Transdermal Magnesium

Back in March I wrote a post about Magnesium- MAGNESIUM, FRIEND OR FOE. I wrote about the importance of maintaining adequate magnesium levels and the debate about whether or not Lymies should be supplementing magnesium when Magnesium is one of the building blocks of biofilms and the concern is magnesium may be helping Lyme to thrive in your body.

In the original post I did not delve into what kind of magnesium to take or how to take it.

After the post a company that sells a product line called Ancient Minerals contacted me. They have a range of topical magnesium products and they asked if I would like to try it and write a review. I of course accepted and went straight to the internet to read up on transdermal magnesium supplementation.

There are quite a few doctors that recommend transdermal vs. oral supplementation and not just when it comes to magnesium. (1)

Magnesium chloride, when supplied in sufficient quantities, can kick start cell physiology in a very powerful way. Few know that magnesium chloride is an impressive infection fighter and even fewer know that the best way to deliver magnesium to all the cells is through the skin. -Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD (2)

One of the first things I learned was that my believed Calm magnesium’s supplement was, yes, a wonderful laxative (the reason I love it so much) but that right there is one of the biggest problems with oral magnesium supplementation.

The tendency for oral magnesium to create a laxative effect, hinders the bodies ability to actually use that magnesium. It just passes through you so fast the body can’t capture and use it.

There is also the whole balancing of calcium and magnesium that gets confusing to those of us who may not have failed, but definitely didn’t grasp chemistry. How am I really supposed to know if I got the right ratio between all my supplements and food? I didn’t study food science either.

This is probably my favorite point made by topical magnesium proponents: Your body will absorb, through the skin, what it needs and not more. Perfect! My body needs magnesium for sure but I don’t want to over do it for fear of “feeding the Lyme”.

The Products-

I was sent Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil, Gel Plus, and Bath Flakes.

Epsom salt baths have been my stand by on this Lyme journey but I have to say I like the Magnesium Bath Flakes better.

Epsom salt baths relaxed my muscles, I think any bath would, but left my skin a bit irritated. I always had to shower off after a salt bath. Not what I wanted to do since standing up after a bath tends to leave me light headed and out of breath.

I don’t feel the need to shower after the magnesium bath. I feel more relaxed than I ever did after the Epsom salt baths. I can just crawl out of the bath, into my PJs and straight into bed ready to sleep.

So, conclusion- I love the Magnesium Bath Flakes.

The oil and the gel were not as easy to judge. My doctor, who I asked about the products before I tried them, told me the gel would be great for muscle pain.

I don’t suffer from much muscle pain anymore I haven’t for months. Do you ever notice when you say something like that, something happens to prove you wrong? Well, I guess the Lyme heard me and thought, “Oh well, we’ll show you muscle pain”.

Last week I went for a little hike with my husband. I don’t know if that is what threw out my lower back or if I just slept wrong, either way it was miserable. I couldn’t even stand up straight.

I pulled out the magnesium gel. I had my husband lather that stuff all over my lower back.

Did it fix it? No, of course not, it isn’t miracle gel. It did relieve the pain and tension in my back though. I used the spray oil a few times too just to mix it up.

My conclusion on the Magnesium Gel and Oil- I will use it for muscle pain in the future. I understand the function of the gel and oil as a topical supplement but the mineral residue that is left when the product dries is a bit too much for me. The residue is normal. It is recommended that you use the oil 20 minutes before showering, and rinse or wipe off the gel as well. That one extra step plants the Bath Flakes firmly in first place for me.

Here are some of the benefits Ancient Minerals advertises for their products. (Note that these are benefits of magnesium in general.)

• Restores cellular magnesium levels
• Natural cellular protectant
• Facilitates safe and effective detoxification
• Relief of aches, pains, spasms
• Elevates mood and relieves stress
• Encourages healthy skin tissue
• Helps maintain proper muscle function
• Boosts energy levels
• Supports a healthy immune system
• Balances the hormonal system
• Calms overactive nerves
• Improves quality of sleep

http://magnesiumforlife.com/transdermal-magnesium/principles-and-practices-of-transdermal-medicine/

http://www.winningcancer.com/txt/fundamental-methodology/

 

Magnesium, Friend or Foe?

So a while back I was freaking out about how much magnesium I was taking. My doctor was telling me to take it but I had read so much about how I shouldn’t take it because it would feed the Borrelia and thus, I assumed, make it stronger and me sicker.

Well I don’t often believe anything I read on the internet if it isn’t backed up with relevant sources. I spent a few, quite a few, hours last week searching for any ‘reliable’ information on why I should not be taking magnesium.

