Is Magnesium good to improve someone's memory that has MCI?

Dr. Hyman is a book salesman. Yes, he is an MD, but Functional Medicine is not a recognized board specialty. Having attended several of his Integrative Medicine Symposiums in NYC, I agree with assessments of his work as being anti-science and even pseudoscientific.

I saw this man on t.v. and he is a doctor. I Googled this article. I find what he has to say to be quite encouraging for me and possibly to other caregivers.

drhyman/blog/2010/06/14/9-steps-to-reverse-dementia-and-memory-loss-as-you-age-2/

You are correct Errett, we as caregivers are on a seemingly endless search for solutions and answers to our loved ones problems and we have this deep seated need to want to find something, anything, that could help our loved ones and ourselves better. Medicine is changing every day and new ideas, treatments are being tried all the time, which some we may hear about and are successes while others we don't hear about them (meaning the general public).

I'll give you an example. I am a Type 2 Diabetic. I was diagnosed with this back in 1996. I inherited it from my father and my grand father, so it runs in the family. I too thought I was going to be a slave to medications for the rest of my life in addition to watching my diet. It wasn't until a friend of mine told me about a group on Facebook called 'Reversing Diabetes' and once I joined that group and adopted to their findings and ways of eating, I am now taking less medicines and I'll soon be taking no medications for my diabetes. I was skeptical at first with their way of eating, but once I tried it for a month, it was amazing to me how really good I felt all over and how much energy I actually had.

No doctor I had ever seen told me about this before. I wonder why? Could it be that maybe they have never heard of this before? or they heard of it and didn't believe that this new way of eating actually works? The reasoning why is unclear.

So anyway, there are solutions and treatments....the trick is to find them.

Thank you DoctorJC and Errett for your comments and advice and hugs. They were greatly appreciated.

DocJC, Thanks again for the post to Lyndee. Possibly something will come along and it will help all of us as caregivers. We just keep seeking answers.

Lyndee,
As a physician and a caregiver, I understand and appreciate your situation and frustration. The sad story is that most of the alternative treatment recommendations and dietary changes may have been helpful if adopted before the age of 30 or 40. 86 years of age is a bit late. Furthermore, the doctors you reference are also frustrated. We are trained to save lives, and when we can't, our feelings of helplessness is unfathomable. I think that also may account for the seeming aloofness of certain doctors when confronted by frustratingly ill patients for whom we have no cure.
It's generally accepted that people in their mid 80's have about a 30% chance of developing symptoms of dementia. By the mid 90's, the likelihood increases to 50%.
I wish it were different for your mom and my wife. I'm too much of a scientist to accept unsubstantiated bogus claims that challenge the currently available scientific evidence. Hopefully, increased research that is being funded in the latest congressional omnibus bill will bring more results in understanding and treating the ravages of dementia.

DoctorJC my Momma is soon to turn 86 and she was recently diagnosed with having Mild Cognitive Impairment. Her memory in my humble opinion is anything but "mild". I live with my Momma almost 24/7. I have to repeat everything to my Momma usually 15-20 times a day if not more. It's very frustrating to her and nerve wracking to me as well. I am desperately seeking and searching anything on the internet for help for her because neither her Neurologist nor her family doctor will recommend anything for her. It's almost as if they are saying "oh well.....she's old....if she's lucky she'll die soon....." That kind of attitude I definitely don't like or appreciate.

Medicine has come a long way, and so have some doctors, but alternative medicine and learning how to eat properly and what to eat, has been helpful as well. Along with certain vitamins and minerals.

JC - Good answers to both Lyndee and me. I had to contend with Lewey Body Parkinson's with Dementia with my mother and now going through this with my Husband. Both are different and at different ages and conditions.

Lyndee,
May I suggest that you read more about who these people are. The article that you linked is nothing but an elaborate advertisement with NO medical backing. None of the publishers is a physician. It is Bogus.
Memory loss can occur for many different reasons. One of the most common causes is undiagnosed/untreated depression. Also, any illness that reduces blood flow to the brain can also show cognitive effects. Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and Alzheimer's dementia all have different pathological causes and progress differently. Hence there is no predictable course without knowing more about the person.

Can memory loss in the elderly be reversed at all or is progressive memory loss usually go hand in hand with the elderly and there really isn't anything that can be done for it?

Thank you so much. Yes, I do understand that it was the Ambien and Activan at the same time followed by Seroquel and then the Anesthetic during surgery. Was afterward told that he should have been sent home till time for surgery instead of sedating him in the hospital. Since others asked the original question of Magnesium I joined in just to find out if there was any validity to MCI as he is still having some problems with it.

I appreciate the clarification and your concerns. The answer about magnesium and cognitive functioning is that magnesium is not helpful. However, the other meds that you husband was placed on likely contributed to his memory problems. Without knowing precisely what he was given, I am unable to be more helpful. That being said, with advanced age, our brains lose resilience. Consequently, ill effects can persist for frustratingly long periods. I wish you both well.

