Definitely Having 2d Thoughts About The Advice To Take Cal-mag Tabs If You've Given Up Dairy

[The Fluffy Assassin]

I found out the hard way what "calcium and magnesium compete to be used in the body" means. Was taking Calcium-magnesium supplements and also eating a lot of nuts (which supply a lot of magnesium). I still had pins and needles sensations in my hands and sometimes feet. In the context of no dairy, that should mean I was still not taking in enough calcium, so I took more Cal-Mag tabs. Not handfuls, but two a day. One is instantly reminded what Milk of Magnesia is for.

So my revised advice, fellow dairy avoiders, fellow casein-phobics, is to get a calcium supplement (or a calcium-vitamin D supplement if you're not already getting vitamin D elsewhere) and eat a lot of nuts, but DON'T go for Cal-Mags unless you're very, very sure you need the magnesium. (However, if anybody wants some, you can certainly have mine.)

[Mrs. Smith]

Ya same happened to me! Mag is a good laxative! B12 actually took care of the pins and needles, though. I drink tons of rice milk and take a cal/D. I also take multivitamin. Its hard to get calcium when you dont eat dairy! Its even harder to get mag. Leafy veggies, maybe. You can also try epsom salt baths, that helped my muscle pain ALOT. Ive heard you can buy mag oil too that you can rub right into the area of muscle pain. You know what...Quinoa has tons of mag in it too! Moderation, though, it also has tons of fiber. Good Luck!

[tarnalberry]

but you need magnesium to make use of the calcium for bones, and most celiacs actually do better (bone-health wise) on magnesium and NOT calcium supplements. generally our diets don't have enough magnesium, and partially because soil tends to be depleted in this mineral. you might try getting *separate* magnesium and calcium supplements and finding the combination that works for you - there's a balance that should be right for you. while I understand ideal ratios for bone health is 2:1 (calcium to magnesium), you may find a different ratio works better for you.

[The Fluffy Assassin]

Mrs. Smith:

The pins and needles I got from B12 depletion during the last 20 years of gluten eating wandered around. I'm having trouble getting a definitive answer (from medical sources that ought to be definitive) about pins and needles (or paresthesia, if you want to get all medical) in the hands and feet only . I've seen mention of B1, B5 and B6; eventually, I found mention of it as a side effect of hypocalcemia in geriatric medical literature. I'm taking B complex to be on the safe side, but it didn't seem to help. The second daily Cal-mag helped, right up to the point that it helped me run to the bathroom. PS: I'm a big quinoa fan, though I need to restock. I think turkey chili and quinoa returns to the menu tomorrow.

tarnalberry: As I say, I'm eating tons of nuts, so I think I have magnesium covered. Heck, between the kale, the okra and the broccoli, I thought I had the calcium covered as well. I live, I learn (hopefully).

[taweavmo3]

I actually love my magnesium & calcium supplement! It seriously puts me out like a light at night, and when I stop taking it I can tell a big difference in how I feel overall. I take a liquid form, in a 2:1 ratio.....I like the liquid b/c it's easily adjustable to avoid the laxative effect. Maybe trying a different brand might help?

[ranger]

Anybody no what causes leg and feet cramps at night? I try to keep a bar of soap under my sheet, and that works, but sometimes it slips out, and I cramp.

[The Fluffy Assassin]

Anybody no what causes leg and feet cramps at night? I try to keep a bar of soap under my sheet, and that works, but sometimes it slips out, and I cramp.

The standard answer for cramps is eat a banana, though this is more the "my mom" answer than the "my doctor" answer. Leg cramps at night could be a magnesium shortfall; I believe that's the cause of nighttime restless leg syndrome anyway. Here's the not terribly helpful suggestions from the Mayo Clinic: Open Original Shared Link Here's more info for one of their suggestions, Electrolyte imbalance, from the NIH: Open Original Shared Link

[tarnalberry]

Leg cramps at night could be a magnesium shortfall; I believe that's the cause of nighttime restless leg syndrome anyway.

RLS is associated with iron deficiency, but (as yet, anyway ) with magnesium deficiency. (Not that cramping isn't connected to magnesium deficiency, but RLS isn't quite muscle cramping either.)

[OptimisticMom42]

OK I have to add my .02. I never understood the cal/mag supplement because everything I've read said that both elements share the same cell receptors. So if you take them separately you get better absorption.

I'm a celiac with constipation. If I skip the mag before bed, I get leg cramps in the night and don't "go" in the morning. I need the mag to allow my muscles to relax. I take my cal and vitamin D in the morning.

If I was celiac with "d" I think I would skip the mag.

Hope this helps,

RA

[RiceGuy]

Quinoa has tons of mag in it too! Moderation, though, it also has tons of fiber. Good Luck!

I haven't looked at quinoa for magnesium content, but I do know that it has less fiber than most of the other gluten-free whole grains I'm aware of. This includes amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, and teff. That's According to what is posted on websites like Bob's Red Mill and others.

Anyway, while eating healthily is so very important, malabsorption means many of us just can't get enough of certain things from food. A good supplement is designed for easier absorption, and depending on the individual, the ratio being absorbed isn't necessarily the same as what's printed on the label. That's one reason why a cal/mag supplement may give one person looser stools, but not another.

Incidentally, dairy as a calcium source is overrated and exaggerated, for various reasons. Not the least of which is that animal proteins cause up to three times the calcium losses as plant proteins. There is a reason why America has higher rates of osteoporosis than most other countries, while it consumes more dairy than most other countries. It's no coincidence. Plus the fact that magnesium is also required to get calcium into bones, and Americans generally don't eat enough veggies.