Constipation with Chelated Magnesium ?

I started the Chelated Magnesium 2 weeks ago; I take 200 mg 2x a day and I drink one quart of the WW water a day also. I also started drinking 1 ounce "shots"of the concentrated WW water. I fought constipation this weekend and I am at a lost to why.

I actually had to take a laxative yesterday morning (Ducolax) to help me become unconstipated. I have not taken anything for constipation in 3 months...

I had a hamburger and fries. Is it possible that red meat is a enemy of mine when it comes to constipation?

I eat plenty of fiber to fight constipation; At least I think I do. I eat at least 40 grams of fiber a day between Fiber bars and cereal high in fiber and veggies and fruit. It seems whenI eat red meat, It does constipate me worse but it could be me grasping for straws.

5 mg Valium a day as needed.
20 mg Prozac daily
15 mg Prevacid a day
60 cc shot of Testosterone Cypionate every 10 days. Testosterone is low due to schedule two narcotics.
.5 mg Arimidex 2x a week to keep Estrogen levels in check. T shots can cause rise in Estrogen.

100 mg Metoprolol ER 1x a day
25 mg HydroDiuril fluid pill 1x a day every 2 days.
Neurontin 900mg a day (for Neuropathic pain IC/CPPS)
800 mg of Magnesium daily . Different types
81 mg aspirin 1X a day. Heart Doctor order due to stent installed in Jan. 2012.
2.5 mg Eliquis 2X a day

Miralax 1x a day for constipation issues. I have tried so many different methods for Constipation since 2008. Fiber is in my diet but to much Fiber really Constipates me.




25 mg/hcr Fentanyl.patch changed every 2 days

1st ablation done Feb. 27, 2014 for Long term persistent AFIB Dr. Natale
2nd Ablation done June 16,2016 Dr. Natale LAA isolated

Start eating Hummus everyday. There are different flavors of it. It wil be in the refrgerated section, with the fancy cuts of cheeze
and other specialty foods. There are home made Hummus recipes online if you decide to start making it yourself. I eat it with crackers or nacho chips most the time.

I've never had that experience. If I ever have constipation, adding more mag fixes it.

GeorgeN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've never had that experience. If I ever have
> constipation, adding more mag fixes it.

Right now, I am scared to add more magnesium to my diet. This weekend was the 1st time in over 3 months I have had to take a laxative for constipation. And now I am taking 400 mg of chelated magnesium a day,drinking 1 quart of Waller water a day and taking 2 o ounce shots of concentrated Waller water a day and I wound up constipated after eating a hamburger but I had frozen english peas and pinto beans with the hamburger + the fiber I had consumed throughout the day.

Maybe I just need a total "colon cleansing". LOL

Magnesium is known for its laxative properties. Magnesium is hydrophillic, so any mag not absorbed in the gut absorbs water and bulks the stool. In reading about pelvic floor issues, constipation is mentioned as a possible byproduct.

Magnesium should not be causing constipation... especially when you drink the WW concentrate. My experience is that if you drink too much of that, you can get very loose stools.

You take a lot of Rx drugs and each one could contribute to constipation through dehydration.

Consider that you may not be consuming enough overall water ...one liter of the magnesium bicarb water is not nearly enough daily water intake for proper hydration. An old rule of thumb used to be drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of pure water daily. Added fiber needs more water to help propel the mass through the GI tract other wise, if you are dehydrated to begin with, the added fiber will just compound the problem without enough water to saturate the fiber.

Do a Google search on each of the drugs and constipation... You may learn each one has the tendency for that side effect.

I hope you resolve this quickly.

Jackie

Jackie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Magnesium should not be causing constipation...
> especially when you drink the WW concentrate. My
> experience is that if you drink too much of that,
> you can get very loose stools.
>
> You take a lot of Rx drugs and each one could
> contribute to constipation through dehydration.
>
> Consider that you may not be consuming enough
> overall water ...one liter of the magnesium bicarb
> water is not nearly enough daily water intake for
> proper hydration. An old rule of thumb used to be
> drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of pure water daily.
> Added fiber needs more water to help propel the
> mass through the GI tract other wise, if you are
> dehydrated to begin with, the added fiber will
> just compound the problem without enough water to
> saturate the fiber.
>
> Do a Google search on each of the drugs and
> constipation... You may learn each one has the
> tendency for that side effect.
>
> I hope you resolve this quickly.
>
> Jackie

I do not drink WW water with my meals so I probably consume at least 64 ounces of fluids a day mostly water.

