MAGNESIUM MAGIC

I have had double primary breast and then ovarian cancer within a 4 year period. Genetic testing normal. No risks for either and lifestyle near perfect. The cause drove me crazy, because if I couldn't figure out why this was happening, how could I prevent it from happening again. Just found out I have had a magnesium deficiency for most of my 60 years, probably since birth. Bingo!!!

Cisplatin can cause magnesium depletion in as high as 37% of patients that lasts months or years. Carboplatin can also cause this to a lesser degree. Since I had an underlying problem with it my symptoms were dramatic and the irony is that it increases your risk of recurrence!

This was not diagnosed by blood work, which is inadequate, but by symptoms and response to treatment. 40 years of insomnia and hyperacusis were cured after just two weeks of magnesium supplement, as was my long standing urinary incontinence, muscle tension, extreme weakness, multiple chemical sensitivities, asthma and anxiety. I went cold turkey off of Ambien and Xanax on the same day.

Further research indicated that low magnesium puts you at significant increased risk of all cancers, particularly breast cancer. I then found a 2004 research study out of Taiwan, which reviewed thousands of cases of Ovarian cancer and plotted them on a map, then measured the magnesium content of the local water. You guessed it, those women in the lowest magnesium areas had the highest rate of OVCA.

I currently take 10 pills every morning, but if I was told I could have only one, it would be the magnesium, above Zocor, femara, fosomax etc. etc. The magnesium gives me the best quality of life. I sleep 9 hours straight, where as before ambien gave me 3.5 hours, at most. The sandman visits regularly, I'm energetic, getting stronger, ice skating, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, where as before ( early December 08) I drove with one hand on the wheel, while holding my head up with the other; I was that tired.

Ironically, women taking calcium supplements upset their magnesium/calcium balance which should be 1:2. This leads to magnesium deficiency and it is involved in 325 cellular functions. That is why you can have multiple symptoms, many of which you and your doctor may attribute to other causes. Magnesium helps protect us from chemicals in the environment and toxins as well as free radicals build up in our systems without adequate magnesium.
Just call me Magnesium Mamma,
Sue

By suemac
Posted February 12, 2009 at 11:41 am
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Because of 2 cancers in 4 years and the OC being stage lllc decided to add the Integrative Medicine route, since traditional medicine treated the cancers well, but it was not doing a great job of protecting me.

Saw a Naturopathic doc, who recommended 250mg Magnesium, twice daily taken with calcium which is 600mg and vitamin D 400mg. This comes close enough to the 1:2 ratio of magnesium to calcium.

Although I had astounding results, just found out yesterday that the magesium I bought is the oxide form and not as well absorbed as other forms. Once finished I will switch to a better absorbed form.

While researching magnesium for insomnia and hyperacusis (painful sensitive hearing), Vitamin B6 popped up because it helps absorb magnesium. This resonated with me because I felt so well during my chemo treatments that I went cross country skiing 5 times and actually slept without ambien for 4 months. I thought this was due to Reiki therapy, but was wrong.

Once treatment was over, had trouble sleeping as usual. Went back to Reiki, accupuncture, massage and nothing brought back sleep. Realize now that the vitamin B6 I took for peripheral neuropathy brought my magnesium levels back up. Once I stopped taking it, the insomnia and low energy set back in. I have added vitamin B6 to my supplements. I take 100mg in the am. Once I'm done with this left over medication, I'm switching to 50mg am and pm.

For two years I had been asking my kids to carry the vacuum up the stairs. Around Christmas this year, they were all gone so I tried myself. It took two hands and using one foot to lift it one stair at a time. I got up this morning and carried the vacuum up and down the stairs with one hand. That is a dramatic change!

I obviously cannot say enough about magnesium.

Sue

By abbaschild
Posted February 12, 2009 at 12:33 pm
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Thanks. I'm gonna give it a try. I'm always open to feeding my cells what they need. I've been having problems with my knees and legs and wonder if it's a lack of magnesium with the calcium and vitamin D3 I take...thanks for the info!

By Maysea
Posted February 12, 2009 at 12:57 pm
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Hi Sue, Thanks so much for your sharing. Did you ask your doctor to do a blood work to figure out your magnesium deficiency? Insurance will cover it?
I am so happy for your quick recovery.

By suemac
Posted February 12, 2009 at 1:38 pm
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Blood work is not considered adequate because only 1% of your magnesium is in your blood. RBC magnesium is the better test to have done and yes insurance pays for it.

