How critical is magnesium?

#1

I was starting to feel really strange last night so started testing my blood sugar, temperature, blood pressure, etc. Blood pressure was very low… all the readings were about 80 over 50. I kept pumping Himalayan pink salt and water and couldn’t get it up. I realize I also need potassium and magnesium but my doctor told me a few months ago that I needed to stop my magnesium supplements because they interfere with a medication that I take 3 times a day.

I’m heading to the store to get Morton’s Salt Lite today for the potassium, but do I need to find a way to get magnesium into me on a regular basis? I take a multi-vitamin with 100 mg. of magnesium 2 hours before I take my other med, and I use hand cream with magnesium in it. Is it imperative I somehow find a way to get more into me or can I get by with just increasing my sodium and potassium?

Since I’m only in the beginning stages of being keto again I imagine this too shall pass and things will balance out in a few weeks/months, but I’ve got the week from hell coming up at work and can’t afford to be fainting from low blood pressure.

Thoughts? (And yes, I’ve done a search and read a lot of posts about this, but didn’t really see if magnesium supplementation is mandatory right now or just “suggested”)
Sue

(Allie) #2

It is absolutely essential. I put Epsom salts in my baths and pub magnesium oil on my skin each evening as it’s best absorbed transdermally.

#3

Moreso in the beginning or throughout the rest of my life? It’s going to get tricky to keep supplementing magnesium since it interferes with a med I take 3 times a day.
Sue

(Allie) #4

You’ll maybe notice it lacking in the early days, but magnesium is essential for everyone, same as potassium, sodium, and calcium.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #5

Talk to your dr. about this. Magnesium is an essential mineral. Does he mean don’t take it orally? It can cause digestive issues with some people, that is why the epsom salt baths and oil are used by some, they by pass the digestive system.

#6

Good point. I’m guessing that her fear of it interfering with the absorption of the med would be in the digestive tract, but if I obtain the magnesium topically then hopefully it wouldn’t interfere. She said since my magnesium levels are fine there’s no need to supplement.

(Jo) #7

You can track your micro nutrients for a while so that you can gauge how much you are getting through diet in an app like Cronometer. If you’re on a BP med, maybe your body is telling you it’s time to lower the dose? I have gotten completely off it after 6 weeks, but my dose was really low.

(Wendy) #8

Also talk to a pharmacist as they can be very helpful with drug interactions. Sometimes a timing thing is all that is needed.

#9

No, not a BP med, my BP is actually usually low. It is a timing thing but since I take the med 3 times a day, it gets complicated to supplement.

I will start tracking my food again for a week to see how much I’m getting - great suggestion, thanks.
Sue

(Jo) #10

I also had this happen only one time in the beginning of KETO. For me that low a BP was really exceptional and it didn’t happen again, so I am thinking it might also just your body adjusting to a new status quo.

#11

Your doctor is advising you that supplementing magnesium interferes with a medication you take 3 times a day. She also has advised you that you are not magnesium depleted.

I’d suggest that, rather than soliciting opinions from people who (1) don’t know your medical history, (2) don’t know your magnesium levels, (3) don’t know what medication you are taking 3 times a day, (4) don’t know the potential interactions between magnesium and your medication, and (5) are likely unqualified to assess the associated risks, you instead consult with your doctor.

(Jo) #12

Well, no one is currently telling her – hey go ahead and supplement. All we did was to try to give her tools (tracking diet) and own experiences to compare.

Otherwise I agree with you, but I think we are all very careful not to give medical advice.

#13

Agreed. The funny thing about this conversation is the avoidance of the elephant in the room: What is the particular medication? What are its potential interactions with magnesium? What underlying condition is being treated?

In other words, why would a doctor caution against interactions with magnesium? Seems pretty important to consider.

(Jo) #14

Not sure we need that information, since we are not doctors.

#16

OK, Dave… sorry I posted the question… I just kinda thought that’s what chat forums were for… for getting others’ thoughts and opinions.

My doctor doesn’t think people should supplement for things they already have an acceptable level of (I tend to agree) and her other objection to the magnesium was that it would interfere with the absorption of the med. So in response to why I didn’t discuss it with my doctor? I did.

My post (and the title of my post) was “How critical is magnesium?” Everything I read on this forum strongly urges us to supplement it. I am not clear if that means ALWAYS or most especially when beginning this WOE. I wasn’t asking how you thought it might interact with the med (I have Dr. Google for that). I was curious if some people get along just fine being ketogenic WITHOUT supplementing magnesium.

You seemed perturbed by my posting the question. If it annoyed you, I apologize.
Sue

(Doug) #17

Sue, magnesium is indeed critical - we can’t live without it. Yet your doctor is right on, I think - if you’re not deficient then there’s no need to supplement. I think that applies to just about everything - if there’s no need for ‘extra,’ especially when the source would not be in natural foods, then why do it?

One symptom of magnesium deficiency is often high blood pressure, oddly enough. :slightly_smiling_face:

Plenty of good food sources for magnesium - avocados, broccoli (most fiber-rich veggies, really), spinach, other vegetables (especially leafy greens), dark chocolate, many nuts, fatty fish - like halibut, salmon and mackeral…

For longer fasts, some electrolyte supplementation may be helpful and/or make us feel better, but again - if there’s no need then it’s a different story. Just being on a ketogenic diet should not mean that magnesium supplementation is needed, for most of us.

#18

@Sue777 - no, I should apologize if I came on too strong.

The issue I don’t see being addressed is the implication of interfering with the absorption of the med. The potential impact could range from trivial to fatal, depending on how critical the med is to your health. But we still don’t know that, so we’re guessing.

The point I was trying to make in my usual bull in a china shop manner is that’s a rather important thing to know before we begin to opine and offer suggestions on how you might increase your magnesium intake against the specific advice of your doctor.

#19

Thank you!!! That is exactly what I was looking for! So magnesium supplements if electrolytes seem off, or if you suspect you’re low, or during extended fasts, but not necessarily Keto = mandatory magnesium supplements.

Perfect, thank you. I just went back and looked at my blood results from a short time ago and I’m at the high end of “normal” for both magnesium and potassium. I eat broccoli and nuts every day - I’m probably good with getting it from food. Thanks again!
Sue

#20

Apology accepted, and now that I know you tend towards a “bull in a china shop” manner I will not take it personally if you come across a bit too strong at times. Hell, that’s a major problem with all non face-to-face communications. Without the body language and facial expressions, we have no way of knowing how a comment was intended.

And since you apologized and seem to really want to know, the medication is Gabapentin. Not critical to my survival and at such a ridiculously low dose she doesn’t want any interference with absorption so that we can evaluate whether it works for me or not.
Sue

#21

@Sue777 I’m the typical guy, more focused on ideas and things than people and relationships. I figure ideas are inanimate, subject to debate, and I often fail to realize that when you attack an idea, the person behind the idea can feel attacked. Not my intention, but a mistake I’ve not yet outgrown.

As to the potential for interfering with Gabapentin, just my opinion, but it seems that that consideration should trump the potential for a magnesium deficiency.

But hey, as long as I’m practicing Medicine Without a Clue. if you are being prescribed Gabapentin for seizures, it will be interesting to see if Keto makes a difference for you, given that therapeutic ketogenic diets are becoming standard of care for pediatric epilepsy (or so I think).