Harry, bluepumpkin anyone else - ? about magnesium - Digestive Disorders Message Board

luvmyboys · 02-25-2004, 08:44 AM

I have been reading the posts about magnesium. This may be a dumb question, but are magnesium supplements and the magnesium in vitamins different from magnesium citrate as a laxative? All the different magnesiums confuse me. What is the kind I need and what kind should I stay away from? How do you know how much to take in a supplement so it won't act as a laxative. I've tried to reasearch this, but maybe Harry or bluepumpkin would know the answer. I have lots of problems with burping excessively and full/bloated nausea feelings. I also take prevacid and agree that it causes more problems than it fixes. I never had the fullness/bloated feeling until starting this medicine. I have been on it for about 3 years and absolutely hate the way I feel. I also take carafate and thought maybe that was the problem, but I have the burping even without that. The carafate controls my diarrhea from excess bile salts, so I am hesitant to stop that for fear of the diarrhea and severe cramping pain that would start again. I do realize that carafate would interfere with the absorption of medicines and probably vitamins and minerals, but I would be sure to take things separately. Thanks.

Harry · 02-25-2004, 11:23 AM

Hi,
Sorry you are having so much problems!!
Several things about the Meds you are taking. Carafate is suppose to be used to help duodenal ulcers for short term use according to the PDR for about 8 weeks.

85% of ulcers are now treated with 2 antibiotics and a PPI like Prilosec or Prevacid because these ulcers are caused by H.pylori bacteria. The rest is cause by erosion caused by medication.

Some people have problems (side-effects) with varios PPI so you may want to change from Prevacid to Nexium or Prilosec??? My wife had problems with Prevacid.

Magnesium comes in many Forms-- some are used for laxatives as you know-- Milk of Magnesia( magnesium hydroxide)also in Freelax, Citrate of Magnesia, and Epson salts.There are probably 100 on the market with various names. All of these you take in large doses compared to a mineral magnesium supplement or one that is in a multi vitamin

The recommened daily dose for a magnesium supplement is 400 milligrams. 1000 milligrams equals 1 gram and 28.35 grams = 1 ounce. As you see in this small a dose none --- even the laxatives should give a laxative effect or loose stools.

I want to point out magnesium is a METAL like Iron is a Metal but the metal form cannot and is not used by the body. Magnesium is 1/3 light than aluminum. It is used in airplanes and is one thing that makes our bone strong. About 50% is in our bone 1% is in our blood and the rest is in our cells and every cell in your body contains magnesium.

The better Magnesium supplements are organic so they are readily absorbed through your intestinal walls. Apartates, oratates, glconates are good and even the oxide and citrates work ok.

I think the best on the market is the chelates. They use a protein--- several amino acids bonded to the magnesium. The process is patented by Albion Labs in Utah and sold to many Vitamin companies.

I have used Solgar, Doctor's Best, Kal, and Carlson magnesium chelates -- ingrediants are named on the label glycinate and lycinate.There are also other companies --- I just have not used them.

For best absorption I take magnesium 3 times daily.
If you take it once daily the absorption is less than a third.

I wish you the best---Harry

luvmyboys · 02-25-2004, 12:13 PM

Thank you Harry. I plan to start taking a calcium and magnesium supplement along with a multi vitamin. I already have nutrilite daily free multi vitamins but am afaid to take them due to nausea or bowel trouble. I realize I have to do something though. I can't take prevacid forever. I really think it hampers digestion. Maybe cuts down too much acid. The carafate my doctor told me to take for bile salt absorption. I have excess bile salts which reflux back into my stomach and stomachs don't like alkaline substances just as an esophagus doesn't like acid. I have never had an ulcer or h. pylori. I have an upper scope scheduled on March 11 to see what's going on. Last time I had such a hard time burping with fullness, I just needed to be dialated. That helped for a while. If you don't mind me asking, what problems did your wife have with prevacid? My husband is on nexium and his bowel habits are different now, but his heartburn is gone. However, due to the cost of nexium, the insurance company called the doctor and asked the my husband be switched to prilosec. I was angry because I don't think an insurance company should have the right to "prescribe" so to speak, medicine. But that's a whole other issue.

Thank you so much for your help.

Harry · 02-25-2004, 01:51 PM

Hey,
My wife had nausea and bloating using Prevacid and our Internist said it had more side-effects that Prilosec anyway. She had a problem swallowing and a lump in her throat-- the GI doctor DX was Nutcracker Syndrome. He put her on Prevacid.

She took Prilosec for 6 years then it began to produce nausea and she was told to stop it. Within a week she began having the swallowing problems again so we started using magnesium in divided doses. It certainly has helped her.

Prilosec is good but I don't think you should use any PPI long term and I'm glad my wife is off of it.... There is an article in the Informational Archives at the top of this board --Page 1 ---posted by HRH about long use of PPIs. You should read it and the ones about controlling GAS.

Your Doc must be reading a different book than me-- The Physian Desk Refereance says Carafate is used to heal ulcers and says nothing about bile salt absorption. I guess that have to find a use for it somewhere may it's bomething new???.

To absorb excess bile -- Questran or Colestid is used by those people that have excess bile after their gallbladder is removed because it causes diarrhea in about 5% of them. Katie G has written about it many times on this and the Bowel boards.

God Bless---Harry

luvmyboys · 02-25-2004, 03:18 PM

Harry, I love that article because it says exactly what I have been feeling physically. For example, I finished two rounds of amoxicillin 2 weeks ago and while I was on the antibiotic, I actually felt good. I was always hungry and never bloated or full feeling. Did not have the burping problem either. When I finished the course of treatment, it gradually started to come back. I wish I had the nerve to show it to my gastro doc, but I know exactly what he'd do with it. He'd make some excuse and shove it aside or somehow turn it around to make it seem like he advised against the meds anyway. But he also knows he can't hassle me because I'm stubborn when it comes to medicine and take as little as I can get by with. Very interesting article. Keep passing it along.