This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

hi there,

there is relevant info on combating stiffness with magnesium here at tims, i included a couple links in the response below...

eg stiffness after exertion (not counting surfing - why? read on...)
general-discussion-f1/topic13515.html#p131651

the muscle stiffness combined with alcohol consumption probably indicates both low cal and low mag but the mag will be lower. if the cal was really low you'd also have weakness.

alcohol sounds like a classic temporary fix, dulling sensation in the short term but ultimately compounding the problem ... positive feedback loop... downward spiral of discomfort/dysfunction

Ethanol promotes rapid depletion of intracellular free Mg in cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells...
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 2993900842
"In 0 mM ethanol, the basal level of [Mg2+]i was between 500–700 μM with a heterogeneous distribution within the cells; [Mg2+]i was greater in the perinuclear than in the peripheral region. Treatment of the cells with 10, 25, and 100 mM ethanol resulted in rapid (within 30 s) concentration-dependent reduction in [Mg2+]i; the greater the concentration and the greater the duration of acute exposure, the greater the fall in [Mg2+]i. Exposure of cerebral VSMCs to 100 mM ethanol resulted in a 57% reduction in [Mg2+]i (i.e., from 510 ± 40 to 220 ± 30 μM)."

try to get at least 600mg elemental magnesium delivered to your system daily. increase magnesium-rich foods first, since mag is best absorbed from food in lower intestine.

epsom salts baths per package instructions (don't overdo) may also be beneficial

if the cal mag pill is 2:1 ratio that's fine, but also take some magnesium glycinate separately.
on the use of cal/mag combo supplements: regimens-f22/topic4732-30.html

what munchkin said re cal:mag helping with spasms not stiffness - the ratio/timing/combination may be out of whack. trying a different ratio eg maybe 1:1 rather than nearly 2:1, taking some mag separate from calcium, ensuring some daily mag goes in without concurrent impacts from vit d3 etc, and finally, following up with bloodwork, can help nail the problem down.

i used to say serum mag should be minimum 0.91 mmol/L eg general-discussion-f1/topic18078.html#p177699
but i am leaning more toward 1.0 these days, would have to go back and do more digging to source the relevant study.

i was also going to say, re magnesium glycinate, although it is an excellent supplemental form for absorption, do watch for possible side effects re the lower oesophageal sphincter. when you take mag glycinate do it before you eat and do not lie down after. personally i started out taking it on an empty stomach before bed and it got left in my stomach washing my LES with its relaxant effects. i got a horrible reflux cough and did not connect the dots for a very long time. since alcohol also relaxes the LES you could end up with a double whammy there - if you get heartburn then be extra careful with mag glycinate. i didn't have any heartburn which was why it took me so long to make sense of it all. if this info helps you use mag glycinate successfully, then the experience was good for something at least :S

hope you feel better soon let us know what action you take and how/if it pans out!

_________________
my approach: no meds so far - just balanced whole foods (partial 'paleo', much less outright elimination), science, supplements, & bloodwork
my regimen - www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html
www.whfoods.com, www.nutritiondata.com

oh and here are those more recent bits of info i found on optimal serum magnesium levels:
regimens-f22/topic2489-285.html#p183392

_________________
my approach: no meds so far - just balanced whole foods (partial 'paleo', much less outright elimination), science, supplements, & bloodwork
my regimen - www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html
www.whfoods.com, www.nutritiondata.com

I'll look into mag
Right now rum is only way I can sleep
Numbs painful stiff legs enough I can sleep
Believe me, I don't want to be an alcoholic
It helps w/depression (yeah I know it doesn't really help)
I have such bad depression I think often that this life 'I'm looking forward to'
isn't one I wants

_________________
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Maledictesjewels

good luck, hope you feel better soon. FYI

nutrient dense magnesium foods
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... nt&dbid=75

seafoods high in mag
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-015 ... axCount=53

veggies high in mag
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-011 ... xCount=503

epsom salts
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/drug-mag ... cle_em.htm

2 mag supplements i happen to use at the moment (i take about 2 glycinate and 1 or 2 citrate)
http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... llergenic/
http://naturalfactors.com/ca/en/product ... um-citrate

_________________
my approach: no meds so far - just balanced whole foods (partial 'paleo', much less outright elimination), science, supplements, & bloodwork
my regimen - www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html
www.whfoods.com, www.nutritiondata.com