler to perform, it picks up deficiency on

only 60% of those who are demonstrated to be deficient by magnesium load testing

.. The red blood cell magnesium test and the whole blood magnesium test may

pick up only about 50% of those who are deficient. Others have reported the

extreme lack of usefulness of serum magnesium levels which reflect only the most

serious magnesium deficiencies (Ref. 5). Over the past 2 years we have used the

buccal intracellular test for magnesium by Intracellular Diagnostics, Inc. and

find it as reliable as the load test.

 

Normal Low

WBC (in the depressed 100 who had magnesium load 40 60

 

The most striking finding is that all 100 of those patients with significant

primary depression were deficient in magnesium by magnesium loading testing,

although the white blood cell magnesium picked this up only 60% of the time.

Interestingly, in 47 chronic pain patients who were depressed, only 31 patients

(67%) were deficient by magnesium load testing. Obviously, there will be some

depressed patients who are not deficient in magnesium, as seen in 15 chronic

pain patients who were depressed but had normal magnesium load tests.

Nevertheless, in those who suffer from significant depression, magnesium

deficiency

appears to be virtually universal. Even if the 46 chronic pain patients with

depression are included, of 146 depressed patients who underwent magnesium load

testing, 131 or over 89.7% were magnesium deficient.

 

The finding of significant magnesium deficiency in depressed patients is of

considerable interest, both scientifically and clinically. Magnesium is the

natural calcium channel blocker. Clinically, magnesium deficiency has been

associated with cardiac arrthymia, hypertension, myocardial infarction, strokes,

anxiety, migraine, panic attacks, epilepsy, osteoporosis, immune dysfunction, as

well as chronic fatigue, acute musculoskeletal pain and reflex sympathetic

dystrophy; all illness with high incidence of concomitant depression. (Refs.

6-14).

 

Magnesium is significantly affected by blood levels of lithium, calcium,

phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Intestinal absorption of magnesium is

inhibited

by high levels of intestinal calcium, fat, protein pr phosphorus. Urinary

excretion of magnesium is increased by most diuretics as well as by stress,

epinephrine, nonepinephrine and caffine. All lead to urinary magnesium loss

(Refs.

15-18).

 

Major potential dietary sources of magnesium are hard water; dark green,

leafy vegetables; carrots; beets; sesame seeds and legumes. Magnesium deficiency

may result in inadequate intake of magnesium; high calcium intake; high intakes

of sodium, protein, fat, potassium, wheat, alcohol, sugar, or caffine;

diarreha; diyretics; laxative abuse; severe stress (Ref. 11,8). Interestingly,

it

has been demonstrated that 70% of men and 80% of women do not take in even the

daily recommended allowance of magnesium (Ref. 11). And, as would be expected,

the nutrition of depressed patients is usually very inadequate.

 

The neurological and metabolic consequences of magnesium deficiency are

widespread. Magnesium is a major regulator of all membrane potentials, as well

as

neuronal and muscular tone. Thus, magnesium deficiency prevents normal nerve

cell stability.

 

Magnesium also plays a synergistic role with taurine, both of them assisting

in stabilization of cellular membrane potential as well as being natural

calcium channel blockers (Ref. 19). The clinical use of calcium channel blockers

in

neurololgical disorders such as migraine may be obviated with far less " side

effects " by administration of magnesium taurate.

 

Our personal clinical studies have indicated that at least 78% of chronically

depressed patients are deficient in taurine (Ref.20). With an even higher

incidence of magnesium deficiency, it is easy to understand some of the many

symptoms accompanying depression.

 

Although intravenous magnesium, 2 grams per day for 5 days in 2 weeks,

appears in our experience to assist significantly in the relief of depression,

additional studies are needed in which depressed patients are treated only with

magnesium taurate orally. It may well be that magnesium taurate alone will be as

effective as the average antidepressant which helps no more than 50% of

depressed patients (Ref. 21). Magnesium taurate is less expensive and has

virtually

no risk, as long as renal function is normal.

 

Refereces

 

1. Seeling MS: Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Disease, New York,

Plenum Publishing Corporation, 1980.

 

2. Zung, W.K.K. A self-rating depression scale. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.

12:63-70, 1965.

 

3. Ryzen E, Elbaum N, Singer FR, et al: Parenteral Magnesium Tolerance

Testing in the Evaluation of Magnesium Deficiency. Magnesium 4:137-147, 1985.

 

4. Seeling, MS: Magnesium Deficiency in Two Hypertensive Patient Groups.

Southern Medical Journal 83:739-42, 1990.

 

5 . Reinhart RA: Magnesium Metabolism. Arch Intern Med 148:2415-2420, 1988.

 

6. Seeling CB: Magnesium Deficiency in Two hypertensive Patient groups.

Southern Medical Journal 83:739-742, 1990.

 

7. Schoenen J, et al: Blood magnesium levels in migraine. Cephalalgia

11:97-9, 1991.

 

8. Seeling MS, Berger AR, Spielholz N: Latent Tetany and Anxiety, Marginal

Magnesium Deficit, And Normocalcemia. Disease of the Nervous System 36:461-465,

1975.

 

9. Seeling MS: Increased need for magnesium with the use of combined

oestrogen and calcium for osteoprosis treatment. Magnesium Research 3:197-215,

1990.

 

10. Seeling MS: Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Disease. New

York, Plenum Publishing Corporation, 1980.

 

11. Morgan KJ, et al: Magnesium and Calcium Dietary Intakes of the U.S.

Population. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 4:195-206, 1985.

 

12. Altura Bt, Altura BM: The Role of Magnesium in Etiology of Strokes and

Cerebrovasospasm. Magnesium 1:277-291, 1982.

 

13. Cox IM, Campbell MJ, Dowson D: Red blood cell magnesium and chronic

fatigue syndrome. The Lancet337:757-760, 1991.

 

14. Turlapaty PDMV, Altura BM: Magnesium Deficiency Produces Spasms of

Coronary Arteries: Relationship to Etiology of Sudden Death Ischemic Heart

disease.

Science 208:198-200, 1980.

 

15. Flatman PW: Magnesium Transport across Cell Membranes. J. Membrane Biol.,

80:1-14, 1984.

 

16. Spencer H, Osis D: Studies of Magnesium Metabolism in Man: Original Data

and a Reveiw. Magnesium 7:271-280, 1988.

 

17. Rude RK: Physiology of Magnesium Metabolism and the Important Role of

magnesium in Potassium Deficiency. The American Journal of Cardiology

63:31G-34G,

1989.

 

18. Levine BS, Coburn JW: Magnesium, the Mimic/Antagonist of Calcium. The New

England Journal of Medicine 310:1255, 1984.

 

19. Durlach J et al., Taurine and magnesium homestasis: New data and recent

advances. In Durlach A, Seeling MS (eds.) Magnesium and cellular process and

medicine. Karger Basel, 1987.

 

20. Shealy, C. Norman, Cady, Roger K., Veehoff, Diane, Houston, Rita,

Burnetti, Mariann, Cox, Richard and Clossen, William. The Neurochemistry of

Depression. American Journal of Pain Management. Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 13-16.

 

21. Weissman MM, Lieb J, Pursoff B, Bothwell S. A Double-Blind Trial of

Maprotiline (Ludiomil®) and Amitriptyline in depressed Outpatients. Acta

Psychiat

Scand 52:225-236, 1975.