Almost any prescription drug will come up as a possibilty to cause constipation or diarrhea ; same for possible swelling.
I know the Fentanyl Patch causes constipation but I am on the lowest dosage Fentanyl patch available.

I assume you are saying drink more water so my added fiber will not bulk up my stool. I have to walk a "fine line" here because I do not want to be up all night peeing from so much fluid intake.

Multaq is known for diarrhea;
Neurontin is known for diarrhea;
Elavil for constipation but I take the lowest dose offered of elavil.
Metoprolol looks like it will kill you with all the side effects listed but constipation is not listed
Elmiron shows constipation and diarrhea.
Ativan looks like it will also kill you with all the side effects listed but constipation is not one of them
Xarelto is also a killer drug based on side effects but constipation is not listed.


I have to find the right balance of fluid with the magnesium intake. I will eventually be off Multaq and maybe Xarelto but the rest of my cocktail will be with me for a while. As usual for me I looked like I am screwed. This is why my Anxiety goes off the scale at times. Chronic back pain; chronic bladder inflammation; Life is difficult at times but I will march forward.

Oh - good - you are hydrating well. The water helps keep the fiber free flowing in the intestine. I understand the timing of your water consumption but it may be something you'll have try to work around... so you don't dehydrate overnight and then cause the constipation.
I'm confident that once you eliminate some of the heart meds, you'll notice improvement. I'm in your corner and I can truly appreciate why you have anxiety. You've been through a lot.
Hang in there and keep posting so we know how you are.

Jackie

The Xalerto does have the side effect of constipation..

Disturbances of the gut, such as constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, indigestion, feeling sick or vomiting.
Read more: [www.netdoctor.co.uk]
Follow us: @NetDoctor on Twitter | NetDoctorUK on Facebook

Hi Smackman. When I resumed magnesium after my January ablation, it wasn't until I got back up to 500-600 mg per day (which wasn't long ago since I gradually built back up) that I got the familiar morning regularity and stool softness back. For me, N of one of course, crossing that threshold from 400 to 500 mg made the difference in therapeutic laxative effect.
- Randy

Randy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Smackman. When I resumed magnesium after my
> January ablation, it wasn't until I got back up to
> 500-600 mg per day (which wasn't long ago since I
> gradually built back up) that I got the familiar
> morning regularity and stool softness back. For
> me, N of one of course, crossing that threshold
> from 400 to 500 mg made the difference in
> therapeutic laxative effect.
> - Randy

Well, I am taking at least that much magnesium. I take 400 mg of chelated magnesium and I drink 1 quart of Waller Water and I take 2 shots of concentrated Waller water. Yesterday, I drank over 64 ounces of fluids mostly water and I do not have the urge to go. I am a "regular" person; generally within 1 hour of getting up in the morning.
I am scared to increase my Magnesium intake anymore until I can figure out this puzzle. I have not been constipated like this in a while. Maybe the extra magnesium is drawing the water out of my poop causing it to compact?

I just like to stay normal and not take extra laxatives to poop.

Smackman - Really, the consequence of taking too much magnesium is going to be loose stools. You may as well bump up your dosing and see where your bowel tolerance level actually is.

The other thing I failed to mention when it comes to constipation... (sorry).... is the importance of using a high count probiotic to make sure that you have plenty of friendly bowel bacteria. Often Rx drugs and especially with antibiotic use, these essential friendly intestinal gut bugs are killed off. When that happens, constipation is one consequence.

Typically, you need to use the high count cultures at a local health food store because they need to be refrigerated. The dosing will be at least 30 billion and better yet, 50 billion active cultures in each capsule. One brand that I've found locally is Ultimate Flora Critical Care, 50 billion.
10 strains, enteric coated with delayed release. Take one at bedtime.

Jackie

Everyone is different Smackman,
People like George and me have required huge doses of Magnesium to get enough and even then it was hard to keep IC levels decent.

Keep moving higher and try the topical magnesium as Ive suggested a number of times previously. With your other health issues and the meds too its quite possible you do have some digestive/absorption issues that prevent a lot of the oral magnesium from making it to the cells . Using a lot of a good qualoty topical magnesium bypasses the whole digestive issue entirely.

Have to go catch my flight to Amsterdam.. I was supposed to be on it yesterday but when at the check in counter they wouldn't allow my passport which still had three full months on it before expiring!!! Ugh!

Crazy new regulation that says you have to have at least 90 days from the date you return from ... not from the day take off too ... Europe on the last trip overseas on a given passport before it expires so if my passport had expired on July 26 instead of july14 they would have let me fly.

