Dear Doctor: Are the magnesium supplements I’m taking for leg cramps causing diarrhea?

Dear DR. ROACH: I am a 72-yr-outdated girl in fantastic wellness, but I have been plagued for yrs with muscle mass cramps and spasms in my legs. My physical therapist instructed magnesium supplements. I have been using these dietary supplements for about four a long time with good effects.

About a year in the past, I started off obtaining incredibly free bowel actions. To relieve that, I started getting psyllium, and that corrected the condition. A short while ago, the loose bowels arrived again. I did some studying and observed that grownups should really not just take extra than 350 mg of magnesium each day, and I have been taking 500 mg. Could this be causing my bowel challenges? I have been experiencing some other minor gastrointestinal concerns but had just put it off to age.

So, wherever do I go from here? — P.

Reply: Magnesium is generally applied by people today with leg cramps, and although numerous randomized trials — where by a particular person didn’t know whether they have been getting magnesium or an inactive capsule — have demonstrated magnesium no improved than placebo, I often get letters from folks telling me magnesium has assisted them.

Magnesium is not very well-absorbed orally, and much of it passes via the colon, leading to diarrhea. The much more magnesium you choose, the much more diarrhea you are most likely to have, so the to start with action is reducing again on the magnesium. That should minimize or resolve the diarrhea if the magnesium is causing it.

Psyllium husks are an great supply of fiber and a helpful cure for both equally constipation and diarrhea. You can keep getting that, either as essential or all the time — it is safe and sound.

I advocate nonmedication treatment method for leg cramps, particularly common stretching and average exercise. Limited bedding is a frequent, and sometimes unrecognized, result in of cramps, so get applied to sleeping with sheets and blankets untucked.

Dear DR. ROACH: I had been getting 5 mg of quick-dissolving melatonin as a rest help, possessing been assured it was thoroughly risk-free and not habit-forming. Recently, I browse a thing that worried me: Seemingly, melatonin stimulates manufacturing of estrogen. I am a breast most cancers survivor, and I am not permitted to have estrogen of any form. I stopped it promptly. Is this accurate? If so, why isn’t it outlined on the bottle? — D.J.H.

Remedy: In a one scenario analyze from 2008, one female experienced bigger ranges of estradiol (the major variety of estrogen in the human body) when she took melatonin. Other studies have not verified this, together with a 2012 review of 86 volunteers. Research done on breast most cancers cells show that melatonin inhibits expansion, and melatonin may well cut down spread of breast most cancers.

Nightshift personnel have an improved chance of breast most cancers, maybe from shifted slumber cycles. Ladies who slumber 6 hours or less are at better possibility. Melatonin does not get the job done for everyone with rest difficulties, but you require not be concerned about its outcome on breast most cancers. Most of the data clearly show that melatonin, if anything at all, is additional probably to have a protecting than destructive role in breast most cancers.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is not able to respond to specific letters, but will include them in the column any time achievable. Viewers may possibly electronic mail thoughts to [email protected] or send out mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

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