High dose magnesium CAUSING migraine/headaches

[Oci]

I agree that the glycinate form is likely good for most. I was surprised to learn that I am ++ for a variant in the AMT gene.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/AMT
"The AMT gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called aminomethyltransferase. This enzyme is one of four components (subunits) that make up a large complex called glycine cleavage enzyme. Within cells, this complex is active in specialized energy-producing centers called mitochondria.

As its name suggests, glycine cleavage enzyme processes a molecule called glycine by cutting (cleaving) it into smaller pieces. Glycine is an amino acid, which is a building block of proteins. This molecule also acts as a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical messenger that transmits signals in the brain. The breakdown of excess glycine is necessary for the normal development and function of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord."

I think I should do a bit more research but am thinking that it is likely not wise to be flooding my system with glycine.

I am not convinced that we can tell what is good for us solely on how we feel as that varies greatly from day to day.

 

[Squirmy85]

Most migraines are caused by vasodlation, that's why imitrex (vasoconstrictor) was created, then there's the rare kind of migraines where it's caused by vasoconstriction (the kind I get or use to get , I had one doctor a GP piece it together , the five neurologists I saw and the four other doctors thought I was lying even after witnessing what happens when I take imitrex for a migraine)

I took a high blood pressure medication to fix the problem ( I don't recommend this though unless imitrex makes your symptoms worse with migraines)

But it sounds like vadodilators cause for you what happened to me with imitrex, minus the stroke like symptoms. I have to take magnesium and other vasodilators to keep migraines away. Before when I was 20 I was lucky to have a weeks worth a time spread out over a month without a migraine, I lived with them daily.

I wish you the best of luck figuring it out.

 

[Primula Veris]

I can report from the extreme end of the spectrum. I am a high intensity migraineur and I could never take any magnesium at all, not even the tiniest amounts - it not only caused migraine attacks (usually the next morning), but also hot flashes and dizziness, the latter starting between 30 and 90 minutes after intake. I never understood that because I suspected that I could need some magnesium and I hardly found any hint online about people with the same problem.

I understood more when I approached my metabolism from a different angle when I worked on my CBS++ symptoms. I realized that I have a B1 (thiamine) deficiency which often goes together with CBS problems. After my B1 levels got better, I suddenly was able to take magnesium. Well, not suddenly. It took me quite some time to increase my B1 levels, starting with 50 mg increments. I am now taking 50mg three times a day together with magnesium and I am fine. No more hot flashes from magnesium and, by the way, no more hot flashes from menopause.

I found out (and there are interesting articles on pubmed about it) that B1 and magnesium work together as a team for many processes. I suspect, that supplementation with Magnesium instantly used up whatever tiny rests of B1 I had. Hence, my symptoms were not really side effects from the magnesium, but the result of an aggravated Thiamine deficiency.

I am still working on slowly upping my magnesium (I am taking no more than 250mg), but the more I have in my body so far, the better I feel. I sleep better, my constant brain fog is gone and my migraine is much better.

 

[Sidereal]

After my B1 levels got better, I suddenly was able to take magnesium.

I don't have migraines but I used to get horrible weakness from small doses of magnesium years ago. Weakness to the point of barely being able to move limbs or swallow saliva. One time it made me comatose for 12+ hours straight; I couldn't wake up. Potassium supplementation helped some but nowhere near as much as thiamine. Thiamine completely got rid of this issue. I can take a normal adult dose of magnesium now and feel nothing.

Magnesium has a cult-like following in alternative medicine and there is often blanket indiscriminate advice out there on the internet for supplementation without taking into account other potential deficiencies and metabolic defects. I wonder how many people are unwittingly making their weakness and other symptoms worse by shovelling magnesium supplements into themselves in the context of B1 + potassium deficiencies.

 

[South]

Magnesium has a cult-like following

Yes.

I have experienced all of the problems people mentioned in this thread from magnesium.

I despise magnesium (although I don't recommend other people get as angry about it as I have!)
It has caused me problems for so many years, yet uneducated health practitioners parrot their awful recommendations that "everyone" needs to take it.

