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Magnesium and major depression (2011)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

11–20 of 235 posts

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#11
I have found that taking Magnesium is like turning a switch on in my head and I'm suddenly happy again. I don't get upset or angry in the same way, I'm more patient and my thoughts are not obsessive.

Magnesium is best taken with calcium and vitamin D as both are used in the uptake of magnesium.

I have found that processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and sugar all make me worse, but magnesium gives me the will power to change that lifestyle that caused the problem in the first place.

I don't know about quack studies but for the cheap price and quick turnaround (3 days for small effect, 2 week for a large scale shift) it's a simple thing to try.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#12
post #5

This smells like a crackpot. The first author’s affiliation is his own “research institute”: https://m.george-eby-research.com/ and they claim a simple, somehow overlooked solution to a difficult problem, citing flimsy and ancient studies.

I generally agree with you, but lithium is also used to treat bi-polar disorder (among others) and it was discovered by accident. People used to recommend it without any data supporting it. I suspect this is how most treatments start

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#14
post #4
post #3

Take some hart burn medicine and you get all the magnesium you can handle.

Heart burn meds are often Mg Oxide or sulfate, which isn't that well absorbed. [1,2] for anxiety and depression, Mg Citrate works well, as does Mg Glycinate [3] Just a heads up. [1] http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/family-medicine/integ... [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2407766/ [3] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolutionary-psychia...

I think it might not be absorbed as well, but often there is just a lot more magnesium in oxide than glycinate. So even though it absorbs worse more actually ends up being absorbed in the end.

Personally I've felt a more potent reaction from oxide than glycinate, possibly for that reason.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#15
post #5

This smells like a crackpot. The first author’s affiliation is his own “research institute”: https://m.george-eby-research.com/ and they claim a simple, somehow overlooked solution to a difficult problem, citing flimsy and ancient studies.

I generally agree with you, but lithium is also used to treat bi-polar disorder (among others) and it was discovered by accident. People used to recommend it without any data supporting it. I suspect this is how most treatments start

>lithium [...] was discovered by accident.

No it was not. Development of treatment with lithium was very much a part of psychiatric normal science.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#16

Needs a [2011] and some scepticism: Many people have tried Magnesium because it is cheap and available without prescription. If it were as effective as "success in 220 out of 250 cases" claims, that would show up. The 220 of 250 claim also doesn't fit with "as effective as the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine". No antidepressant is 90% effective.

Most cheap magnesium is magnesium carbonate which is least effective and causes diarrhoea (should be taken with calcium to prevent that). Magnesium aspartate is sometimes prescribed as "working one", but can be neurotoxic (according to this paper).

I take magnesium bis-glycinate, it's well absorbed and has no serious side effects.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#17

I'm quite skeptical on supplements, but I have to say that Magnesium helps me sleep like a baby and feel much more relaxed generally.

Same here. Taking magnesium L-threonate and melatonin before going to sleep has improved my sleep quality like nothing else.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#18
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I generally agree with you, but lithium is also used to treat bi-polar disorder (among others) and it was discovered by accident. People used to recommend it without any data supporting it. I suspect this is how most treatments start

>lithium [...] was discovered by accident. No it was not. Development of treatment with lithium was very much a part of psychiatric normal science.

I'm sorry - you are wrong. John Cade found the effects - with animals - by accident. And he was widely ignored because of his lack of fundamental, industry-wide standards for exploration.

Neverless: lithium is now the way to go with clinical treatment of a wide range of disorders and reducing self-harm and suicide rates.

The problem so far: nobody is sure why it works.

The dose is worth mentioning. Clients receive a dose of 200-500mg per day. The lithium you can buy without prescription contains around 1mg. Effects are still there, but the dose on the subjects of matter are quite high and can be toxic if done wrong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_(medication)

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#19
I once tried supplementing magnesium while in the midst of moderate depression. Interestingly enough, the effect was not relief, but rather major, absolutely crushing depression (i.e. cannot get out of bed all day depression). I went back to moderate depression after stopping the supplementation and a subsequent second attempt brought back the major depression. By that point I gave up on the whole thing.

Anyone have a similar experience or maybe some insight that might explain this?

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