Granted, I skimmed through this thread rather quickly, but I didn't see anything regarding dosages for magnesium.

mrsD, can you provide a dosage range for magnesium? I've been taking as low as 600 mg and as high as 2200 mg per day, and I am still trying to find in the lowest dosage that will help with foot cramps.

Also, with spinach and broccoli as major components of my diet, I have limited myself to the 600 mg of calcium in my multiple vitamin. I don't eat dairy of any kind. Think I'm okay with 600 mg calcium?

Lastly, I'm unsure of the proper dosage for potassium. My multi vitamin has 99 mg. That seemed low, so yesterday I added in 300 mg on top of that. Almost immediately after taking the extra 300 mg. of potassium, I began to feel increased tingling in both big toes. Hmm.

Thanks.

Getting any benefit from potassium OTC supplements is like spitting in the ocean. We are supposed to get 4.5 grams a day from our food intake. Some foods are higher than others.
Cantaloupe has 1400mg or so in 1/2 melon.
A V8 has about 600mg.

An RX potassium supplement varies from 600mg to 800mg.
So 99mg tablet is nothing OTC. FDA limits higher numbers for OTC tablets. You'd have to take 6-8 tablets OTC to equal one V8 ( the low sodium one has more potassium than the regular).

www.nutritiondata.com gives mineral values for just about every food there is. When consulting this source watch the serving size...since some are unrealistic or misleading. Check what you typically eat and see how much of magnesium and potassium you typically consume.

But for magnesium 3 oz of unsalted almonds can give 270mg.

I don't think really high magnesium is needed. We are designed to eat a certain amount daily, and flooding your body with this is not natural. High magnesium intakes in people with impaired renal functions can lead to a build up in the body.

I have seen profound changes in people just taking 2 SlowMags a day! The RDA is about 400mg for an adult, elemental daily.

You can soak in magnesium...by making baths of epsom salts.
This lets some magnesium into the body where circulation may be impaired and so if mag has trouble getting to the toes and fingers.
Use lukewarm water, and about 4-6oz in a bathtub. When tiny blood vessels get clamped down, what you consume orally may not reach feet and hands. Once those vessels open up, nutrients can flow much better. (and toxins can be removed more efficiently). Magnesium baths are very relaxing to the muscles and can reduce pain too.

Remember when reading labels of magnesium products...some do not list contents in ELEMENTAL values. Some do. So a high dose of magnesium malate 1000mg, is really 150mg of magnesium elemental!

So if your cramping is confined to the feet do some soaks with epsom salts to get you relaxed and the blood flowing properly, then the oral can work better.

I've been on the below regimen of supplements for about a month and I am starting to notice some problems with constipation and/or slow moving bowels.

What might be the cause? Am I over-doing a particular substance?

Thanks.


Vitamin A 5000 IU
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 171 mg
Vitamin B1 (Benfotiamine) 150 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 60 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 100 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) 60 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 66 mg
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) 2598 mcg
Folate 1000 mcg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 200 mcg
Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) 3 mg
Vitamin C 1550 mg
Vitamin D3 4200 IU
Vitamin E 400 mg
Vitamin K 80 mcg
Magnesium 600 mg
Zinc 40 mg
Selenium 250 mcg
Maganese 13 mg
Sodium 130 mg
CoQ10 300mg
Copper 2 mg
Alpha Lipoic Acid 6000 mg
Chromium 250 mcg
Molybdenum 150 mcg
Calcium 748 mg
Potassium 100-400 mg
Glucosamine Condroitin 6 g.
L-Lysine 1000 mg
Acetyl L-Carnitine 1000 mg

I don't see anything on that list that is problematic for constipation. The magnesium and Vit C should be possibly loosening in fact.

But everyone is different. May be a drug you are taking?
Or some food? I notice that cottage cheese slows me down for some reason...but other dairy does not. I think that is weird but I have no explanation for it for myself.

Are you drinking enough water during the day? All those supplements do need good kidney functions, and low water intake would be stressful, and it can cause slowing of bowel transit.

I happen to be at the laundromat here on the free wifi...so you just caught me online! Still on vacation.;)

Thanks, mrsD! Hope you're having a nice vacation!

I eat mostly meat and vegetables. Currently, I'm adding some summer fruits, like berries. Also, I average approx. 2 bananas per day. I drink a lot of water, as well. I do not take any medication.

The only monkey wrench in the diet works maybe be the protein powder that I take approx. 4 days per week. Hmm.

At the risk of sounding a bit crass, what seems to be helping my husband most these days is eating two ears of corn a night! Since his PN has made it impossible to go, or know when he's going, we've had to balance a regime of suppositories, enemas, colase, senna, ducolax, miralax and even Lactulose. I also give him acidophilius when he's on antibiotics, all under MD Supervision and with damaged kidneys. He gets 1000 mcg of B-12 (cyan. type) per day too,

Correcting my previous post, it's the methyl type of B-12 (which I learned about thanks to Mrs. D's posts when I began this caregiving ordeal).

It's not crass and thank you for responding. I hope your husband is doing better!

I gather you are going for the corn because it's in season right now. Perhaps introducing a new grain into the diet is helping to get things moving in the digestive tract. The body responds well to variation, rather than the same thing over and over again.

Good luck and thanks again!

I am starting to wonder what to feed Randy when corn is out of season! It's already not having the same effect it was earlier!

One quick remedy for constipation is virgin olive oil.

1 or 2 tablespoonfuls will often work for many people.