Does it really help? I looked at a local drugstore today, and all I could find was magnesium with zinc. I remember my neurologist told me to stay away from zinc. Perhaps I need to look at out health food store?

hi barb,

Mg is one mineral that helps muscles to function well.
Calcium is another. it's best if you take calcium with a Vit D attached because that helps the calcium to be absorbed.

i'm over 50 and take 1200mg of Ca with D per day per my dr's advice.
i get my Mg in a good multivitamin per day.

i'd ask your dr about supplements.
and tell him about your muscles. there may be other things you can take to help like muscle relaxers.

I'm not sure if they even prescribe it in the states, but over in GB, we treat spasticity with Quinine. I don't even know if it is available over the counter here, but it may be something to look into.

Judy made know, she has been in Nursing over here longer than I have.

Best of luck. I hope you fine something that helps.

Chris

Here in Oz, Quinine is often prescribed for cramps but is only available on a doctor's prescription. I use Magnesium myself but straight Magnesium, not a mixture with Zinc or anything else. My doctor was quite adamant that I get plain Magnesium when he put me onto it. For me it works just fine.

i was told to take magnesium to help reduce spacity and it definatley helps a bit - i take magnesium by itself

BTW Koala, they have removed quinine from the PBS for cramps, it is still available on prescription under the PBS but not for cramps/spasms, they can still give you a private script, it seems there were some sfatey concerns for some people using it for leg cramps at night so it was taken off the PBS approval list. Even with the Mg is till get painful spasms just less frequenetly and my Dr was going to write a script for Quinine as a backup and thats when we found it was taken off the list

Quinine was typically used in GB for leg cramps whilst I was there. It seemed to work quite well. Have you tried using it for your spasticity?

I take Magnesium lactate ... which helps with muscle spasticity. It was prescribed to me by a naturalist type of Dr. It seems to help although my calves seem to be locked into spasm alot.. but it helps more than the muscle relaxants I take which make me sleepy and sometimes dopey. The Mag.. doesnt do that at all I can still function fine on it.

Here is an intesting article, for your perusal..

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1468-1331.2000.00142.x

Funny! I always thought Potassium was a preventative for spasicity and cramps.

Could I be wrong after all of these years of eating banannas????

I just checked, and my mag has zinc too. Sorry, can't help you there. But I take it, it helps, no probs. Only 15 mgs of zinc though - maybe not enough to bother me?

And there's quinine in tonic water. You probably have to drink a LOT to get any benefit...

Martini, anyone? It's for medicinal purposes.