Wondering about Magnesium levels

[LittlebitsMommy]

Is Magnesium usually checked when labs are done? If so do they have an intial or will it say magnesium?

I maybe fishing and be totally loosing my mind because I so badly want to figure this out with Kota. But I have been reading about magnesium today. So any input you have would be totally great.

I am sure alot of you already know all this. But I didnt. I have read more the last few months then I think I have in my whole life.

So far I have read this and it makes me stop and think :well:


What events can indicate a need for more high-magnesium foods?

Muscle weakness, tremor, or spasm
Heart arrhythmia, irregular contraction, or increased heart rate
Softening and weakening of bone
Imbalanced blood sugar levels
Headaches
Elevated blood pressure


Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for magnesium?

Because magnesium plays such a wide variety of roles in the body, the symptoms of magnesium deficiency can also vary widely. Many symptoms involve changes in nerve and muscle function. These changes include MUSCLE WEAKNESS, tremor, and spasm. In the heart muscle, magnesium deficiency can result in arrhythmia, irregular contraction, and INCREASED HEART RATE..

Because of its role in bone structure, the SOFTENING AND WEAKENING OF THE BONES can also be a symptom of magnesium deficiency. Other symptoms can include: imbalanced blood sugar levels;HEADACHES; elevated blood pressure; elevated fats in the bloodstream; depression; SEIZURES; NAUSEA; VOMITING; and LACK OF APPETITE.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of magnesium?

In addition to poor dietary intake, problems in the DIGESTIVE TRACT are the most common cause of magnesium deficiency. These digestive tract problems include malabsorption, DIARRHEA, and ULCERATIVE COLITIS. Many kinds of PHYSICAL STRESS can contribute to magnesium deficiency, including cold stress, physical trauma, and surgery. KIDNEY DISEASE and alcoholism can also contribute to a deficiency of this mineral.


Health Conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on magnesium?

Magnesium may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

Alcoholism
Angina pectoris
Arrhythmia
**Asthma
Autism
**Chronic fatigue
Congenital heart disease
Congestive heart failure
Coronary artery disease
Diabetes
Eclampsia
**Epilepsy
Glaucoma
Heart attack
HIV/AIDS
Hypertension
Hypertriglyceridemia
**Inflammatory bowel disease
**Migraine
Multiple sclerosis
Osteoporosis
Peptic ulcers
PMS
Pre-eclampsia
Raynaud's syndrome
Systemic lupus erythematosus


Could Kotas Magnesium be low and it be causing alot of his problems? I called GI today and they didnt call back. I decided to put off EGD and Colonoscopy until we get into new GI Clinic. Plus I want this heart rate issue figured out first. I went and got his records from hospital he is at now becasue they still had not mailed them. New GI office said they could get him in as soon as they get his records. So I am going to hand deliver them tomorrow. Its over an hour away but I will do whatever I have to for Kota. They said we could fax but well its over 200 pages and that years worth of GI and PCP records. They also included Cardio and some of Nephro. I got Disk with all his xrays, sonograms, mri, and scopes done since Februray along with their reports.

Hope everyones having a good day. We have had a good day other than a heartrate of 145-150 all day. He hasnt even went outside today but says its been a good day Thanks for listening to me again

 

[Jennifer]

No its not usually checked, you have to request it. I have a lab order right here and it simply says, "magnesium." Yes it could cause many problems if its low and its also common for it to be low for people with IBD.

You don't have to wait for a GI to check his blood. You can have his GP do it anytime. I'd request all vitamin levels checked and have him checked or treated for hypertension.

If he's still on Prednisone, maybe they should try something else (Entocort?) cause it may not be agreeing with him. Has he seen a heart doctor yet? If not I'd get a referral to one from his GP and get that started. I see one and he doesn't want me on Prednisone cause it increases my heart rate too much.

 

[LittlebitsMommy]

Thanks Crabby.. He has been off the Prednisone for a little over a month. He was also taken off 1500mg a day of Pentasa about 3 weeks ago. He seems to feel some better since the Pentasa was stopped. He has lost 12 pounds since the steriods were stopped. But steriods made him gain some weight. 6mp was dropped to 25 mg 4 weeks ago because TMPT showed liver counts werent good. At that point they added 100mg Allopurinol daily.

We have seen a Cardio a couple of months ago. We were told Kota has SASD but nothing is going to be done about it. Holter monitor showed Yes his heart rate is very fast but it beats at a steady beat. She said it's something else thats causing the high heart rate. She can give him meds to lower it but said that would ust be like putting a bandaid on the problem.