To start with I will say that I did find where I think this recent thought of magnesium starvation came from. And, it makes sense, when read in context.

Dr Stephen Fry, of Fry Laboratories in Arizona has a protocol that does talk about withholding magnesium.

The treatment protocol begins with the insertion of a port-a-catheter. The therapy is given in the doctor’s office once per week for about nine weeks. It begins with a three-hour IV that destroys the biofilm surrounding the bacteria. Makeing it vulnerable to antimicrobial therapy. Immediately following the first IV, Azithromycin antibiotic is administered, also intravenously. This second IV takes approximately two hours. The patient returns to the office the next day and receives an IV mineral supplement, absent magnesium. (1)

Dr. Fry explains that the reason magnesium needs to be withheld from the mineral supplement is due to the fact that magnesium aids the bacteria in the development of the biofilm. Therefore, after destroying the biofilm and the bacteria, it is not logical to provide magnesium, which will only help create more biofilm. Dr. Fry has also found that Lyme disease patients more often than not have an overabundance of magnesium. However, he recommends monitoring the patient’s magnesium level during treatment. (1)

While Dr Fry’s asserts that most Lyme patients have an overabundance of magnesium, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, Dr. Ken Singleton, Dr. Ginger Savely, Dr. Jeffrey Morrison and Dr. Joseph Burrascano, recommend that all Lyme patients take magnesium supplements. Most of them specifically stating that the majority of Lyme patients are significantly depleted in magnesium.

Other than Dr. Fry’s, I didn’t find any other reference to Lyme patients having an overabundance of magnesium. I also did not find any warnings about taking magnesium. There was nothing to suggest we should be avoiding or suppressing it.

Bb and Bartonella need magnesium to duplicate in the host’s body (2). The bacterias draw upon calcium, magnesium, iron, heavy metals, fibrin, and other elements to weave a protective polymeric matrix around themselves (3). This protective layer is called a biofilm. Biofilms are not unique to Lyme disease. According to the CDC, biofilms cause more than 70% of community and hospital-aquired infections (3).

I can see where the fear of magnesium is coming from. I don’t want to be assisting Lyme in its efforts to conquer my body in any way! I’m leaning toward foe after reading that.

Ginger Savely offers another point of view. There is a hypothesis within the Lyme disease community that if we can keep adequate levels of magnesium in the body, we will also enable the body’s immune system to regain its ability to target and attack the Bb organism itself. (It is also thought that magnesium might incite Borrelia to come out of hiding to get magnesium) (4).

OK, so the score about now is 1 point friend, 2 points foe.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant (5).

Magnesium helps maintain muscles, nerves, and bones, and studies have shown that a diet rich in magnesium may help protect against metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. It promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism. It plays a role in more than three hundred biochemical reactions in the body (6). Pretty much without magnesium, your body wouldn’t be able to function.

Deficiencies in magnesium can cause many symptoms. These symptoms are remarkably similar to many of those that Lyme patients seem to suffer. They include; irregular heartbeat, palpitations, reduced ability to detoxify, nausea, nervousness and anxiety, confusion, depression, insomnia, weakness, muscle contractions, cramps and facial tics. Magnesium deficiencies can be cause by; gastrointestinal disorders, malabsorptive disorders, the use of various medications, and poor diet among other things like alcoholism, and old age.

My conclusion is this, magnesium is essential to life and health. If you already have enough, you probably don’t need a supplement. If you are deficient, you should probably take some. What good is it to deprive the bacteria of magnesium if it is to your detriment. Lyme is going to take want it wants when it comes to minerals. You need to make sure your body gets what it needs to function properly and build your immune system.

This is based on my research and my opinion. I am not a doctor. If you don’t agree, by all means send me the link that proves me wrong. That is totally OK with me. Just make sure it comes form a reliable source and is backed up by other sources.

Read about Transdemal Magnesium vs. Oral Supplementation- http://lymenaide.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/transdermal-magnesium/

SOURCES-

1. http://www.publichealthalert.org/Articles/tinagarcia/new%20treatment%20dramatic%20results.htm
2. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/08/04/Dr-Klinghardts-Treatment-of-Lyme-Disease.aspx
3. http://www.townsendletter.com/Oct2009/dispatch1009.html
4. Strashiem, Connie (2009). Insights into Lyme Disease Treatments. South Lake Tahoe: BioMed Publishing Group
5. http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp
6. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02805/magnesium.html
Additional-
http://www.healthy-vitamin-choice.com/magnesium.html
Burrascano, Joseph (2008, October). Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease