Magnesium Deficiency

[CGTMHI]

Why does it not occur to heart specialists to do the "difficult" test for magnesium deficiency before they perform invasive procedures,  prescribe  beta-blockers, etc. plus all kinds of other drugs?

If someone would only tell them, or if they would read the literature that is readily available, all based upon valid research, concerning valid  statistics re. the ratio of sudden heart failure deaths (presumably from  arrythmias) all over the world in areas that have had soft water for years.  It can create unknowingly, a magnesium  deficiency, which controls the  heart rhythm. All physicians should  know that much. Where there is soft water, many,many more people die of sudden heart failure. That statistic has been published for years.

I am an example. Always one to be on the "cutting edge" of health issues, I totally stopped drinking "tap" water in the U.S. 15 years  ago, in  favor of reverse osmosis treated or bottled water, none of which (with a  few European brand exceptions) contain enough magnesium to replace the deficit. I did what I thought was the "prudent" thing, in avoiding drinking (possibly hazardous) "hard" water. Again, being prudent, and being a conscientious American businesswoman over 40, I continued to faithfully "take my calcium" as instructed by the  mass media, the dairy industry, etc. Guess what? That worsens a  magnesium  deficit, plus it sends the calcium to all the wrong places such as soft  tissues, i.e. heart, kidneys,etc. instead of the bones and teeth. Most doctors should be aware of that fact.

I am not looking to sue anybody, so don't be afraid- I know that is the primary thought in anything to do with medicine in the U.S. I  alone, am  responsible for what happened. The doctors did the best they could with good intentions, I have no doubt. Just as patients  who drank only "pure" water had the best intentions for their health. It seems to be a question of ignorance of the too obvious; the too  simple solution. The problem lies in what the cardiac specialists did not do, because it would never have occurred to them to ask about the water I drank, in order to justify further, more specific blood testing. Therein lies the problem. Having said that, however, although I assume I am a voice "mewling"  in the wind on this subject, I am positive that in the near future,  many doctors are going to be chagrined at the numbers of their  patients whom they put through a lot of stuff and expense, because  they didn't ask about their past water drinking habits. It is my  understanding that the typical "electrolyte" test does not show this inadequacy up, and a different test is required to show a serum level inadequacy. There are a lot of people in my age bracket,(65) who did the same  thing I did re. switching to "pure" water. We were the "health nuts" of that generation;the original tree huggers. Perhaps some of them made up for the loss in other ways; but there are bound to be many heavy calcium takers, like myself, who did not, and who in effect brought heart problems on themselves unwittingly.

Two of the "finest" heart clinics in America, and one of the finest abroad missed it- none of the three mentioned one word about the possibility. One in the U.S. questioned the thyroid at one point, but that tested out okay. At least he was concerned about "missing" something. I could not get cured of the arrythmia (which is incidentally, mysteriously,"on the statistical rise")even after undergoing a catheter ablation, all kinds of drugs, etc. Then I got blood clots from the arrythmia & still am having to deal with that offshoot of the the (original) problem.

I finally found the answer myself through an excellent search engine looking up "arrhythmia." What I found boggled my mind. I felt like the guy who first found proof that smoking was the cause of cancer. As long as I take my proper doses of magnesium and lay off the calcium, I am fine. There may be some damage done to my heart over the time period; but that's okay. As far as I am concerned, I am no longer a "heart patient"-

Sincerely,
MARISHA

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Marisha,

Thanks for sharing your story.  I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties.  Many doctors do routinely check magnesium (we order it on all new hospital admissions).  Also as you point out reverse osmosis treated water is not recommended for regular consumption.  Most of the 'water craze' was driven by businessmen out to make some money.  In general 'good old tap water' in the USA is just as good as anything one can buy.  Glad to hear you are doing better.  Take care.

[yellowrose]

wow thanksi will check into that can you take to much magnesium, ihave the skipped beats and paps so maybe it will help me and i drink pure water to and have took cal because i had complete hist at age 23 thank you for telling us that.

[Wendy]

I agree wholeheartedly! At 45 I had a heart attack and was found to have completely clear arteries after an angiogram. I was put on a beta blocker and also a calcium channel blocker. My heart was having frequent PVC's, something I'd never had before. I suffered with it for a year before I came across the magnesium connection here on the internet. For 25 years I had been drinking artesian water, very high in magnesium and just a month before my heart attack, had quit drinking it. I started back on that water, and my heart calmed down and I felt normal again! The change is spectacular. I'm convinced that it was the magnesium.

[mrsally]

Interesting! What about calcium channel blockers? Do these perchance deplete magnesium also?

[Jen S.]

How much magnesium should we be taking daily?

[Missy]

What kind of magnesium do we need to be taking?

[marisha]

Re. type of magnesium? Any good natural brand will work as far as I can tell.
Re. dosage?  I can only tell you that for myself, all the arrythmias pretty well stopped at 600 mg. per day. Also, I found that when I took a magnesium/calcium tablet combined, it came back slightly. So for now, I am taking no calcium, other than what I get in a pretty carefully balanced diet. And I feel great again.

[mairey]

Thanks this is the most interesting article I have read in this forum. I will definitely do more research into this. I have suffered form PVC's for many years. I drink only bottled water. I had 5 years where I was PVC free and thinking back that was when I was using tap water, they returned a few months after I had to move to a new apartment and once again had bottled water delivered. I examined all life style changes except that.

[lisa]

Thanks for this info.  very interesting.  do you know if filtered tap water (filtered through a home filter) has magnesium in it?  Also, what foods should we eat which contain magnesium?

