Chronic bowel problems, Magnesium and Side effects

@niijii8 The pain with me is much higher. It really is at the height of my heart, but it's in the back. And I am now experiencing pain on the left side, halfway my ribs. I am going to call the doctor anyway, just to discuss this.

Maybe they should take pics just to be safe?

Maybe they should, but I have had lots of scans in the past. I am a bit reluctant. I hope I can go to the doctor soon.
Regarding the sugar: I was on medication for years and had lots of pain for even longer. I sometimes rolled on the floor with pain, it was terrible. Good thing I was alone at the time so no one could see me roll.
But then I stopped taking sugar because I wanted to lose weight. I forgot to take my stomach medication and only noticed this a day later, realizing I didn't have pain. I decided to take the pill the next day, but I forgot again (busy days, don't get me started 😀 ) Anyway, the day after that I realized I still had no pain and decided to take the next pill only if the pain came back. It never did! And the joints stopped hurting too, it was amazing. Of course, the GP said this was impossible, but well, so did others. Still, the pain only came back once I started eating sugar again... Darnit... Added sugars, I mean. The natural sugars are fine.
That being said: I stay away from those 'fruit syrops' and 'fruit sugars' they add 'instead of sugar' because those are just the sugars from the fruit, terrible stuff.
I hope someone can still shed light on the magnesium thing. I will post in the heart health group too, to see if anyone has problems with magnesium in combination with a problematic heart rhythm.

Hello and I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Magnesium. Can I ask what kind of Magnesium supplement you're taking? Some have more side effects than others in terms of GI issues. I was also told to take Magnesium in the OXIDE form for constipation. I have experimented this past year and have taken 400-2000 depending on my symptoms. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis and related disorders since the onset. The magnesium never bothered me but wasn't predictable if it was going to help. I can't say it did much in terms of regular relief. I never had side effects and I have done a lot of research on Magnesium and it's different forms and from what I gather, it seems to be really safe and is actually recommended for anyone to take with little risk as far as I know. The only thing I found that I need to be careful of is how it can REDUCE the absorption of other medications or supplements you are taking. You want to take the Magnesium either 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking your other pills. I found this out doing my own research, I wasn't told by even my doctor and I"m on a lot of other meds and supplements so it's a good thing to know.

Thank you @tykehome. I am taking magnesium hydroxyde, 750 mg. per tablet.
I must say it indeed is not very predictable. Which is a bummer, but still, it's better than 'nothing'.
It is very interesting that you found out it can prevent the proper absorption of other medication. I had no idea.
Maybe my problems then are not related to the magnesium. It is just very strange because I felt rather okay before I started using it.
As an update: the fog seems to be clearing off. I have not taken magnesium yesterday, and only half a tablet today (which had effect). My heart rhythm is getting better and the headache and dizziness seem to get less as well. I will call the cardiologist tomorrow and ask him what to do. Thank you very much for the tip to not take magnesium too close to taking other pills!

Hi @ellamster,

Magnesium is one of the more abundant minerals in the body, which reflects its importance. Studies have shown that your pulse/heart rate is impacted by the amount of magnesium in your body, and deficiency can result in arrhythmias. It plays a role in hundreds of chemical reactions, many of them having to do with changing food into energy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/magnesium-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/description/drg-20070730

However, as @hopeful33250 mentioned, you are taking a rather high dose. The recommended daily allowance of magnesium for adults is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men. The upper intake level from supplements is 350 mg per day, and excess intake of supplemental magnesium may result in toxicity with symptoms like lethargy, confusion, abnormal cardiac rhythm, muscle weakness.

Here’s a fact sheet from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) which notes:
"Very large doses of magnesium-containing laxatives and antacids (typically providing more than 5,000 mg/day magnesium) have been associated with magnesium toxicity. Symptoms of magnesium toxicity, which usually develop after serum concentrations exceed 1.74–2.61 mmol/L, can include hypotension, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, retention of urine, ileus, depression, and lethargy before progressing to muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, extreme hypotension, irregular heartbeat, and cardiac arrest. The risk of magnesium toxicity increases with impaired renal function or kidney failure because the ability to remove excess magnesium is reduced or lost.” https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#h8

I’m tagging @personalhell @sue225 @irenec @tiss as they may be able to share their experiences with you.

For some reason a reply from @kanaazpereira is not visible, I received it in the email but it's not available on the page. I am not sure what causes it, it seems to contain an interesting link, from the preview on my phone.

Hi @ellamster,
Here is a direct link to the message that Kanaaz posted: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/chronic-bowel-problems/?pg=2#comment-291985

To see all messages in a discussion thread, click VIEW & REPLY in the email and scroll through the thread. You can sort the thread from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.

Dear Colleen.
I didn't see the page properly, it was strange, i didn't even see my profile button anymore. But now all is visible, isn't that strange?
Thank you!

I want you to know I'm not a doctor. If you get diarrhea a lot your digestive system may no be absorbing sufficient nutrients from the food you're eating. These deficiencies maybe causing the problems you're talking about?? I don't know but it may be a question you might want to ask a doctor. There are other things you can take to move things along. Ask to try something else (fiber, probiotics, colace, miralax, milk of magnesia, etc). Don't be afraid to question your doctor or get another opinion.