 

[Catherine]

This was written to me by Andy from Thalpal

"Optimum D level is considered 50-80, so her level is good, and she is improving with her current regimen, so it would be wise to continue the D. So many people take calcium without D, making it mostly useless. Because the heartbeat is controlled by calcium and magnesium working together, I suggest using magnesium anytime calcium is used, as an imbalance can cause hear palps, when supplementing with calcium alone."

If I am reading his advice correctly you may be on to something. Is he taking calcium? Maybe get calcium checked together with magnesium. Andy was the first tell me that Sarah anemia looked like more anemia on chronic disease when she was have genetic testing for alpha thal and becoming sicker.

Andy is like David on this forum.

 

[skippy111]

Little Bits,
How old is Kato?

For an adult, the reccomended Daily Dosage of magnesium is between 750 and 1,000 mg
this includes children 100 lbs and over.

a child weighing 70-100lbs should get 3/4 of the adult dosage
a child weighing under 70 lbs and over age 6 should be given one half the adult dose,

A child under age 6 should be given a nutritional formula designed specificly for younger children.

This information came from Phyllis A Balch, CNC
"Prescription for nutritional healing"

You should always double check with your DR as well

 

[Sascot]

I was wondering how Kota was doing. I hope the new GI is good and helps him more! That was interesting about the magnesium, our GI never seems to check for any vitamins/minerals, etc. I asked to do B12 and that was fine, but I may ask for magnesium in the next set of blood tests. Glad he's having a good day.

 

[crohnsinct]

LBM: Hi! Was also wondering about Ko. Can't wait till you get in to new doc. I hope you get on the road to figuring everything out then.

I have known about low magnesium causing a host of problems but never really thought of it much with relation to O and her IBD...very interesting.

 

[skippy111]

Is Magnesium usually checked when labs are done? If so do they have an intial or will it say magnesium?

I maybe fishing and be totally loosing my mind because I so badly want to figure this out with Kota. But I have been reading about magnesium today. So any input you have would be totally great.

Yes!
Magnesium is one of the major Minerals that are supposed to be checked routinely.

Everything you had in your post was right on the money, a low magnesium level will affect the nervous system and lead to tantrums. It is also essential to the proper absorption of Pottasium and Calcium...

Basicly, a magnesium deficiency will make any conditions you have worse and can cause the others that you had mentioned in your first post...

It's really interesting how one vitamin is dependant on another and so on...

Ever since I got home from the hospital I have been making a conscious effort to monitor all my nutrients.. when I go for my next DR appt im gonna ask him to order me labwork to check my levels... I haven't had one since ive been out of the hospital so it will be interesting to see how I did with making sure I got my daily dosage just from foods, I haven't taken any vitamins or suppplements at all..

 

[LittlebitsMommy]

Thanks everyone! Kota has never taken any vitamin supplements up until a he was dx with Crohns. We were always told to never give him any with his kidney disease. So we havent until now. Had to get it cleared from Nephro and he said it was okay as long as it was low dose.

Gi nurse called me today and said that she spoke to dr and he said it was okay to go ahead and check his magnesium when we do lab work on Monday. She said after looking in his chart he has never had a magnesium check. I told her I also wanted to see about having his Vitamin D and other vitams checked. She said well you will have to talk to the dr about that Monday when you come in to see him. Sure thing not a problem theres alot that I am going to say.

I made myself a copy of all his records yesterday. So of course I spent last night reading alot of it. GI told us when he dx Ko with Crohns he had a mild case. Well in the report it says it is a severe case.

So Monday we will be seeing Gi and having labs and checking Magnesium .

 

[skippy111]

I would deffinately ask why they told you mild but the report says something else..

im making a list of all the levels I want checked but you would think that there was one test that could break down all the levels,

 

[Jennifer]

Make sure you check the lab orders before you leave cause I asked for a lot of things checked and the one thing that wasn't marked off was Iron but I didn't find that out until I went in for my results. Why on Earth would you not check the Iron of a patient who is anemic? Boggles the mind but I learned to always check before I leave.

 

[skippy111]

Iron, calcium, pottasium, magnesium, vitamins A B C D B12, ZINC COPPER Maganese, Folic Acid, Those are the ones im most concerned with,

and vitamin E of course lol

 

[Suzysu]

Very interesting reading. Freddy has to have more blood tests after he showed high potassium levels last week, one of the tests the GI wants is magnesium. Freddy is 2 next week and can only say a handful of words, he has always been a little bit slower than his siblings to get to his milestones, and is VERY emotional! It will be interesting to see what his levels are like. -
I'm glad you are seeing the new GI soon and glad he has been having better times xx

 

[bigtruck]

Proton pump inhibitors like lansoperazole etc have been found to dramatically reduce magnesium levels.