Mine was done maybe 2 weeks after I had started the supplement. I was desperate for help and too tired to go to the docs yet again. I never called for results, but adding the magnesium was the only change I made before improvements started happening left and right.

Being a nurse of 36 years and a researcher as well, it's good I didn't have bloodwork first, because if it was normal, I may have missed the best thing that's ever happened to me medically.

Many people have deficiencies that don't show up in the blood work, because the body continually strives for homeostasis. So the magnesium is pulled from the bones, teeth or cells to equalize blood levels.
Sue

By Maysea
Posted February 12, 2009 at 2:32 pm
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Thanks so much for your quick response, Sue. I will ask my doctor to do the test next week when I see him. Today I am so happy I may figure out why I get cancer and there would be a quick and easy fix! Thanks again Sue for your info.

By youngmom
Posted February 12, 2009 at 5:26 pm
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I had read information about magnesium, and its affect on cancer before. My understanding is that the body stores your supply of magnesium in the bones. and that most adults are mildly deficient, cancer patients and those with diabetes more so . I have also read that 2 very good food sources of magnesium are spinach and almonds, and that if you have magnesium in your tap water your body can absorb some during bathing. I'm not sure if I am going to supplement or not, but eating raw almonds is encouraged for so many reasons when you have cancer, and this just provides another one !

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 6:52 am
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Young mom,

I have always been a nut,"nut" and raw almonds are my favorite because I love nothing better than good crunch. I have eaten them everyday for the last five years religiously not for the magnesium, which I didn't realize was an issue, but to help with my cholesterol problems. Between my husband and I we go through $40 worth of nuts a month. It's like a utility payment. Along with that tons of fruits and vegetables, low fat and high grains, plus bike riding up to 500 miles during the summer, gardening, golf, etc. It didn't help, I still got a second primary cancer, within 4 years of the first one.

Although magnesium problems were suggested by my internist a few years ago as a reason for my insomnia, I discounted it, when I saw that my nutritional intake and daily vitamin should suffice. I was wrong because my body, for whatever reason, was not absorbing it correctly.

We now think it's a familial problem. Two of my four children had serious learning problems. One because of nystagmus the other because of bionic hearing. Both can be caused by low magnesium.

Some of the magnesium deficiency today is supposedly due to the rise of bottled water and I admit I do not like the taste of well water. There is even a magnesium oil for skin application now.

Just because this was a miracle for me doesn't mean it will help everyone, but I wanted to make sure other people were aware of it, because if I knew sooner, things might have turned out differently.

Sue

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 7:14 am
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Dear abbaschild,

I have noticed your screen name before because when I do meditation (which I've only learned since my cancer journey) I use Abba during my inhalation and exhalation, since that is who takes care of us -right?

Two years ago I started having trouble getting up from a squat. I work with very young disabled children in wheelchairs and would stoop down to speak with them. I couldn't get back up, unless they took my hand for just a slight boost, since they are weak too.

I was also positive for Gower's manuever, which is where you use your hands to start pushing yourself up by walking your hands up your legs from the knees until you're upright again. This is common in children with MD. I just thought I was getting older and needed to exercise more, but didn't have the energy. The staff on the other hand were worried I was seriously ill. I also had trouble getting down and up from lighting the gas logs at home.

I just did 10 squats in a row and those symptoms are completely gone since starting magnesium. It is also a treatment for restless leg syndrome. When calcium magnesium balance is upset it can cause calcium to deposit in the muscles, joints and even the arteries and heart valves. It used to feel like I had glass in my knees when I would kneel - no more.

So I do hope that this helps you as well.

Stronger Sue

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 7:32 am
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Dear Maysea,

I would not call anything a quick fix for cancer because I believe it is a combination of things that causes it in the first place. All of us have a threshold for cancer occurrence based on genetics, environment, lifestyle choices, toxin exposures etc etc.

These all add up over time and for some of us it pushes us past that threshold to a cancer diagnosis. For me the magnesium was a quick fix for insomnia, anxiety, extreme muscle tension and weakness, hyperacusis, photophobia, and incontinence. But the damage done to my system as a whole from years of this deficiency has yet to be seen.

We all feel so helpless and sometimes hopeless in trying to control something we don't understand. For me, I know good magnesium levels will help keep me under that threshold for a relapse and so I feel empowered by that. I am not naive enough to think this is a guarantee, because I'm sure there are other factors involved as well.

Let me know what your doctor says and your bloodwork shows.

Sue

By abbaschild
Posted February 13, 2009 at 8:04 am
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Hey, Sue...I really started having the troubles with my knees this winter keeping logs on the fire and yes, it also felt like glass in my knees....mostly on the sides...so, today I'm going to Earth Fare, our local organic supermarket which I am SO thankful for to get some magnesium chloride and give it a try.

