Magnesium defficient?

[mcl]

I'm a 21 year old male, suffering from the following symptoms :
- fasciculations (for the last three months)
- twitches, usually as a result of a "pinprick"
- "pins and needles" in all body parts
- increased heart rate (120 bpm in resting state), usually after a meal
- I can feel my heart beating in my chest and head sometimes, sometimes I even see the world "beating" along with my heart
- sometimes, also usually after a meal, I have difficulty drawing breath, like I cannot use the full capacity of my lungs
- jaw joint "pops" sometimes (right side)
- I can hear a cracking sound in my left ear when I press it
- migraine-like headaches, painkillers are helpful
- have a minor headache most of the time which only shows when I make a sudden or large movement with my head
- I need a lot of sleep these days, otherwise I'm very tired all day long

I have no loss of strength whatsoever, all the symptoms above have only been bugging me except for the headaches (which really control my day sometimes).   I've never had any heart problems.

Thanks!

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

I can not explain all of your symptoms with one disease. The alteration of your heart rate and shortness of breath should be evaluated by your primary doctor or cardiologist to exlcude cardiac problems. The altered sensations and possibly the altered heart rate could be explained by a peripheral neuropathy, specifically a small fiber neuropathy.

Regarding your headaches, having daily headaches is not usual. If your are using more then 3-4 doses of pain medication (including over the counter drugs) per week this could be causing headaches. If this is not the case an MRI should be performed to evaluate for structural problems.

If you have not seen a neurologist, it would be reasonable. They can evaluate you and recommend an initial evaluation. Good luck.

[snooze]

I would check out the list of symptoms for magnesium deficiency provided on www.healthy.net and see how close they are to your symptoms. Look for these two articles.

"Magnesium: The Stress Reliever" Leo Galland M.D.
"The Importance of Magnesium to Human Nutrition"
Michael Schachter, M.D

If you think you have the symptoms, check out the Magnesium archives on www.askwaltstollmd.com for information on what types of Magnesium are useful and how much to take.

I'm taking magnesium gylcinate (and the type of magnesium you take DOES matter - be sure to research that) and it's made a world of difference for me.  It's easy to find in health stores (Vitamin Shoppe) or online.  Read up on the contraindications before you proceed (kidney problems and a few other things.)

For more information from a Clinical Nutritionist's viewpoint, search on "Kripin" and "magnesium" .  For information on magnesium addressing depression, search on "Eby" "magnesium" "depression."  There is more information on magnesium helping headache/migraine suffers on www.headachePainfree.com

~snooze

[snooze]

Type on the Nutritionist's name.  Should be "Krispin"

[mcl]

Thanks a lot for those tips!  I'll look into it though I'm planning on seeing my doctor when I have the time.  The symptoms seem to have lessened in the last couple of days, you know if that is consistent with such things as Mg deficiency?

[snooze]

Well, I'm no expert, but from personal experience, my symptoms sometimes disappear for a while and then come back. They are definitely tied to the ebb and flow of the anxiety-producing events in my life.

My doctor scoffed at the notion of magnesium deficiency, but didn't know about differences in absorbability of different magnesium salts (which told me I wasn't talking to the right person about this problem).  The neurologist knew a little more about magnesium but told me my symptoms were because I was an anxious person.  Boy, he's right; I am anxious alright, but that's a symptom... not the cause.

Anyway, after more than 6 weeks of magnesium glycinate, my anxiety level seems to be back to what to what I consider normal. I still have some symptoms, but I will measure it's success against the 23 symptoms I had that were listed in Michael Schacter's M.D.'s article--all but three are completely gone or dramatically improved.  I've had some of these symptoms for 7 years!  In 7 years, none of my doctors ever mentioned magnesium deficiency as a potential culprit.  

You didn't mention constipation (or alternately some other type of abdominal distress), anxiety, or imsomnia, which I would think you would have if you had magnesium deficiency, so perhaps magnesium deficiency is not what you are experiencing.  I'll tell you though, it's cheap, it's over the counter, and unless you have the contraindications it can't really hurt you.

By the way, I just started taking a B6 supplement as well because I read that improves magnesium absorbility.

[mcl]

I'm quite the anxious type too, have always been.  Maybe I'm suffering from Mg deficiency for a very long time only never this explicit.  I'm kind of stressful too lately, I've caught myself more than once with "jumpy" (my English knowledge is failing here ;)) legs.  

I've read the articles and am more convinced than ever that Mg has got something to do with my symptoms.  I wonder why the doctor on this forum took my rapid heart beat as a possible cardiac problem as it seems it could be a symptom of Mg deficiency as wel, it seems a subject that is not yet generally known.

I'm a biology student and a little before all the symptoms started appearing (apart from concentration problems, migraines and sleeping problems which I've always had) we had to do an experiment for physiology.  We had to drink a liter of water in 5 minutes and then study our body's reaction.  Maybe this messed my elecrolyte balance up completely.  

You were also wondering why I didn't have any constipation or other abdominal stress.  At the peak of my symptoms I did have a very odd feeling in my stomach, hard to describe, and my digestion is still a little irregular.  Just forgot to add that to my already long list ;)

Anyhow, I'm seeing my doctor soon to get her opinion on this.

Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!