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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by denise1904 on April 3, 2005, at 1:47:53
Hi,
I'm very cynical when it comes to alternative or nutritional therapies for depression but I've just had a magnesium red blood cell test done and the results have come back 1.5 which the Specialist says is severely low.
I'm not an alcoholic, don't have bowel problems, kidney problems (as far as I know), had my thyroid checked out all ok, routine blood tests show nothing either.
The doctor says she'd like to carry out further investigations but does recommend my having the injections.
I was just wondering if anyone else out there had had the injections, did they help depression and were they very painful?
Denise
Posted by Spriggy on April 3, 2005, at 14:42:38
In reply to Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful?, posted by denise1904 on April 3, 2005, at 1:47:53
I have no idea but is there any way to get the magnesium in your body through the right nutrition or do you have to take supplements or shots?
I find this interesting because my dad is bipolar (severely) and his doctor also said he had very low magnesium levels.
I wonder what the connection is??
Posted by TamaraJ on April 3, 2005, at 15:38:00
In reply to Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful?, posted by denise1904 on April 3, 2005, at 1:47:53
Denise,
I have never had magnesium injections, but I did have a 10-week course of iron injections last spring/summer. I had been warned by the pharmacist when I picked up the prescription that the injections would be painful, and that I should take some Tylenol prior to having each injection. I didn't do that. Anyway, I was expecting the injection (which was given in the butt) to be painful; however, much to my surprise, the injection did not really hurt at all (a little stinging sensation when it was being given and a little tenderness, which was more evident when I ran, but that was it).
Spriggy,
You may be interested in this, which is from a book I have called "The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book" by Shari Lieberman and Nancy Bruning:
"Low magnesium appears to be associated with psychiatric problems. In a study of 165 boys, it was found that those with symptoms of depression, schizophrenia and sleep disturbances had lower levels of magnesium in the blood than did boys without these disorders. In another study, it was found that the average magnesium levels of autistic children were also well below average. In fact, there is some evidence that autistic children may improve when given large doses of magnesium along with vitamin B6."
Unfortunately, the book only makes reference to the findings of the studies and not the actual study and who conducted the study.
Tamara
Posted by Phillipa on April 3, 2005, at 18:06:46
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful?, posted by TamaraJ on April 3, 2005, at 15:38:00
Now I know why I wasn't sleeping even with the pain med after surgery. I had been taking 800mg along with my l500mg of Calcium at night. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by tealady on April 4, 2005, at 6:53:04
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful?, posted by TamaraJ on April 3, 2005, at 15:38:00
A 10 week course?
I only ever had 3 iron injections, and they stained ,took 18 mths to absorb all the stain. Also didn't hurt at all..doc said you only feel pain when you have enough iron to feel it, apparently low iron levels you can't feel pain?..and I guess that's right as the first needle I didn't know she had given it. I was surprised, the next was barely a prick. but the 3rd one..
By the 3rd I'd been taking B12 injections and they help with iron absorbtion I think I read somewhere..anyway I felt the 3rd one, for whatever reason...wasn't all THAT painful though
Maybe if you have high iron levels?Magnesium IV's are common in hospital to delay childbirth by relaxing muscles I think..but I've never heard of injections. I put a link on this in a previous post on here somewhere..
tea
Posted by TamaraJ on April 4, 2005, at 9:35:40
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful? » TamaraJ, posted by tealady on April 4, 2005, at 6:53:04
> A 10 week course?
~~~ Yeah, and even after ten injections, my serum ferritin levels were still below 50. However, the results of the last blood test I had in December showed serum ferritin at 58, so that was an improvement.
> I only ever had 3 iron injections, and they stained ,took 18 mths to absorb all the stain.
~~~ I still have my stains. I think they have faded a little bit. A friend of mine had iron injections, and she also said that it took quite a while for the staining to go away.
Also didn't hurt at all..doc said you only feel pain when you have enough iron to feel it, apparently low iron levels you can't feel pain?..and I guess that's right as the first needle I didn't know she had given it. I was surprised, the next was barely a prick. but the 3rd one..~~~ I really didn't experience any pain at all from any of the injections. The only thing I felt was the initial sting of the needle going in.
> By the 3rd I'd been taking B12 injections and they help with iron absorbtion I think I read somewhere..anyway I felt the 3rd one, for whatever reason...wasn't all THAT painful though
> Maybe if you have high iron levels?
>
~~~ I would like to try a few B12 injections, but I am not deficient (not even subclinically). I have heard that B12 injections are really good for energy and concentration.Take care.
Tamara
Posted by tealady on April 4, 2005, at 16:53:33
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful? » tealady, posted by TamaraJ on April 4, 2005, at 9:35:40
>last blood test I had in December showed serum ferritin at 58
I reached 55 after my injections..dropped again though after a while :-)
Posted by denise1904 on April 5, 2005, at 9:26:06
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful?, posted by Spriggy on April 3, 2005, at 14:42:38
Hi,
Thanks for your response, has your dad not tried taking anything to get his magnesium levels up then considering he is low.
To be honest I'm extremely sceptical about this whole nutrician or alternative therapy thing as my diet is pretty good.
I just happened across an article associating low magnesium with depression and then thought what the hell may as well have the test as have nothing to lose.
Anyway, as I said before my results came back as severely low for some reason, (i have no idea why) and she is recommending injections.
Not sure if the low magnesium is a symptom of the depression or a cause of it. I've just started taking a magnesium liquid which doesn't seem to be doing much.
Thanks for getting back to me.
