Starting dose of magnesium

Can you please let me know what is the starting dose of magnesium supplements.
I never have take it before but I'm having a lot of PAC and PVC and I want to try to see if it helps.

Thanks
Mike

Hi Mike - This is probably far more than you wanted to see but this repletion of magnesium is so important, it deserves a lot of attention. If you aren't aware, magnesium deficiency helps promote cardiac fibrosis which then promotes afib so optimizing your intracellular levels of magnesium is an essential first step.

First, be sure that you have healthy kidney function before adding supplemental magnesium. It's always wise to start with a low dose and gradually increase to your bowel tolerance level... which is explained in this report: [www.afibbers.org]

Some forms of magnesium compounds work better than others. It's said that the magnesium oxide form is the least effective because it's not easily absorbed. The magnesium citrate form is rapidly absorbed but tends to cause bowel tolerance issues in some people. Other forms include magnesium taurate, magnesium malate, magnesium gluconate, magnesium threonate and magnesium sulfate (found in Epsom Salts as in soaking with it in the tub), and topical magnesium chloride 'gel' or 'oil' which is called the transdermal delivery and can work very quickly to relax painful, tense muscles. (I've probably forgotten some)

I always recommend, the amino acid chelated form... ie, magnesium glycinate or magnesium bisglycinate is a patented process by Albion...and should be labeled as such. It's often said to be the best tolerated and least apt to cause bowel tolerance issues.

Check the label to see the Albion or TRAACS patent registered symbols. The label should not indicate "buffered" because this chelated form is protected from breaking down in the stomach acid environment; therefore, needs no buffering protection. The label should have nothing else but the magnesium glycinate or bis-glycinate designation.

Assuming a capsule contains 100 mg, start with a low dose of 1 capsule two or three times a day for a week... monitoring your responses and bowel tolerance as you go. Typically, you can expect to do very well with no adverse side effects until you start to double those doses... with the goal of dosing at 200 mg 2 - 3 times a day. Many of us take 600, 800 and more. It all depends on your specific needs and if you are a magnesium "waster" which many of us are.
It should take several weeks to build up to those doses so don't push it or you're apt to have an unwelcome surprise.
Going slowly upwards with the dosing allows your body to become accustomed to magnesium.

There is a report titled The Strategy, that I offered a few years ago... at this link [www.afibbers.org] that includes several other companion nutrients that help with Afib symptoms and for some, actually settles the heart down so it is mostly Afib free. Be sure also to read about the importance of potassium as another major player once you have a solid base of magnesium working. Read here at this link about the important role of the Sodium/potassium ion pump function. [www.afibbers.org]

In addition to The Strategy report... which will eventually be revised and republished here, is a very important aspect for everyone and not just those with arrhythmia. That's making sure that the body's tissue pH or degree of acidity or alkalinity is always kept on the alkaline side. To help with that, we suggest using a home made version of magnesium bicarbonate water. It's easy and a great way to alkalize and at the same take in a highly beneficial form of magnesium... the bicarbonate ion.

If you do a search here on WW or Waller Water or magnesium bicarbonate, you'll find an abundance of posts on the topic.

Following are the directions or the short version for making the WW at home:

Very easy, quick, economical. If you have any questions, just send me a PM and I'll be glad to help. Following is the abbreviated recipe... and also check this link to read a review by Erling Waller who formulated the homemade version (aka WW).[www.afibbers.org]


Making magnesium-bicarbonate drinking water called WW using magnesium hydroxide in Milk of Magnesia and carbon dioxide in carbonated water

The chemical conversion in water is: Mg(OH)2 + (CO2)2 --> Mg++ and (HCO3-)2

Step 1. Chill to refrigerator temperature a 1 (or 2) liter bottle of carbonated water consisting of water and carbon dioxide (CO2) sometimes called Seltzer.

Step 2. Shake well a bottle of plain Milk of Magnesia (MoM), then measure out 3 tbsp* (6 tbsp for 2 liters). The plastic measuring cup that comes with the MoM is accurate and ideal for the purpose. Use only plain MoM without flavorings, sweeteners, mineral oil, or other additives. The "active ingredient" should be only magnesium hydroxide, 400 mg per teaspoon (5 ml), and the "inactive ingredient" should be only water (check the label). (3 tablespoons (45 ml) of MoM has 1,500 mg of Mg from 3,600 mg Mg hydroxide*)

*Alternatively use 3,600 mg Mg hydroxide powder (pharmaceutical grade) a bit less than 1 tsp (1 tsp = ~4,100 mg).

