Magnesium

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks,

Abby's doctors (pediatric pulmonary team at Shands) met the other day

to discuss us giving her supplemental magnesium. Kim was correct in

her prediction of what they would say. They did not recommend it for

the following reasons:

1.) Magnesium toxicity is dangerous and could be especially so for

CF'rs since it causes muscle weakness and therefore could impede

respiratory function

2.) There are no guidelines for supplementing it

Their recommendations were to feed her a well balanced diet. They

didn't comment on my questions regarding Mg levels being inherently

low in CF'rs nor what I'd read abour PA being more suited to an

acidic enviroment and that a higher pH destabilized it. We will hold

off on it until I read more, though. Guess I need some more knowlege

and I'm too spooked by the muscle weakness thing. If Kim or anyone

can give me more info (she's already offered) I'd like to check it

out some more.

Thanks,

Joe (Dad to Kelsi,6 Chloe,2 and Abby, 10 mos.w/cf)

[Guest guest]

Dear Joe,

I am so sorry for the doctor's reaction. I'm not surprised, but admit

that I'm amused at his reasons for disqualifying the need for

supplementing magnesium. His ignorance and misunderstanding of

magnesium's is a guide showing how much he needs to learn.

Okay, empathy over. Now for my hands-on-hips, foot-tapping tantrum.

What on earth does he mean there are no guidelines for supplementing

magnesium? Where the heck did he attend med school? Some remote

planet?

Does he know about the National Institute of Health (NIH), or doesn't

he care for their dosing guidelines?

Does he understand that you cannot -- absolutely cannot -- obtain even

the minimum daily requirement through diet -- and does he grasp that

CF is a disease involving m-a-l-a-b-s-o-r-p-t-i-o-n?

The NIH and numerous global research entitites understand the health

risks and problems associated with malabsorptive diseases. Is it too

much to ask that Abby's doctor recognize it?

Some CF doctors falsely believe that today's enteric coated enzymes

have solved all gut problems. They haven't. People with CF are still

malabsorbing, and adding proton pump inhibitors don't solve this

problem. In the long run, proton pump inhibitors and acid blockers

create more deficiency problems, leading to more imbalances.

And regarding magnesium toxicity and muscle wasting... For crying out

loud... Does he think you'll cram 1,000 mg. a day into Abby?

Does he realize that lack of magnesium causes muscle and vessel

constriction? That spells: bronchoCONSTRICTION. Is that what he's

aiming for?

Calcium constricts muscles and vessels, magnesium relaxes muscles and

vessels. Both are crucial minerals, working in tandem.

Think of your heart -- it's one big electrically charged muscle. Two

of the electrolytes it requires are calcium -- to constrict (squeeze)

and magnesium to contract (relax). That's your heartbeat: squeeze,

relax, squeeze, relax. It's the same blessed thing for your lungs.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

A classic symptom of asthma is not being able to exale to get the air

out. Inhale (constrict=calcium), exhale (relax=magnesium).

When you're low in magnesium, calcium exits the bones and teeth and

floods the tissues, causing inflammation. Inflammation causes (among

other things) swelling. So, now you've got constricted lungs, gasping

for breath.

If you go to the ER, they'll pump you full of beta agonists like

albuterol or xopenex -- which will open you up, unless they give lots

of back-to-back treatments -- which shuts you down again. AND, those

meds will cause you to lose magnesium, potassium, calcium, and

phosphorus. The magnesium will NOT return to pre-treatment levels

without supplementation. They might even throw in a steroid, which

also depletes magnesium.

At some ER's guess what they do for bronchoconstriction? Bingo! They

put you on magnesium IVs. Novel thought... give you what your body is

low in to naturally relax the vessels and muscles.

At least you know where Abby's doctor stands, and this isn't a bad

thing -- it lets you know how he approaches problem-solving, and his

level of current knowledge. (Stupidity is forever; ignorance can be

fixed.)

When your doctor begins seeing more patients with:

--mucoid pseudomonas, stenotrophomonas, aspergillus, etc.

--resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics

--diabetes (or it's misnomer, CF-related diabetes)

--low bone density and osteoporosis

--bone and joint pain

--muscle wasting

--bronchoconstriction

--screwed up hormone levels, no growth, etc.

--depression

--low antioxidant levels (I.e., A, C, E, and glutathione)

and he's scratching his head (or lower extremities) and blaming it all

on " the natural course of CF, " at least you'll know better.

Regarding Abby's " balanced diet. " Hippocrates said, " Let medicine be

thy food, and food be thy medicine. "

I agree, but sadly, due to the high energy demands of CF and the

malabsorptive component of CF -- and due to over-processed foods,

mineral-depleted farm lands and waters, competition with toxic metals,

and depletion caused by prescription meds -- Abby doesn't stand much

of a chance of this " balanced diet " her doctor speaks of.

Some doctor's consider Ensure and tube feedings as part of a balanced

CF diet. What does that tell us about their knowledge of nutrition?

End of lecture, I promise!

Now, I need more chocolate...

Kim

Hi Folks,

Abby's doctors (pediatric pulmonary team at Shands) met the other

day to discuss us giving her supplemental magnesium. Kim was correct

in her prediction of what they would say. They did not recommend it

for the following reasons:

1.) Magnesium toxicity is dangerous and could be especially so for

CF'rs since it causes muscle weakness and therefore could impede

respiratory function

2.) There are no guidelines for supplementing it

Their recommendations were to feed her a well balanced diet. They

didn't comment on my questions regarding Mg levels being inherently

low in CF'rs nor what I'd read abour PA being more suited to an

acidic enviroment and that a higher pH destabilized it. We will

hold off on it until I read more, though. Guess I need some more

knowlege and I'm too spooked by the muscle weakness thing. If Kim or

anyone can give me more info (she's already offered) I'd like to check

it out some more.

Thanks,

Joe (Dad to Kelsi,6 Chloe,2 and Abby, 10 mos.w/cf)

[Guest guest]

Hey Kim!

This is so good it needs to be frame and posted in every cf clinic.

Thank you for all the knowledge, educating the uneducated as me, and

for the enterteinment. I laughed so hard my children think I am

crazy.

mom of a 9 wcf, Venanzio 6 nocf, Pepe 3 nocf

> Hi Folks,

>

> Abby's doctors (pediatric pulmonary team at Shands) met the other

> day to discuss us giving her supplemental magnesium. Kim was

correct

> in her prediction of what they would say. They did not recommend

it

> for the following reasons:

>

> 1.) Magnesium toxicity is dangerous and could be especially so for

> CF'rs since it causes muscle weakness and therefore could

impede

> respiratory function

>

> 2.) There are no guidelines for supplementing it

>

> Their recommendations were to feed her a well balanced diet. They

> didn't comment on my questions regarding Mg levels being inherently

> low in CF'rs nor what I'd read abour PA being more suited to an

> acidic enviroment and that a higher pH destabilized it. We will

> hold off on it until I read more, though. Guess I need some more

> knowlege and I'm too spooked by the muscle weakness thing. If Kim

or

> anyone can give me more info (she's already offered) I'd like to

check

> it out some more.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Joe (Dad to Kelsi,6 Chloe,2 and Abby, 10 mos.w/cf)