And yes, my screen name is for my Abba, my Father who has been my strength and my hope through my whole life journey. He's always been there for me and He's so very precious to me!

Thanks for all the info!

By mawmaw4
Posted February 13, 2009 at 10:16 am
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This is very interesting. I have been talking magnesium,calcium/potassium morning and night for several years, because someone told me years ago it would help with restless legs at night. I also have varicose veins bad so I took it for that and what a difference - I swear by it for legs aches, 100% turn-around on that, but this is interesting about the cancer link - I will take a little more. By the way through all the chemo my potassium levels have been excellent and low potassium runs in my family, mom and aunt take prescription supplements for that.
Thanks for the info.
Bev

By melf
Posted February 13, 2009 at 10:49 am
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Interesting. My magnesium counts were dangerously low before my diagnosis. I walked around for almost 18 months this way and was pouring magnesium in to my system per dr orders. As soon as the tumor was found and removed, my count came back up to normal. I also had potassium deficiency.
I do want to caution you all on the magnesium tho...when I went to the GI doc he told me that too much magnesium will cause diarrhea. I said really? I was shocked because of the amounts the docs had been giving me. The GI said, What do you think is in "Milk of magnesia"? Diarrhea will deplete your sodium, electrolytes, potassium and other nutrients your body needs to remain healthy. I know that a severe depletion in magnasium, potassium or Vit K will send you in to an asthma attack or even a heart attck. just be careful with the supplements ladies.

Melissa

By FavoriteAunt
Posted February 13, 2009 at 11:02 am
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This is certainly an interesting topic.

Just curious, has anyone ever asked their oncologist about this? If so, what was the reply?

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 11:34 am
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Dear Favorite Aunt,

When I saw my gyn/onc on 12/6 my symptoms were so bad he thought it was my heart and I am seeing a cardiologist next week. But most of those symptoms, racing pulse, extreme fatique, anxiety and weakness, dizziness, shakiness, visual problems, high BP have all resolved with magnesium. I'll let you know what the cardiologist has to say and then the gyn/onc will see improvement when I see him 3/2 and I'll get his impression
Sue

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 11:43 am
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Melissa,

I'm curious what your symptoms were when your magnesium was really low. Why were you tested? The year before my breast cancer, my incontinence became unbearable, so I'm thinking my levels were really low then.

The muscle weakness started the year before my ovca diagnosis. I don't think these are coincidental.

How high was the magnesium dose they were giving you? Did you develop diarrhea? I had read that was a symptom and figured it is dose related and to cut back if that happened, but no problems, so far and since calcium is constipating maybe they balance each other out.
Sue

By suemac
Posted February 13, 2009 at 11:49 am
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Hi mawmaw,

A coworker takes magnesium for restless leg syndrome and it works wonders for her too. I read your post about doing additional maintainence chemo and I decided against that too, because the peripheral neuropathy was already significant.

I did go on femara because my tumor was 80% positive for estrogen and I felt more comfortable with this type of medication than chemo.

Sue

By melf
Posted February 13, 2009 at 4:41 pm
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SueMac
I had muscle weakness, heart palpitations, exhaustion- and diarrhea. I was in the bathroom all the time. It was very frustrating, I could not eat beacuse of the tumor and then when I could, it ran straight thru me. I wouldnt even get through the meal without having to stop to go to the bathroom. I started with diarrhea because my tumor was tangled up in my bowel and they tried to replenish it and things only got worse for me. It was either eat while stting on the potty or dont eat at all.
Right now I cannot remember the dosage of the magnesium and I think that I tossed all the bottles out. I will look when Im home from work to see what the last dose was.
I know that it is an important mineral to the body but like anything too much in people who do not need it is just that, too much and it will cause problems.
Melissa

By Maysea
Posted February 13, 2009 at 8:32 pm
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Hi Sue, you are so kind. I wish there's a quick fix for my cancer, like everyone else in this site. After my diagnose, I wouldn't say every hour but truly everyday I have been trying to figure out what's wrong with my body, why I get cancer. No family history, good at sports, always eat healthy, why me? I did have calcium deficiency when less than 3. My last pregnancy, one year before diagnose, I had restless legs, backs pain, hand pain, my gyn doctor had no idea what's wrong. Sue, it's your post remind me and give me new direction to think about my cancer. 2/20 I will see my oncologist and will ask for the test. Would update you after I get the result.
Thanks again for your sharing of your info.

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