Hi mabdab01,

You wrote this above:



I have been thinking about this and wondered if the Mg had that effect because it impeded your digestion. Magnesium is alkaline, so if you have it with a meal it weakens your stomach acid, which is maybe why you then had poor digestion. As far as I know, the only Mg tablet you can take before food is Mg chloride, because that breaks down and helps form hydrochloric acid, thus aiding digestion, rather than hindering the process.



Sounds like you could be right!!! But, for the reasons I have given above, I would get into the habit of taking the Mg glycinate away from meals. Either half an hour before, or half an hour afterwards, is one recommendation I once read somewhere. I think your stomach acid is still quite high at these points, which is helpful because Mg also needs sufficient stomach acid to be absorbed. (However, to be absolutely honest with you, I have enough trouble just remembering to take my Mg at any point between meals, never mind being so exact as to keep to the "half-hour-before-or-after-meals" rule!!! The main thing, really, is to take the dang stuff!!!)



Sorry, mabdab01, I didn't think to look on MyPlan. I guessed, though, that your fat intake would be high - that's how most people on a low-carb diet eat, after all!!! - which would be another reason to keep to the rule of taking magnesium away from meals. Apparently, the Mg bonds with the fats and makes some kind of soapy substance (I think Dr Carolyn Dean says this in her book) which the body then just excretes.



It does indeed sound like your magnesium supplies must be depleted - and may have been that way for some time... I think my question maybe came across wrongly: for some reason, I had the idea that you might have just started supplementing with magnesium for general health reasons, rather than having a specific complaint in mind. God knows why...

As I can see, you have very good reasons to be working on filling up your magnesium stocks and I hope you see results soon. However, it might take some time. I have read estimates varying between 6 months and 2 years as the time period it can take to reach good levels. So patience is the word, here!!!

In my own experience (as a long-time sufferer of low magnesium), it does indeed take a good while, although in my case I have to admit that I have frequently sabotaged my magnesium-replenishing project over the last two years, so I may not be typical. I had a lot of symptoms of adrenal fatigue/magnesium deficiency two years ago and, now, pretty much exactly two years later, I would say that nearly all of the worst symptoms are gone. The one thing that does recur from time to time is calf cramps at night or when stretching, but, again, that usually happens if I have done something stupid like: a) let myself run out of good magnesium glycinate (I tried a different brand to Dr's Best, without the Albion Minerals stamp and it was crap); b) drink too much alcohol. The latter is a sure-fire way to empty your magnesium supplies, that's for sure...




I really hope that the magnesium helps you with your asthma. Have you also considered taking vitamin D3? Apparently, that can also help with asthma - perhaps partially by increasing uptake of magnesium, which is what vitamin D3 does (amongst other things, of course!). Read this post by a lady on this forum who is convinced that D3 has helped greatly reduce her asthma symptoms:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost...&postcount=1385

The original D3 thread is here:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost...&postcount=1385

If you scroll back a few pages, you will find a few posts that mention asthma. There's also loads of studies and anecdotal accounts on the Vitamin D Council site.



Low-carbing should also help with that.



As I don't know you, I don't know how well-read you are (and, although I have been reading intensively about low-carbing, health and nutrition since the beginning of 2007, I have only just started learning about the connection between weight gain and thyroid problems, so I'm by no means an expert), but did you know that all of these things are typical symptoms of low thyroid function? Have you had any thyroid testing done? Gaining weight and having difficulty losing weight are also typical of people with hypthyroidism.



The above symptoms are more typical magnesium deficiency symptoms, although period problems are also a thyroid thing, too. Obesity seems to be related to both low magnesium and low thyroid function, from what I have read so far.

So, as your own research has shown you, there are plenty of reasons for you to take magnesium, and I'm glad you didn't give up after the initial D problem.



It would seem very very likely that you are probably chronically deficient in magnesium, I'm afraid. The good news is that it is possible to improve your magnesium status, although it might take some time. But, from my own experience, it really is worth persevering and spending the money on some decent magnesium glycinate, such as the Dr's Best brand or any with the "Albion Chelated Minerals" stamp on them.



Please keep us posted to see if you notice any differences!!! I hope you might be able to consider going off the anti-depressants. As far as I know, some of them actually make it more difficult to lose weight.



If you have had chronic constipation all your life, I really would look into whether there is a thyroid issue causing it.



I would buy some cheapo Mg oxide for the constipation problem, in your shoes: it seems a shame to waste the good stuff!!!

The last thing you wrote was this:



Seems like a good plan!!! Although I would really back off if you get diarrhoea. I only take 2-4 tabs per day as I also get quite a bit of magnesium in water (Apollinaris) and food (I am more of a moderate-carber than a low-carber, so I eat legumes, brown rice and a modest amount of gluten-free grain products).

Anyway, I have gone on for far longer than I meant to. I hope you haven't fallen asleep!!!

I'd love to hear from you in my journal, too, if you want to drop by. Magnesium is one of my little hobbies, so I am always interested to hear from anyone who has started taking it and what kind of results - good or bad - they get.

Take care, all the best, and good luck with the magnesium!!!

amanda