[newtobipolar]

Does it help?? BP II here. I take zinc, fish oil, glucosomine and chondroitin, B-12 in addition to my regimen of psych meds.

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

I take Natural Calm every night. It helps me to fall and stay asleep. Before I started taking the Magnesium, I had terrible sleep patterns. It has really helped me to establish consistency in my sleep, which has been very helpful for managing my BP.

[LucyG]

I take a lot of magnesium due to various issues, and it's made so much difference in my health that I can't imagine living without it.

A couple of things to keep in mind about magnesium is that it's depleted by the liver having to detox meds, especially when you're on them the way we are with bipolar. Besides being depleted in detox, all meds block the body's ability to utilize nutrients including magnesium so the longer a person is on meds, the more likely they are to develop the symptoms of magnesium deficiency such as restless leg syndrome.

Natural Calm that Noideawhattodo uses is a great form of magnesium as it's magnesium citrate is easily absorbable. I take the same stuff only use the generic form that is cheaper and mix it with OJ. Other great forms of magnesium are magnesium chloride and magnesium malate. You need to remember to take calcium, vitamin D3 and K with it as the 4 nutrients work together.

I'm sure magnesium helps control mood as it helps control anxiety and depression. If you've ever been to a natural hot springs and soaked for an hour or so, you'll remember how relaxed you were when you got out. It's because of the high magnesium content of the water, and the magnesium is absorbed through your skin. You can soak in epsom salts for the same effect.

A great book on magnesium is The Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean.

[MissCathryn]

So, I would be ok with my BP meds? Any recommendation on how much I should take? I need all the help I can get with my depressive episode or as I call them "depisodes". Not very clever I know, but I'm a nerd :-)

[MissCathryn]

So, i should be ok talking a mag supplement with my BP meds??

Any recommendations on how much to take? I need all the help I can get when I'm in a depressive episode, or as I like to call them "depisodes". Not very clever I know, but I can find the humor in absolutey anything :-)

[MissCathryn]

Does Magnesium help with depression also??? How much do you take? Every day? It doesn't interfere with your BP meds??.

I take magnesium when I'm first starting a med that has constipation as a side effect.

Basically, the idea is: if you take too much magnesium, it makes you sh#t your brains out. So if you're too constipated, take it and you'll be relieved within a day.

Otherwise, it really hasn't helped me with anything. But, everyone is different and reacts differently to meds and supplements. It can't hurt to try it, although you might want to get a dr's opinion first to make sure it's safe for you to take..

I get constipated often and buy these drinks called magnesium citrate. Is that the same thing? Can't imagine taking that everyday....I'd be chained the the toilet forever!!! I do take epsom soaks frequently and find them relaxing...they especially help my migraines if I soak my head. Does it come in a pill form that is less diarrhea inducing?

[newtobipolar]

I don't think Magnesium citrate is the same Magnesium we are talking about. Magnesium citrate gives me explosive diarrhea! Ick!

[MusicLover82]

It helps prevent migraines for me.

[LucyG]

Originally Posted by NeatFreakmom

So, I would be ok with my BP meds? Any recommendation on how much I should take? I need all the help I can get with my depressive episode or as I call them "depisodes". Not very clever I know, but I'm a nerd :-)

I'm not a doctor, and I'm not giving you medical advice, just some insight on magnesium.

People take vitamins while taking meds all the time. You might just research to make sure if they can be taken at the same time, but if it was me, I'd try to take them at different times just in case they interact.

From what I've read on the subject, you should take magnesium on an empty stomach as it needs stomach acid to process it so to speak. Be sure and take the calcium and vitamins D3 and K at the same time as they all work together.
Early in the morning and in the afternoon are the times the book I read [The Magnesium Miracle] suggest taking it.

One thing people don't understand about the RDAs the FDA puts out is that what they recommend is the minimum amount needed to keep you from dying of a deficiency of that supplement. For example, the RDA of iodine is 150 mcg whereas a top iodine doctor recommends 12 mg as that's what the body needs a day to be able to do perform all the functions iodine is needed for. the 12 mg is 80 times the RDA. The 150 mcg is just enough to keep you from growing a giant goiter on your neck, not enough to build your health. Another example is vitamin C. The RDA is around 60 mg which is just enough to prevent you from dying of scurvy and your teeth from falling out. The same is true for most other nutrients including magnesium.

If you take magnesium chloride, you won't have nearly the issues with it causing diarrhea that the other forms do. Same if you supplement with epsom salts that are magnesium sulfate by soaking in a tub of them.

I think you'll be absolutely amazed at how much better you feel when you find the right amount of magnesium for your body.

Another thing that will help your depression is taking a high quality nascent [ionic] iodine assuming you don't have hyperthyroidism or Hashimoto's Disease. I've taken iodine for years, but once I started using nascent iodine about 4 months ago, I really noticed how I haven't been the slightest bit depressed in spite of some serious family issues that have been upsetting. I also haven't developed my yearly SAD that strikes every fall as the days get shorter. This year my mood incredibly stable--happy without being hypomanic, and I'm sure it's the iodine. The other crazy thing the iodine has done is that it's turning the white in my hair back to gray--I started going gray at 21, and have been almost completely gray since I was in my early 40s so this is very exciting. I have some thinning on top that is also filling in, and the only explanation is the iodine. It's worth it's weight in gold for my mood and my hair.

Here's a video by the doctor whose product I use.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...nascent+iodine