Denise
Posted by Spriggy on April 5, 2005, at 14:01:21
In reply to Re: Magnesium - To Spriggy, posted by denise1904 on April 5, 2005, at 9:26:06
No, generally unless smoking cigarettes and eating pop tarts could help my dad's physical/mental well being, he is not much interested.
He actually has been given 3-6 months (or less depending on which dr. you talk to ) to live.
He has abused his poor physical body long enough and it is shutting down ever so slowly.
I often have wondered though if his bipolar had been controlled YEARS ago- if that would have helped his overall health. Because of his bp not being controlled, he made very, very poor life decisions (concerning health; drug abuse, work aholic, etc..) and I think that has lead him to where he is now.
But there's no point in wondering about all the "what if's?"
Maybe this liquid will just take you some time, I wouldn't give up on it so soon.
Good luck and God bless.
Posted by Larry Hoover on April 10, 2005, at 10:39:53
In reply to Re: Magnesium - To Spriggy, posted by denise1904 on April 5, 2005, at 9:26:06
> Hi,
>
> Thanks for your response, has your dad not tried taking anything to get his magnesium levels up then considering he is low.
>
> To be honest I'm extremely sceptical about this whole nutrician or alternative therapy thing as my diet is pretty good.I'm sorry you feel that way about nutrition/alternative therapies. When I researched the subject myself, I discovered that the typical diet, what is thought of as a good diet, cannot provide all the nutrients that are necessary for health, based on RDA intakes.
SOME people can do well on this mythical good diet, but a goodly number do not.
> I just happened across an article associating low magnesium with depression and then thought what the hell may as well have the test as have nothing to lose.
Low magnesium is strongly associated with depressed mood, but whether it's a cause or an effect, or a marker for depression, is not yet clear.
> Anyway, as I said before my results came back as severely low for some reason, (i have no idea why) and she is recommending injections.
Injections? Or an IV drip? More likely the latter, as the magnesium needs to be diluted with water. To make up a magnesium deficiency with the volume of solvent in a needle, the magnesium concentration would be too high to be safe to inject. Instead, diluted as in an IV bag (say, 500 ml), you can get a good dose of magnesium gradually (over half an hour or so), and less concentrated.
> Not sure if the low magnesium is a symptom of the depression or a cause of it. I've just started taking a magnesium liquid which doesn't seem to be doing much.
It's not going to make you feel differently right away. It takes a good while to properly treat magnesium deficiency. Months to years, to fully complete the task.
> Thanks for getting back to me.
>
>
>
> DeniseGood luck with this. I hope you let go of a little bit of your scepticism.
Lar
Posted by denise1904 on April 11, 2005, at 12:04:03
In reply to Re: Magnesium - To Spriggy » denise1904, posted by Larry Hoover on April 10, 2005, at 10:39:53
Larry,
No it's def an injection, I actually had it on Friday, I think it was a vial of 2ml (50grammes) or something. Not sure if that's enough.
Anyway the injection wasn't that painful at all just hope it helps.
Anyway thanks for the advice.
Denise
Posted by Larry Hoover on April 11, 2005, at 16:03:46
In reply to Re: Magnesium - To Larry, posted by denise1904 on April 11, 2005, at 12:04:03
> Larry,
>
> No it's def an injection, I actually had it on Friday, I think it was a vial of 2ml (50grammes) or something. Not sure if that's enough.
>
> Anyway the injection wasn't that painful at all just hope it helps.
>
> Anyway thanks for the advice.
>
>
>
> DeniseYes, there is a magnesium sulphate (25%), 2 ml injectable solution, but it is usually used for emergency stabilization of electrolytes.
It contains 500 mg mag sulphate, or about the amount of a typical oral supplement dose. In other words, it's not going to fix you, long term. It will certainly get the magnesium straight into your blood, but you need to find out why you have the low blood concentration to begin with.
One injection is a trivial amount, compared to the amount of magnesium you ought to have in your body, as a whole.
I hope it didn't cost you much money (the injection), as it is definitely not the normal way to correct long-term magnesium deficiency.
Lar
Posted by gromit on April 13, 2005, at 15:14:55
In reply to Re: Magnesium - Anyone had injections and how painful? » tealady, posted by TamaraJ on April 4, 2005, at 9:35:40
> ~~~ I would like to try a few B12 injections, but I am not deficient (not even subclinically). I have heard that B12 injections are really good for energy and concentration.
FWIW I had a B12 injection about a month ago, I can't say that it did anything for me. My doctor didn't have a problem with it at all, I asked and she got a syringe. My last test I was already a little above the upper end of the scale for B12 so I'm not deficient either.
Anyway that was my experience.
Rick
Posted by denise1904 on April 25, 2005, at 12:51:58
In reply to Re: Magnesium - To Larry » denise1904, posted by Larry Hoover on April 11, 2005, at 16:03:46
Larry,
No I wastn't just having one injection, that would be futile I know.
I've been advised to have 2ml once a week for 10 weeks, I pay for the prescription (which was about £6.00 for a months worth and the nurse injects it for free. I'll then get my blood checked again. In the meantime I'm hoping this Doctor will suggest other tests to find out why my levels are low.
I've read somewhere that magnesium is taking up into cells during sleep and as my sleep is not deep and riddled with dream which I always remember on waking up the next day. Maybe this has something to do with it.
I've also read that there is an association with magnesium and Estrogen so maybe that has something to do with it. I really don't know and don't care, sometimes it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
All I know is that all ADs used to work great for me but after coming off them for four years and then trying to go on them again they just didn't work half as well and I'm sick of trying to find out why.
Had my TSH and T3 levels checked and they're ok.
Thanks again for your advice.Denise
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