Comment · Fri, September 15, 2023 · ND Owner
Does this make any sense on magnesium threonate?
Original post in this thread
SebastianPatel · 6 points
If I take it before 2pm, it gives me GI uneasiness and more frequent trips to the loo. If taken after 3pm, I have no issue. I also handle it better without food than with food. It’s also the only form of magnesium that prevents my migraines at a very effective rate. What to do?
What they were answering
SebastianPatel · 1 points
Thanks for the detailed response and images! From where do you conclude that calcium influx into cells is the principal cause of migraines? I don’t think I have seen that explanation before but it’s certainly possible. I always thought it was an issue with the vagus nerve. If calcium influx is the issue, does it mean that a person who consumes more calcium is more likely to get a headache? I always thought magnesium works well to prevent headaches, not because of this calcium theory, but because it simply is needed for the brain’s many enzymatic processes (especially brain glucose metabolism) to function at an optimal level.
Additionally, for GI agitation, I don’t believe it’s because the water enters the colon (although that might be part of it). My understanding is that magnesium relaxes the muscles and impacts the peristalsis contracting which this causes the laxative impacts. Water entering the colon should just simply create a better quality stool which passes through with more ease and less pain.
Thoughts?
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Inflammation and excitotoxicity: role in migraine pathogenesis
Migraine and Insulin Metabolism Linked with Glutamate Excitotoxicity
If calcium influx is the issue, does it mean that a person who consumes more calcium is more likely to get a headache?
No, because it is not about the amount of calcium in your system. It's about the amount of glutamate your brain is releasing, and if there is enough magnesium in the brain to ensure proper operation of your NMDA receptors. Polarization and depolarization is how those ion channels work. Magnesium is crucial to their efficient operation. Glutamate is what signals the opening of the channels, and magnesium moving away from the channel is how that happens. If there is not enough magnesium, then the channels stay open longer than the signaling says they should, causing excitotoxicity. These were all things I discovered over ten years ago when researching the deleterious effects of MDMA. Calcium is just the signaling ion that enters the neurons when the channels are open. It's part of the signaling cascade. Excitotoxicity is when too much calcium enters neurons and causes dysfunction. Generally that is from too much glutamate activation, but can happen if there is not enough magnesium as well.
Additionally, for GI agitation, I don’t believe it’s because the water enters the colon (although that might be part of it). My understanding is that magnesium relaxes the muscles and impacts the peristalsis contracting which this causes the laxative impacts. Water entering the colon should just simply create a better quality stool which passes through with more ease and less pain.
The reason people get loose stools with certain forms of magnesium is due to the osmotic effect that magnesium can have. It pulls water into the colon. Yes, this should help if you are backed up. However, if you are not backed up, it can make the stool too watery. The relaxation effect doesn't really make sense, because it's actually overactive GI motility that causes diarrhea. This is how senna works. It stimulated the movement of the GI tract, and forces the stool downward. When paired with a stool softener, this leads to a one-way liquid train of pain!