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1553083 tn?1296232321

Magnesium for Heart Palpitations

Greetings.  My cardiologist prescribed me 400 mg magnesium oxide to help with my heart palpitations (occasional skipped beats).  Not long after taking the first pill, I started to feel very jittery (almost like you do when taking a diet pills - excess energy).  I took the pill just after lunch and with no other medicine or vitamins.  Has anyone ever had this experience?  Is there an alternative?
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Avatar universal
Honestly I think magnesium oxide is not that great.  I found a magnesium called ReMag liquid magnesium that goes right into your cells.  You can take as much as you need/want without feeling any effects whatsoever.  I got rid of my afib using this.  There’s a website by Dr. Carolyn Dean  with lots of info and an ebook called Remineralize Your Heart.  This magnesium has been a like miracle for me.  Prior to finding this one I had taken one called MegaMag which was pretty good but I would feel tingley and just didn’t like the feeling.  Luckily I found the ReMag fairly quickly after that.  
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Avatar universal
Yes! I thought I was the only one! I have tried magnesium citrate a few different times. And each time I have taken it, it’s like I drank a bunch of coffee! If I take it at night, I can’t sleep for hours. My doctor looked at me like I was crazy when I told her.
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2 Comments
It could be one of the binders it’s mixed with to make it a tablet if you are taking that form
Doctors must be taught that look in med school for when they have no clue.
Avatar universal
Investigate  the role of histamine in your jitters. Google Histamine Intolerance.
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995271 tn?1463924259
Magnesium is a very reactive element.  The only way for it to be stable is by binding it with something so it becomes stable enough to not catch on fire when exposed to air.  Yep, it's that reactive.  

Mg Oxide is extremely stable, on the negative side it's very difficult to break the bond.  As such it's not very "bio available" meaning your body won't get very much of it.  I've read that your body will only absorb about 12% of the actual Mg in mg oxide.

There are other binding agents used, such as Mg Citrate which means that the element Mg is bound to carbonate and citric acid. Then there's Mg Chlorate, Mg Sulfate (epsom salts).....  Other forms are bound to amino acids such as Mg Turate or Mg Glycinate which are the most bio available for digestion.

People getting "jitters" from Mg sounds really odd.  Everyone I've ever dealt with on it report a very relaxed feeling from it.  My experience has been a very relaxing and calming effect.  I've been taking Mg Glycinate as a supp for about 18 months now, I don't notice the relaxing effect anymore but I still take it to help with PVCs, it does seem to help me greatly.  Other folks will soak in epsom salts to relax (absorbed through the skin), other apply Mg Oil to the skin and absorb it that way.  Then there's a very popular brand called Natural Calm.  Mg's role in our body is at the cellular level and works with other electrolytes such as potassium and calcium to enable cell conduction for muscles.  

But hey, we're all different.  If it gives you the jitters you'll need to try other things until you find something that works for you.  Keep in mind that if you try other forms of Mg your body will be absorbing more of it, and if it is the Mg that's making you jittery this may worsen.
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4 Comments
I was told that magnesium oxide is the most recommended supplement by cardiologists from my pharmacist then went home and Googled it and found out it's the worst and the least absorbable product out of all the magnesium.
Magnesium is a great treatment for people who are deficient in magnesium, not heart palpitations in general.

If you have palpitations I would strongly suggest you forgo electrolyte supplementation such as Mag unless you visit a doctor and your labs show you are defficient in mag.

Electrolyte imbalance in EITHER direction (too much or too little) can cause heart problems. Thus blindly taking electrolytes for your heart without supervision could make your heart worse or even kill you in an extreme scenario.
Magnesium and potassium do play a role in heart rhythm. However, magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed.
You're wrong 2210485, Magnesium is really helpful for people who have PVCs, PACs and the such, they can help with ectopic beats and other heart issues relating tot he irritability of the heart. Blood tests for Magnesium are not reliable and don't really prove weather someone has enough Magnesium or not, most people do not and any excess will be dealt with by your kidneys, so unless you have kidney problems or some other extreme ill health Mg is generally very good for you, it's not going to make you worse and especially not "kill you" unless you eat a bottle of them, and even then.... just scaremongering.
Avatar universal
Hi - I have the same problem with magnesium.  I tried taking magnesium citrate in very small doses, but I still had the jitters.  Magnesium has a lot to do with muscle function, so that may explain it.  I would try a smaller dose and see if that helps, or like others have suggested, you can try a different type.
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221122 tn?1323011265
I take mine with food or sometime after I've eaten. I take liquid mag (oxide) gel caps.  I've never had that from them.  At least I've never know a correlation.
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1465650 tn?1316231160
Hi I take Magnesium oxide daily 350mg as a supplement. I have SVT and had a cardiac ablation done last autumn.
I was told that it is better to take magnesium at night as it is supposed to relax the muscles. I usually take my pills about 8-9pm and feel that it is a good time to do so.

Good Luck
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144586 tn?1284666164
Bring this to his attention. He may prescribe a lower dose.

Some patients do better on magnesium glycinate.
Helpful - 0
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