Magnesium and heart rhythm problems

Reading all these posts related to taking magnesium, I am wondering if any of you had your blood tested for magnesium level? I have and mine is in high normal range. My opinion is don’t take Supplement unless your Dr. has confirmed you are not in normal range. Too much of any supplement can be detrimental to your well being. I have occasional aFib and AV node disfunction. I take Sotalol to minimize aFib episodes. I was fitted w pacemaker so rate doesn’t go below 60 bpm. Just drink Smart Water to get your magnesium/ potassium.

A doctor told me to take lots of mag for afib. I began getting really strange and dripping yellow stools. I called the advisor at the vitamin company, she said NEVER start out with lots of mag, only slowly add it, letting your body get used to it. Have you had an electrolyte test to see if your body needs magnesium?

I recently had an attack of rapid a fib

And my hr was between 140 and 170
My magnesium was in the low side and i received some in my iv.
I wasn’t sent home in any. As a nurse I understand how magnesium effects can the gut. I also have a colon problem.
Anyway i wonder if 1500mg/dAy is too much- Anne

Hi Anne,
I had atrial fibrillation for almost 2 years...and cured it! In other words I got off the high dose of beta blockers I was on and my heart remained stable. I made sure to exercise daily and I NEVER EVER drank coffee or tea or alcohol again. Chocolate and certain stimulant meds I also avoided and still steer clear of. Even too many carbs will get my heart racing. Of course, I have given in over the years to temptation and my heart will let me know that I am tempting fate.
Possibly like you, I suffer from IBS and have since my early teens. Thankfully, I know what to avoid (dairy, sugar, rice...). I take 300 ml of magnesium citrate before bed (it helps with sleep) to keep gently regular the next morning without fail which for me is essential or I can suffer from cramps as painful as childbirth. I doubt you are taking 1500 mg of magnesium citrate or you would have major diarrhea. It sure sounds excessive in any case... Quote: 'The current RDA for adults is between 320 and 420mg daily, and the average US intake is around 250mg daily.'
Apparently, after vitamin D, we are most lacking in magnesium which has been depleted from the soil our vegetables grow in resulting in deficiencies. An interesting article to read about magnesium is in Psychology Today called Magnesium, the Original Chill Pill. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201106/magnesium-and-the-brain-the-original-chill-pill
All the best to you! Keep as far away as you can from caffeine in coffee, tea, Coke, chocolate etc...

So much magnesium suddenly is what gave me almost diarrhea. I was told by a nutritionist that you always must slowly build up to a strong magnesium amount. Good luck!

Very interesting article. I really recommend reading it. Another part of this situation is that doctors disagree now on how much calcium older people should take. They used to say we had to take half as much magnesium as calcium with supplements. (One thing which gives me trouble as an older person is that enormous pills are really hard to swallow and calcium/magnesium supplements tend to be enormous. I did find a pleasing chocolate piece that has calcium and very little magnesium.)
Those of us with afib often are given blood tests in the hospital that will give us some idea of our calcium and magnesium levels. I didn't realize that all the whole grains I eat are very helpful to have useful magnesium levels. Mine appears to be fine without supplements.

I know that magnesium citrate can cause diarrhea at doses beyond the recommended dose. Other kinds of magnesium may be better for you. I take just 300 mg of mag citrate so it just keeps me regular. But more is too much.
I would read up on magnesium and not just rely on the word of anyone; doctor, friend, naturopath, me... I rely mostly on my pharmacist...who studied drugs and supplements for years in university. I go to a doctor of naturopathy so I value her opinion, too. (Beware of the 3 month course naturopaths.) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/magnesium-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/description/drg-20070730 On the Mayo Clinic site on magnesium they even provide you with a list of drugs that you should NOT take magnesium with. Also, that is why it's a good idea to consult with your pharmacist.

And don't forget an excellent source of NUTS. 2 tsp per day! Quote: 'Just 2 tablespoons of dried pumpkin seeds contain 96 mg of magnesium or about 25 percent of the daily recommended dietary allowance. Other foods containing magnesium include almonds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts, flaxseed, and pecans.'

But do watch out about nuts as you get older. Now at 85, I just decided a few months ago to eat lots of nut snacks during the day, a collection which included cashews. Well, about the same time, my arms began swelling up just from a mosquito bite. Allergy? I stopped the nuts and the extreme reaction to bites stopped. I read that older people can suddenly get nut allergies. So be careful. My daughter, 46, also is eating these nut snacks with no problem at all.

I have read that a first mosquito bite can cause a reaction and then after that the subsequent reactions diminish. Maybe the mosquito had a virus in it like West Nile. Horrible thought.
I read that one should not eat more than 2 TBSP of nuts per day. They are nutritious but can be hard to digest and very fattening.