Dr.Patient
There is no kinship like the one we share!
- Messages
- 505
- Location
- USA
If so, how often do you check your blood levels of magnesium, thanks!
Do you take Magnesium even if your serum levels are normal?
- Thread starter Dr.Patient
- Start date
Gondwanaland
Senior Member
- Messages
- 5,103
Magnesium serum levels are a poor predictor for Magnesium needs.
http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-level.html
Even my doctor knows RBC Magnesium is more reliable
But in my experience urine levels are the best way to assess it
If I ever need it again I will measure serum, RBC and urine in the same day
http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-level.html
Even my doctor knows RBC Magnesium is more reliable
But in my experience urine levels are the best way to assess it
If I ever need it again I will measure serum, RBC and urine in the same day
Dr.Patient
There is no kinship like the one we share!
- Messages
- 505
- Location
- USA
Thanks! Do you do a 24hr urine collection, ...
Gondwanaland
Senior Member
- Messages
- 5,103
When I had it tested it was one regular urine sample and my magnesium was alarmingly low (with blood levels in mid range), so there was no need for a 24 hour sample.
@Dr.Patient RBC serum testing is not very accurate. I did the RBC test years ago and it was low which meant that I was already 1/3 depleted.
You can also test here, it measures mg in the cells
http://www.exatest.com/
You can also test here, it measures mg in the cells
http://www.exatest.com/
CFS_for_19_years
Hoarder of biscuits
- Messages
- 2,396
- Location
- USA
I have taken/am still taking Mg even though my serum levels have been/are normal or even above normal. My highest serum Mg was 2.5mEq/L, with a ref range of 1.3 - 2.1 mEq/L. That was nearly ten years years ago. I also had several other Mg levels at or above the upper limit of normal around that time.
When I began treatment for erythromelalgia, using higher than usual amounts of magnesium, my rheumatologist checked my serum level once/month for a total of three times. (His instructions were to not take more than 1200mg/day). Then his successor checked serum magnesium about every 6 months.
The other posters are correct in stating that deficiencies can't be determined by serum, and you would need to depend on a RBC magnesium to detect a deficiency. However, if you're trying to determine if you have too much magnesium, a serum magnesium is most expedient.
I've been able to detect large amounts other ways - my muscles took on the abnormal sensation of feeling like a rag doll, and of course, going to the toilet. If you hit the rag doll sensation, you know you've overdone it, but if your kidney function is good, the rag doll sensation should go away in a few hours.
As a doctor, you probably know more about electrolyte metabolism than 99% of us, but I hope my experience will be helpful to you.
When I began treatment for erythromelalgia, using higher than usual amounts of magnesium, my rheumatologist checked my serum level once/month for a total of three times. (His instructions were to not take more than 1200mg/day). Then his successor checked serum magnesium about every 6 months.
The other posters are correct in stating that deficiencies can't be determined by serum, and you would need to depend on a RBC magnesium to detect a deficiency. However, if you're trying to determine if you have too much magnesium, a serum magnesium is most expedient.
I've been able to detect large amounts other ways - my muscles took on the abnormal sensation of feeling like a rag doll, and of course, going to the toilet. If you hit the rag doll sensation, you know you've overdone it, but if your kidney function is good, the rag doll sensation should go away in a few hours.
As a doctor, you probably know more about electrolyte metabolism than 99% of us, but I hope my experience will be helpful to you.
Last edited:
Dr.Patient
There is no kinship like the one we share!
- Messages
- 505
- Location
- USA
Can RBC magnesium be done by regular labs, thanks!
@Dr.Patient . . . yes, it was done at my local walk in lab in Canada.