Magnesium and Zinc?

[Blog Reader]

Do you guys have any tips for how to handle supplementing zinc without depleting your magnesium? Thanks!

 

[Blog Reader]

I'm usually moderate to severe, and highly sensitive to all sorts of stimuli. My sleep isn't great, and I had a flare-up of muscle aches and light sensitivity and such recently that was so bad that we wondered about adrenal insufficiency (I'm on fludrocortisone for POTS and have been unable to taper it slowly without becoming extremely sick, so we do know that much already; but I've passed an ACTH stim test in the past); now I'm on hydrocortisone because I couldn't even go for labs without it.

I tried various things and found that my light sensitivity improved with zinc, but I had painful (not just achy--more like sharp) muscle cramps within hours. I'm finding it hard to tolerate even 7.5 mg zinc per day without symptoms that I chalk up to magnesium deficiency--for example, insomnia, heightened smell sensitivity, muscle aches and cramps that make me think I'm crashing again, vibrations and twitches.

Basically, I feel as though this may be the answer and yet may crash me worse if I don't get it just right. From what I've read here and there, maybe others have had the same experience? What do you do to keep from becoming magnesium-depleted while you take zinc? (Or if I'm totally on the wrong path, that's also a valid answer--although at this point, frankly, I'm doing it out of desperation and have to try something.)

Thanks!

Edit: For reference, I've been taking these supplements for under two weeks. I had taken magnesium oxide and a multi with zinc oxide before, but apparently I couldn't absorb those. (I'm on a PPI, so that could be relevant for the zinc.)

 

[Blog Reader]

Update: I've lowered the zinc to 3.75 some days, and sometimes I take as much as 600 mg magnesium glycinate (although usually just 480 mg). I also have to take other electrolytes at times.

My ferritin has plummeted since last year (starting before I started the supplements), although I've been told it might be because of decreased inflammation. (I've been on hydrocortisone.) Because of that, I'm starting an iron supplement with C, folate, and B12. It did seem to increase my need for potassium, but I'm still not very far into this.

If you've ever tried something like this, please feel free to share your experience and any warnings you have! It seems like quite a tightrope to walk.

 

[pamojja]

What do you do to keep from becoming magnesium-depleted while you take zinc?

For me a very severe Mg-deficiency, with many very painful muscle cramps, started about 16 years ago. Had started to raise me 25(OH)D3 to about 70 ng/ml against a number of chronic conditions, and since Mg is a cofactor in Vitamin D3 metabolism, I suspect having had subclinical low magnesium blood levels all my life before. Which by supplementing additional vitamin D was pushed to very severe.

Over the years I went up to 2.8 g of elemental oral magnesium per day intake. But in average 1.9 g/d of elemental oral Mg for 17 years only. Finally, most severe muscle cramps ceased with 34 additional Mg-sulfate IVs only.

Zinc in blood was low normal, therefore supplemented about 50 mg of zinc per day. The mistake thereby done was following the advice to balance high zinc intake with at least 10:1 ratio of copper. Already 2 mg copper per day, caused above normal high blood copper. Which I could only alleviate somewhat to high normal blood copper. By avoiding copper as much as easy possible, and increase zinc to even 70 mg/d for some times.

But I fear every one is different, with different biochemical individuality. For example never had such severe sensitivities. So my experience might not help in your situation at all.

Best wishes.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Zinc is antagonistic to copper, not magnesium, so this shouldn't be a concern.

Make sure you're taking a bioavailable form of magnesium, like magnesium glycinate. PPIs can interfere with absorption of pretty much any mineral.

Is your home water-damaged?

 

[Blog Reader]

For me a very severe Mg-deficiency, with many very painful muscle cramps, started about 16 years ago. Had started to raise me 25(OH)D3 to about 70 ng/ml against a number of chronic conditions, and since Mg is a cofactor in Vitamin D3 metabolism, I suspect having had subclinical low magnesium blood levels all my life before. Which by supplementing additional vitamin D was pushed to very severe.

Over the years I went up to 2.8 g of elemental oral magnesium per day intake. But in average 1.9 g/d of elemental oral Mg for 17 years only. Finally, most severe muscle cramps ceased with 34 additional Mg-sulfate IVs only.

Zinc in blood was low normal, therefore supplemented about 50 mg of zinc per day. The mistake thereby done was following the advice to balance high zinc intake with at least 10:1 ratio of copper. Already 2 mg copper per day, caused above normal high blood copper. Which I could only alleviate somewhat to high normal blood copper. By avoiding copper as much as easy possible, and increase zinc to even 70 mg/d for some times.

But I fear every one is different, with different biochemical individuality. For example never had such severe sensitivities. So my experience might not help in your situation at all.

Best wishes.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I started copper this week, because the ends of my fingers are getting sore, I'm losing my train of thought easily, and my hair is turning gray quickly. (Gray hair is not a problem itself, but the quick change makes me think the other problems may be related to copper.) However, I'm planning to take copper infrequently, if possible. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it out and am not sure how often to take which supplements.

 

[Blog Reader]

Zinc is antagonistic to copper, not magnesium, so this shouldn't be a concern.

Make sure you're taking a bioavailable form of magnesium, like magnesium glycinate. PPIs can interfere with absorption of pretty much any mineral.

Is your home water-damaged?

Not much. There are some mold spots that have been cleaned up in cabinets, and there may be other places where mold was cleaned up that I'm unaware of, I suppose. But it doesn't seem to be heavily moldy.

I've gotten off the PPI, because it seems to just cause too much trouble. I'm still looking for a good replacement for it, since many mornings I would wake up with stomach acid on my teeth. I've tried an h2 blocker in the past, and I've tried Gaviscon; neither really helps. Plus Gaviscon had a major interaction with the vitamin C I needed because of past scurvy. Even though I've quit the PPI, though, years of PPI use have probably left a big mark on my mineral status overall.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Not much. There are some mold spots that have been cleaned up in cabinets, and there may be other places where mold was cleaned up that I'm unaware of, I suppose. But it doesn't seem to be heavily moldy.

I've gotten off the PPI, because it seems to just cause too much trouble. I'm still looking for a good replacement for it, since many mornings I would wake up with stomach acid on my teeth. I've tried an h2 blocker in the past, and I've tried Gaviscon; neither really helps. Plus Gaviscon had a major interaction with the vitamin C I needed because of past scurvy. Even though I've quit the PPI, though, years of PPI use have probably left a big mark on my mineral status overall.

Have you tried elevating the head of your bed for the reflux?

With regards to mold, if you have a genetic susceptibility, it won't take much to make you sick and keep you sick. You can learn more at survivingmold.com, if you're interested.