So in reality when your passport says you have 3 months even when your trip last only 11 days and you have a return ticket already, its actually already expired! You have to love bureaucracy

It didn't help that the day before on the KLM website I was able to online pre-check in and got a boarding pass even after entering my passport number and expiration date in their online form!

Anyway, that launched a very hectic day of rushing and running all around San Francisco to passport offices and photo shops for passport photos and LOTS of waiting in lines before getting my new passport 10 minutes before the office closed yesterday .. so like Ground Hog Day .. its the same day all over again this morning. Hopefully this time tomorrow I will be in Holland as planned.

Lesson to everyone, if you have anything less than a year on your passport don't take any chances and get it renewed before traveling! Some countries are now demanding 6 months left on your passport. Its all fairly new security changes. And the airlines will not tell you about it.


Shannon

Today, I increased my Magnesium from 400 mg a day to 600 mg a day plus I my WW water. I will look for a high count probiotic.
I want to see loose stools!!! LOL

Smack, give the mag a couple days at 600 mg. I understand your concerns about bumping up...but mag is pretty safe and 400-600 mg is not that much. Good luck! Hope you get results.

In my case, my bowel tolerance can range from 2-4 g/day. Sometimes going from one to the other rapidly. If I'm taking 2g/day and my tolerance goes to 4, constipation can result. More mag always cures the problem.

Also, since I've been playing with resistive starch and adding lacto and soil bugs to my intake, the constipation is much less of an issue. From what I understand, bacteria should make up about 1/2 of your BM.

George

GeorgeN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In my case, my bowel tolerance can range from 2-4
> g/day. Sometimes going from one to the other
> rapidly. If I'm taking 2g/day and my tolerance
> goes to 4, constipation can result. More mag
> always cures the problem.
>
> Also, since I've been playing with resistive
> starch and adding lacto and soil bugs to my
> intake, the constipation is much less of an issue.
> From what I understand, bacteria should make up
> about 1/2 of your BM.
>
> George

So you take 10-20 200 mg pills a day of magnesium?

George N: I'm not following you - you said "Magnesium is known for its laxative properties. Magnesium is hydrophillic, so any mag not absorbed in the gut absorbs water and bulks the stool".
Isn't it the opposite - it doesn't bulk the stool - it results in loose stool if it is not absorbed by the gut. Am I misunderstanding something?
Personally, anything above 200mg of Mag results in bowel intolerance for me - meaning loose stool (Hope Angelina Jolie isn't reading this - she'll never leave Brad for me if she does).

No, I have a variety of sources. Here is an example of a 3.8 g mix (split and taken morning & evening):

2 g as di-magnesium malate powder (1/2 tsp = 1 g mag), Albion process, equine source, but human product: <[www.performanceequineusa.com] 45 (horse) servings is 1 pound of product, 20% mag by weight, so 20% x 454 g/pound = 90.8 g of mag. I purchase in 5 pound bags

0.74 g as MgCl2 (magnesium chloride) from a solution I make up from Nigari <[naturalimport.com] I put 1/2 cup Nigari in 2 liters of water. MgCl2 is a little over 12% mag by weight (from memory without working it out). I've weighed this and 1/2 cup is about 61.7 g MgCl2. 12% is 7.4g mag or 3.7 g mag/liter. I drink 2 l of the solution a day.

0.30 g as magnesium bicarbonate water, AKA Waller Water concentrate. 0.2 l concentrate which is 1.5 g mag/liter

0.8 g as 4 tablets KAL brand magnesium glycinate, 0.2 g/tablet

Don't read anything special into the mix. I've used mag citrate & etc and varied the above. For example, on a 13 day paddle raft trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon last summer, I only took the di-mag malate powder and the KAL tabs. I used the di-mag as a base and varied the total with tablets. As I had no phone service, no office calls & etc, my stress level dropped and I ended up at 2g of the malate and nothing else. During last weeks trip to the beach. Did not turn on TV at all and only one very short conference call, my stress level dropped as did my bowel tolerance. If anything I'll err on too much rather than too little, though I tried to get it just right on the raft trip because of the primitive situation.

George

Ralph,

Perhaps semantics. At the level near, bowel tolerance, you get bulky soft stools. As you push past it, you get loose stools.

That tolerance level is VERY individual and I'm well aware that my intake is several std deviations above normal. I think 1.7 g mag as citrate is used for bowel cleanout. I routinely take that 2x/day. PeggyM, a long time poster couldn't take more than 100 mg at time for a long time. However, it still worked for her to keep afib at bay.

George



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2014 04:00AM by GeorgeN.

Just watch out for the Magnesium suppositories! They taste awful.

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.