[Cuore]

Marisha, can you tell me what kind of a test you had for magnesium.  I'm told a serum blood test is not very accurate.  I just had a test by a company called Intracellular Diagnostics (waiting for the results) that is supposed to tell you at the cellular level your magnesium and calcium levels.  Is that what you had?  I'm told that magnesium acts as a calcium channel blocker.  If this is true does this mean that when you raise your magnesium levels you're lowering your calcium levels (and you need calcium for your bones)?
Thanks, Linda

[marisha]

I would advise anyone with an arrhythmic problem to pull up the following website and read every page on it, if they want to know more about the subject. www.execpc.com/~magnesium
That particular website addresses most of the questions posted so far, including the magnesium content of various brands of bottled water. Interestingly, on my search engine alone, 803 urls of information come up on this subject; a few even, written by doctors, stating plainly that magnesium deficits are the primary cause of arrhythmias. Also stating that the typical blood serum tests are not likely to show the deficiency and why.

It is regretful that all cardiac specialists or any doctor
treating for arrythmias don't suggest the patient try taking a magnesium supplement first just to see what happens. It cannot possibly be more dangerous than putting them on the risky medications they do prescribe without a second thought.

Re. the blood tests I was given? The combined tests at just one clinic alone were over $4000.00, which included 5 blood tests, which still missed it, apparently. Who knows, maybe they were just too embarrassed at that point to say "Lady, go buy a $10. bottle of magnesium" since they were my third "second opinion" after a "failed" catherization and many, various medications.  
Marisha

[mairey]

Thanks Marisha for the further info. I actually bought some magnesium yesterday and took 500mgs before I went to bed. I had a stressful day and evening and did not eat since lunchtime. I woke an hour later with runs of PVC's which happilly lasted less than an hour. I donn't need this right now I have 2 weddings( daughter and brother, brother flying from England to LA to Vegas) and an 18th birthday next week.   I don't think this was in any way related to the magnesium I took and wouldn't expect any benefit for a few weeks. Anyway I couldn't access the site you listed above. Any suggestions or other sites that could be helpful? Thanks once again for a great contribution to this forum and I would be interested to hear from anybody who tries this and the results. My e mail is ***@****. Thanks, Mary

[marisha]

execpc.com etc. is the best i.e. most all-encompassing
but here are two other websites to try:
www.healthy.net/library/books/haas/minerals/mg.htm
and
www.medheal.org/magnesiu.htm   (note;the m is missing)

[Loni]

Everyone has probably moved on but...  I just had a browse around the Web.  Try this web address.

http://www.looksmart.com/r_search?l&iabw&pin=000528x75125bae1f96e06b1c1&search=0&key=magnesium

This is all one line.

There is some good information here!  I seem to fit the "Magnesium Deficient" description to a T.

Thanks for sharing Marisha!!!

[jan]

Are you sure about the web address www.execpc.com? I just get an internet provider. Do you believe the magnesium is good for all arrhythmias?

[Mazzie]

It is very curious to me. I stopped drinking tap water about 10 years ago. I drink bottled water because there is some concern about pesticides in the drinking water where I live. I have had palpitations off and on since I am a kid. I am now 47 years young and just stopped smoking. I am getting wild palpitations off and on and am thinking it is from quitting cigarettes. But, having a mother who also suffered from palpitations, and having a very healthy heart otherwise, I am now contributing my palps to perhaps switching to bottled water. I will go out tomorrow and buy some Magnesium and see if it helps. Thanks Marisha for your insight and information.
It's funny no other doctors responded to this query and info.
Funny or not?

[jan]

Here is a quote from the website mentioned above by Marisha and Loni,  " However, when one reviews the available data from controlled studies on the antiarrhythmic effects of magnesium, there are only a few types of cardiac arrhythmias, such as torsade de pointes, digitalis-induced ventricular arrhythmias and ventricular arrhythmias occurring in the presence of heart failure or during the perioperative state, in which the antiarrhythmic benefit of magnesium has been shown and/or established."   In just skimming the site I don't think anybody said anything was conclusive.  Also, I have read on other forums and newsletters that the medical community does test when it is appropriate (as mentioned in the website).

[skeptic]

Be wary of easy solutions, PVCs are more complicated than just Mg deficiency

[skeptic]

Be wary of easy solutions, PVCs are more complicated than just Mg deficiency

[skeptic]

Be wary of easy solutions, PVCs are more complicated than just Mg deficiency

[CLM]

I am very interested by this subject:  I had a marked increase in my arrythmias (PAT, PVCs, SVTs) around the holidays so went in for all the tests.  I was given the blood test and the only thing abnormal on them was a HIGH magnesium level!!!  Go figure!  I am interested in others' experiences and only wish it were so simple for me as a supplement.  I had to give up my supplements due to the blood tests because I had been taking magnesium due to research I'd done.  Anyone else come back with a high level reading?

[jan]

I have read that with magnesium and potassium having too much or too little is a problem.  You really have to be careful.

[Robert]

For those interested....the website that Marisha noted is located at URL www.execpc.com/magnesium (delete the tilde charater prior to the word magnesium).

[Helen from Australia]

I too get the svts and skipped beats... I have found that they become more frequent when dieting. years ago I was found to be low in Potassium and I was started on "Slow K". Now my doctor found me to be low in Magnesium and I have now started replacement therapy. All these years not one doctor suggested a magnesium deficency in fact one heart specialist tried to get me on "Adifax"    which now has been found to have caused mitral valve problems!!! The Natural Remedies doctor that I now see seems to have almost  cured me after all these years!!!