Now, when I study a health practitioner's website to try to guage whether they are worth visiting, the first thing I do is search for the word magnesium; if their site has any kind of blanket "everyone needs it" kind of statement, I close the website.

 

[echobravo]

@bertiedog Just found this thread and curious if reducing magnesium has made a difference in your migraines?

Been waking up in the middle of the night lately with palpitations, unbearable headache / neck pain and malaise. Having researched it today it seems to be related to electrolytes. Like you, I have been on Mg supplements, Mg pico drops, also using the inhalator that Dr Myhill recommends. But I am leaning more towards potassium being the culprit, or the combo of supplementing with high Mg and high K (kalium = potassium). Common symptoms of hyperkalemia are malaise, palpitations, weakness. Worst case it can lead to cardiac arrest. But some sources say high potassium can also give headaches - presumably caused by vasoconstricting effect.

This was new to me, so this morning I tried to reduce blood potassium levels by these methods; water, diuretic (coffee), calcium, NaHCO3 (baking soda), cane sugar (to release insulin), salt. Within one hour the dreaded physiological state I was in more or less disappeared, no headache, easier breathing, less neck pain, more "at ease".

Now I am thinking that my mistake has been that I have supplemented more potassium each time I felt muscle spasms in my legs (i take b12, b1, b2, b6, carnitine, tmg, PC). Ooops, turns out leg spasms can occur not only when low in potassium, but also when levels are starting to get too high!

So, beware of potassium. Don't assume it is too low even if you have muscle twitches while on a methylation protocol.

Also, note that Mg will increase the retention of potassium in the body.

PS! Does anyone know if there is a an easy way to measure potassium levels at home? This incident has made me wary.

 

[Johnskip]

I am hoping that I might have found an answer to my almost daily migraines and/or headaches. Because of everything I have read, especially from Dr Myhill, I have upped my magnesium to around 1000 mg daily taken as mainly citrate but also a good amount of malic acid too.

Only today I decided to do a Google search, "Is Magnesium a Vasodilator"? I know that vasodilators give me migraine because of the many herbs I have tried in the past and it's only vasoconstrictors like Sumatriptan and caffeine that help me get rid of them but it doesn't always work. I also get extremely severe neck muscle pain that comes out of the blue.

There was several references to the fact that magnesium probably works by increasing vasodilation in the vascular system. I couldn't believe it and don't know why I have never checked this before as my migraines have got worse and worse and I have upped my magnesium over the years taking a good dose with each meal.

I also wonder if this could be the cause of what I describe as a "fluidy tightness" I feel in my legs from time to time. It will be interesting to see if these symptoms improve but I have to say I do feel annoyed that there is never a mention of this vasodilating effect of magnesium becomes it comes so highly recommended by practically every alternative/integrative doctor.

Pam

You might want to drop the citrate

 

[pattismith]

I too experienced headache with magnesium.
I was taking it for erythromelalgia symptoms but had to stop it….

I am hoping that I might have found an answer to my almost daily migraines and/or headaches. Because of everything I have read, especially from Dr Myhill, I have upped my magnesium to around 1000 mg daily taken as mainly citrate but also a good amount of malic acid too.

Only today I decided to do a Google search, "Is Magnesium a Vasodilator"? I know that vasodilators give me migraine because of the many herbs I have tried in the past and it's only vasoconstrictors like Sumatriptan and caffeine that help me get rid of them but it doesn't always work. I also get extremely severe neck muscle pain that comes out of the blue.

There was several references to the fact that magnesium probably works by increasing vasodilation in the vascular system. I couldn't believe it and don't know why I have never checked this before as my migraines have got worse and worse and I have upped my magnesium over the years taking a good dose with each meal.

I also wonder if this could be the cause of what I describe as a "fluidy tightness" I feel in my legs from time to time. It will be interesting to see if these symptoms improve but I have to say I do feel annoyed that there is never a mention of this vasodilating effect of magnesium becomes it comes so highly recommended by practically every alternative/integrative doctor.

Pam