Step 3. Making concentrated magnesium bicarbonate water: Remove the cap of the chilled bottle of carbonated water slowly to minimize loss of CO2. Pour out a few inches into a glass and save it. Pour in the pre-measured MoM and replace as much as possible of the saved carbonated water. Replace the cap tightly. and shake the bottle vigorously making the liquid cloudy. After 1/2 hour or so the liquid will have cleared, and un-dissolved Mg hydroxide will have settled to the bottom. Again shake the bottle vigorously making the liquid cloudy again. After several hours (up to 24?) all of the Mg hydroxide in the MoM will have reacted with the CO2 to become dissolved ionized magnesium (Mg++) and bicarbonate (HCO3-). If a small amount of un-dissolved Mg hydroxide remains as a sediment ignore it. One liter of this concentrated magnesium bicarbonate water will have ~1,500 mg of magnesium and ~9,000 mg of bicarbonate. Diluting this concentrate 11 to 1 makes it essentially identical to Unique Water..

Step 4. Making WW essentially identical to Unique Water: Dilute the concentrate 11 to 1 with plain water.
-- Example: 1 oz. concentrate + 11 oz. water = 12 oz. WW, which is a bit more than 1/3 liter or 1/3 quart.
-- Example: 3 oz. concentrate + 33 oz. water = 36 oz. WW, which is a bit more than 1 liter (34 oz) or 1 quart (32 oz.).
-- Example: 11 oz. concentrate + 121 oz. water = 132 oz. WW, which is close to 4 liters (135 oz) or 1 gallon (128 oz).

=========================================================================================

WW analysis:
Magnesium 125 mg/L (calculated)
Bicarbonate 751 mg/L (Evergreen Analytical Labs, Wheatridge, Colorado, Dec 5, '02)
pH 8.63 (Evergreen Analytical Labs, Dec 5, '02)

WW cost per liter / quart: about 7 cents.

===================

Ideal consumption: 1 1/2 to 2 liters (quarts) per day providing 125 mg magnesium and 751 mg bicarbonate.per liter
See: How best to consume Unique Water? [web.archive.org]
"If you are not in the habit of drinking water, you should commence by consuming small amounts of water daily until your body adapts. Take at least a month to reach the water consumption of 1 1/2 to 2 litres per day recommended by health experts. Unique Water is best consumed at regular intervals throughout the day."

General information and recommended reading

-- The term ‘magnesium bicarbonate’ is used universally to describe the mixture of magnesium cations and bicarbonate anions in certain spring waters and mineral waters.

-- WW is an inexpensive, easily made magnesium bicarbonate water equivalent to Australia's Unique Water.

-- WW is equivalent to the naturally occurring Adobe Springs water in California: [www.mgwater.com]
(Noah’s California Spring Water is bottled Adobe Springs water) [www.noahs7up.com]
Magnesium 110 mg/l
Bicarbonate 529 mg/l
pH 8.7

-- WW's flavor is typical of naturally occurring magnesium-bicarbonate spring waters, such as from Adobe Springs.

-- This slightly alkaline magnesium-bicarbonate water should be consumed throughout the day.

-- A person not used to drinking much water should begin by consuming small daily amounts of WW, gradually increasing to the ideal consumption of 1 1/2 to 2 liters / quarts per day. See recommendations for ‘Unique Water’ at [web.archive.org]

-- Magnesium dissolved in water (ionized), as in WW, is considerably more ‘bio-assimilable’ than the magnesium in most solid tablets or capsules.

-- Recommended reading: Information and recommendations pertaining to "Unique Water" are the same for WW. The consumer of WW is encouraged to read the literature at "Non Pharmaceutical Health Care and Unique Water" [web.archive.org]

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I'll stop here. Let me know if you have questions or if I can be of more assistance.

Best to you,
Jackie

Thank you Jackie for that info. Mike, I have had success with Solaray Magnesium Glycinate its listed as 400 mg (but that is really 4- 100 mg capsules, I get it for around $10 to $12 for 120 through whoever has the best deal at any given time.
I take 2 in the morning , one at lunch and 2 more at bedtime, about 500mg a day total, keep in mind I have been using Mag for years, and that keeps my heart calm as long as long as I watch my triggers. Getting the right Mag is very important as I found out the last time I had switched to Doctors Best hard pills, for me that brand was useless...might have been the hard pill that made it less effective.
Hope you find what works for you,
Tom C