Taking magnesium to treat anxiety?

[mat321]

I was wondering if anyone has taken magnesium supplements to treat anxiety?
Thanks!

[Oosh]

I feel like a magnesium supplement messes up my sleep. Don't know about anybody else. I could be mistaken.

[Suziewuzie]

I take magnesium supplements every day and have done for well over a year (before my anxiety started)
So I can certainly say they didn't prevent it ☺ I

[sandie]

I take magnesium supplements as well as magnesium salts in my bath. I think it does help but only if you take the correct amount - which can seem quite high.

MyNameIsTerry is very knowledgeable about what constitutes the correct amount and I think he also takes and is a fan of magnesium.

[itwillbefine]

What is the right amount?

[sandie]

It's actually quite a lot more than I had imagined, but I cannot recall how much. MyNameIsTerry is very knowledgeable and I am sure if you PM him he can advise or if he sees this post perhaps he will comment.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I feel like a magnesium supplement messes up my sleep. Don't know about anybody else. I could be mistaken.

Magnesium comes in many forms, it could be what it is combined with.

---------- Post added at 05:42 ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 ----------

What is the right amount?

Some RDA's:

The daily Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for elemental magnesium are: Age 1-3 years, 80 mg; 4-8 years, 130 mg; 9-13 years, 240 mg; 14-18 years, 410 mg (boys) and 360 mg (girls); 19-30 years, 400 mg (men) and 310 mg (women); 31 years and older, 420 mg (men) and 320 mg (women). For pregnant women age 14-18 years, the RDA is 400 mg; 19-30 years, 350 mg; 31-50 years, 360 mg. For lactating women age 14-18 years, the RDA is 360 mg; 19-30 years, 310 mg; 31-50 years, 320 mg. For infants less than one year of age, adequate intake (AI) levels are 30 mg from birth to 6 months and 75 mg from 7 to 12 months. The daily upper intake level (UL) for magnesium is 65 mg for children age 1-3 years, 110 mg for 4-8 years, and 350 mg for anyone over 8 years old, including pregnant and breast-feeding women.

The trouble with RDA's is that they are based on averages and tend to be decades old. They are also not taking into consideration health problems hence there is some specific guidance on deficiency. But with anxiety, we will be burning through nutrients quicker anyway so we may need more. Meds also cause magnesium to leeched from the bones.

But there is something else to bare in mind, a big problem with magnesium supplementation - labelling! Think of Magnesium Citrate, say 500mg. So, at first glance you think you are getting 500mg of magnesium citrate. That's true BUT the level of magnesium you actually get is the Elemental Magnesium and the rest is citrate which has other uses in the body. In the UK there are no laws forcing them to declare this, according SADNoMore there are in Canada hence they can check just by using the label what they will be getting. So, for all you know you could be getting 1mg of magnesium and 499mg of citrate!

Another example is an amino acid bound (chelated) magnesium form, such as Magnesium Taurate. All this means is that the magnesium has been bound to an amino acid. The reason being the body struggles to digest salts but easily digests amino acids. (so remember, you can't 100% digest anything and that includes that Elemental Magnesium) This way it is more bioavailable. There is also an additional effect in that the magnesium may be transported where the amino acid is going and this can mean the brain BUT magnesium taurate is made up of Magnesium + Taurine (an amino acid) and taurine is used throughout the body for many reasons so you can't guarantee where the magnesium may be going because of chelation alone. I've seen magnesium taurate products with 450mg of Taurine in and a miniscule 50mg of Magnesium - so a product like that is aimed at someone who really wants the taurine effects. Taurine is a precursor of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter and the one the Benzo's impact on. However, remember you can't guarantee where taurine is going.

The level of Elemental Magnesium can usually be found online somewhere as there is an atom weight for them. If my memory is correct, the atomic weight explains the % of magnesium but I'll add some links from people who know more about this stuff shortly.

So, beware the traps with magnesium. People could be taking 500mg thinking they are getting above the RDA when in reality they are nowhere near...and then they say 'magnesium hasn't helped' but did they really even use enough and did they know why? I bet they didn't.

There are some other things to remember too with magnesium supplements. For instance, Magnesium Citrate is really for constipation so once you go over a certain mg per day you will be legging it to the toilet. Magnesium Oxide is a very cheap form found in supermarkets and the minute this hits the water in your stomach it turns into another form of magnesium, Magnesium Hydroxide...also known as Milk of Magnesia. That's aimed at GI issues too.

So, that's two forms that really are aimed at working on GI/bowel issues so why would they be helping with anxiety?

Some forms like Magnesium Glycinate will carry similar complications to the taurate version as these can affect the Glycine neurotransmitter in the brain but them this is also a common amino acid and will be used all over.

So, it can be a complicated affair and it doesn't surprise me so many people don't find it helps because either you end up lucky or have done the research to target the right one.

---------- Post added at 05:49 ---------- Previous post was at 05:42 ----------

I take magnesium supplements as well as magnesium salts in my bath. I think it does help but only if you take the correct amount - which can seem quite high.

MyNameIsTerry is very knowledgeable about what constitutes the correct amount and I think he also takes and is a fan of magnesium.

Thanks sandie.

I take Magnesium Chloride, or rather I spray it on as I use it in oil form. This is supposed to be more bioavailable as the skin can absorb much better than we can digest. Digestion is impacted by the foods we eat so we can be poorer than people who eat clean e.g. processed foods mess up digestion.

I can't say I've found anxiety relief in magnesium yet but I can definitely say it has helped me with muscle soreness, aching joints and sciatica. It took time to work but after a month or two the benefits were clear and when I use it since I can feel the difference.

The reason I say it hasn't helped with anxiety yet is because I know I am a still deficient. Spraying on magnesium causes the skin to sting if you spray it on a deficient area and even now I get this on some days which suggests I haven't corrected any deficiency enough - hence I can't expect it to be working on my anxiety too.

I've bought an oral version to go with this which is more bioavailable - ionic magnesium also known as Angstrom magnesium (Angstrom measurement). This is supposed to be so small that it can more easily penetrate cells hence not relying on digestion. I think it starts in the mouth while you drink it but I couldn't be sure on that, I'm sure I read that somewhere when reading about these small forms. It's not as cheap though.

---------- Post added at 05:51 ---------- Previous post was at 05:49 ----------

The level of Elemental Magnesium can usually be found online somewhere as there is an atom weight for them. If my memory is correct, the atomic weight explains the % of magnesium but I'll add some links from people who know more about this stuff shortly.

See post 6:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=176849

The NMP links are to threads where magnesium use has been discussed and you will see some people have found it helps.