Magnesium to treat epilepsy ???

[BAHAMAS]

I have heard that Magnesium is used sometimes in the control of seizures in epilepsy and that ailment’s.

I have a few questions to ask all of you.

(1) - If this is the case I would like to find out what kind of magnesium is most commonly used ?.

(2) - How often is it taken ?.

(3) - On average have much is taken with each dose ?.

(4) - What is that the half life of magnesium ?

(5) - When treating epilepsy with it is it genuinely taken with medication OR can it be taken on its own ?.


Thank you all Craig

 

[epileric]

Where might you have heard that magnesium is used to control seizures.

I`d imagine the only way it would make a difference is if the person had a magnesium deficiency.

A study was done where they found that epileptics had higher levels of magnesium in their cerebrospinal fluid.

Cerebrospinal fluid magnesium and phosphate content from patients with epilepsy was compared with controls and a significant increase of CSF Mg was found in epileptics. This alteration was exclusive to CSF and serum values were unchanged. The origin of the excess Mg ions is discussed and it is indicated that this change is not dependent on blood-brain barrier dysfunction or CSF pleocytosis. Probably Mg ions are released from central nervous system cells into the CSF, the cellular damage being either functional or permanent.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022510X79901394

 

[masterjen]

Those are all excellent questions for your pharmacist. I know there are folks here who do take magnesium supplements, and they can offer opinions, but I would recommend posing those questions to your pharmacist. As they are the medication and supplement specialists, they can help also determine whether there could be interactions between magnesium and other supplements and medications you take.

 

[epilepsyhealth]

Magnesium sulfate as an injection has being long used to treat seizures related to high blood pressure during pregnancy (eclampsia). I'm not aware of any oral magnesium treatment that would help prevent/treat seizures, though.

You can search in Google for "A review of traditional and novel treatments for seizures" ─ you'll get a downloadable pdf, in which magnesium (among other) is discussed as a novel treatment. Blood magnesium and calcium levels and magnesium/calcium ration may be important. I would not in any case start taking magnesium without a neurologist approval; it may make more harm than benefit.

 

[Nakamova]

Magnesium plays a role in regulating the excitability of the central nervous system, and in relaxing muscle tics or jerks. For these reasons it might play a role in epilepsy treatment, but there haven't been any comprehensive large-scale studies in humans to confirm it. You might be interested in these articles/studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22547512
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846501/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/414910

Some CWE members have found that magnesium has helped with seizures, migraines. You can read anecdotal reports/discussions here:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/magnesium-cure-epilepsy-3439/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/magnesium-form-9411/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/magnesium-1300/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f20/magnesium-12732/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/magnesium-16255/

Magnesium also plays a role in calcium metabolism, so it is often bundled into calcium supplements. I've taken magnesium taurate (since taurine can also be neuro-protective), but there are other forms such as magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide that are also well-absorbed.

 

[SlimBlue]

Tiny bits in Pyridoxine/B6 complex tabs as well- though I doubt it'd do much to help a deficiency etc at those small levels.

There's some very, no extremely sensible posts above- please don't believe the hype of the net if you're desperate to find a cure. If it has helped anyone, like Nak said it would have been used to reduce ticks etc but not as a CURE outright.

From the few people on the board that have over the years mentioned that it cured them, they've had very rare conditions, ie an extreme mag deficiency that was the root of their seizure condition, but if you had it too (noticed I said very rare) it would most likely have been spotted during your first blood-work.

I don't wont to be a downer, but it's better than living in false hope then being crushed when it has only a slight effect (if any), and your condition and meds regime have to continue as usual. Please listen to epileric and Nak.

I may be wrong, hey IANAD, but I know about being crushed by false hope