virtigo and muscle twitching

Around 5 weeks ago, I started having dizziness when I turn over in bed or tilt my head while walking.  I also began experiencing pain in both of my legs accompanied by mild spasms in my legs. In the last few days the spasms have become very pronounced and actually make the big toe on my right foot move by itself. I have also experienced a milder form of this in my left hand and muscle twitching on the right side of my head. Any muscle spasm always sends me into worry mode because my father died of ALS.

[Carol in PA]

Regarding the twitching and the spasms, they may be due to low levels of magnesium within the cells.
A blood test for magnesium only shows the level in the bloodstream, not in the muscle and nerve cells.

When you buy a magnesium supplement, you do NOT want magnesium oxide, which is difficult for the intestines to absorb.  But it is cheap, and commonly used.
Magnesium glycinate is better.  You need to read the list of ingredients.

This is the one I buy:
Source Naturals, Ultra-Mag
Magnesium (as magnesium citrate, taurinate, glycinate, and succinate)
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=1415

There is alot available on the web about using magnesium, and books too.

Wishing you the best,
Carol