Question about Magnesium

[Texas714]

I have been having horried leg cramps.  I read somewhere that people with Cirrhosis seemed to be low on Magnesium and that could cause leg cramps.  I started eating Brazil nuts and almonds and things high in magnesium.  It seems to have helped.   My question is:  Is Magnesium like Iron as far as being hard on the liver?  Could I be making my liver work harder or doing damage by taking in more Magnesium?  
Any thoughts or advise would be appreciated.

[drofi]

there is no problem for the liver if you take additional 100-200mg magnesium/day. Magnesium could be a problem, if you have renal insufficiency.
Magnesium has marketing authorisation against cramps and cirrhosis is no contraindication.

Regards, drofi

[SJL]

I have Neuropathy which has caused severe leg aches & pains. I take magnesium, 200 mg. per day and it has helped tremendously. I also have Hep C, and Cryo. Personally, I would give it a try, but maybe talk to your Doctor's office first.
SJL

[medicmommy]

Hello! If you're doing hep c treatment right now, it may be your potassium level as well...with the large amount of water drinking we are supposed to do, the potassium (as well as some of the other electrolytes) gets washed out a bit..Are you getting headaches or lightheaded as well? Are the cramps occurring mostly at night? If so, it's probably your potassium level...If you don't want to do supplemnts (which work very rapidly) V-8 juice and gatorade are some pretty good sources...Feel better soon!       ~Melinda

[viaduk]

Ditto on the potassium advice.  Also, the thing that seems to help me the most is drinking tonic water..  A friend of mine told me that the quinine in tonic water helps with leg cramps (mine are in the calf and very painful)  For me, it's like a miracle cure...   Just hold the gin  ;)

[JackABCD]

Magnesium Citrate works very well in my experience against leg cramps and cause no problem for the liver, 1 pill of 200 mg before sleep is usually enough. People with Hep C sometimes need it.
Jack

[Texas714]

Thanks to all of your for your advise.  
I am on tx.  I thought I was doing good on the potassium but maybe I need more.
I am going to try every thing suggested.  I was up all night Friday night walking the floors in a sweat from the pain in my feet and legs.  My legs are still sore from the cramps...like I climbed a mountain...Thank you again for your advise.

[alagirl]

I have to say that I was surprised to find that 300 mg of lyrica 2x day is really helping my pain in my lower extremeties.  I was having some horrendous leg pains when I first started treating and even though I was taking morphine, it wasn't touching it.  Now that I've ramped up on the lyica, the morphine is keeping me out of pain almost completely, this was true even when I was still on the interferon.

Obviously, check the easy things to fix first, like low potassium, and muscle pain really is helped by magnesium.  

But an awful lot of people seem to have pretty severe leg pain that isn't due to the easy things while on treatment, and unfortunately, after as well.