DocJC, I do understand that. The one Dr we had for years was a close personal friend. He worked with either Sabin or Salk on the polio vaccine and was quite knowledgeable of vitamins and supplements. I had misstated the FDA approval but thought nothing of it as it was one drug that was Dr recommended. I was just stating the fact that it was a reliable company. The point I had wanted to make was that he had taken it for years and without it the cramping etc returned and was cleared up when he started taking it again. Considering his other problems and the number of doctors we see on a regular basis I know there is no problem with him on it. I was also wanting to know about it for memory problems since those started occurring when the hospital gave him drugs he should not have had and it really messed up his brain (dramatically) and still 3 months later is having problems he didn't have before. We do not take drugs carelessly.

In fact, most docs are not really as aware of the effects of many of the supplements as they should be. Rather, they assume they are more or less harmless which is a big mistake. As has already been stated above, by definition, Supplements are NOT approved by the FDA. Otherwise, they would require a prescription. There are certain vitamin strengths however (e.g. Vitamin D 50,000 iu) that require a physician's prescription. While there are some "creditable" companies such as Nature Made, they are USP assessed for only the purity of the product. USP does NOT attest to the safety or efficacy of the products.

panstegma, I too recommend she ask a Dr. but I am just saying that the amount my husband uses under Dr. supervision causes no problems. The problems were caused at the hospital who did not keep him on what he was taking.

DeborahK, I know but these were Dr recommended. I have used supplements for years and only by from creditable companies.

Magnesium dosing is not for amateurs. Too much will lead to diarrhea and dehydration. So if you give pops 250mg twice a day, you are already overdosing him, because an older male only needs 420mg a day from all sources.

Errett, The FDA does not approve supplements.

He only takes FDA approved supplements and all with either the Dr.s recommendation or with their approval. Each Dr. visit, whether every week or two, or quarterly, to all doctors, they are provided by me a complete list of ALL of his drugs whether prescription or over the counter. I would never presume to add them on my own. As I said early on in this thread, he has been on magnesium for years but the HOSPITAL had stopped them. When he started having symptoms without the Magnesium, I restarted them at home (WITH DR APPROVAL).

Errett, Speak to your husband's medical specialist before adding anything to your husband's regimen. Some additives are actually harmful. Also, frequent argument s about the relative merits of different strengths/types of particular additives are simply marketing hype. None of these things are FDA approved.

I appreciate all the answers. I am rather new on this forum and want to be able to do as much for my husband and his Parkinson's that is medically feasible. I will make sure that the type Mg that I am using is the best for him. As I said he has been taking it for leg cramps for years but don't know if it has been any help for the brain.

I have chronic pain, for which I take opioids. These are known for their constipating effect, for which I have to take Miralax every day. My wife is showing mild cognitive problems. So both of us could benefit, with the only drawback being the possibility of diarrhea for her.

I find the comments by many non-professional caregivers very disturbing. By and large, what they "know" was gleaned from non-scientific/professional articles and have no official or medical support. These comments are dangerous and misleading.

Love chimonger's above answer. Dont know about memory. I use Magnesium Citrate as an anti anxiety and it works! My lower blod pressure since I began taking this mineral proves it. I take it before bed and it helps me sleep, too. After testing it on myself I gave it to my dad fir his high blood pressure...worked on him too! It does however cause loose stools as another poster said and it did upset his gi tract....I will try magnesium gluconate and/or glyconate as I have heard from a couple posters heee as well as my vitamin shop they are indeed better on the gi tract. However its good for constipation. My sister is a nurse and says they keep "MagCit" as she
calls it, on hand for patients with constipation.

Do not know-ask the patient's doctor.

Here's what I've learned about Magnesium in the years working with alternatives:
1. Magnesium relaxes muscles, while calcium helps muscles contract.
1-B. Both calcium and magnesium require a full compliment of trace minerals in order to work properly...and modern Agri-biz produce is grown on "dead soils" [from chemicals used][that is, the chemicals kill the soil bacteria, which help the plant absorbs minerals--no bacteria, no minerals into the plants]....meaning those plants might be "cosmetically nice looking", but lack the trace minerals which give it good flavor, and, the nutritional profile which helps us keep healthier. Therefore, organically grown produce, has a better nutritional profile.
2. The FORM of magnesium is very important: Prefer "gluconate" and/or "glycinate" forms to help better, and these are much gentler on the digestive tract.
3. If someone is deficient in the major minerals like Calcium and magnesium, they are almost guaranteed to be hugely deficient in most all Trace Minerals...which can make breathing, asthma, allergies, and many other illnesses, much worse.
4. The only pretty reliable lab /blood test for Magnesium, is a "red blood cell assay". Otherwise, what's circulating in the serum, shows an unreliable figure, because magnesium is constantly moving in and out of various compartments in the body as it's called on to be used. The red blood cell assay, shows tissue storage of Mg+.
5. One can use something as cheap as Epsom Salts [external use only!], mixing about 1 heaping teaspoon of those, with about 1/4 to 1/2 c. water, let the Epsom salts dissolve, then, use that liquid to rub on skin, topically, to help relieve muscle spasms. It feels oily, but it isn't, and dries in place just fine.
6. Mg+ helps relax smooth muscles, such as are in the heart and blood vessels, to help decrease high blood pressure, for many. It also helps with muscle tics, charlie horses, etc. Magnesium USED to be kept on Crash Carts in E.R.'s, to be injected immediately into the chests of patients having a heart attack, because Magnesium stops the heart muscle from spasming, in ways Lidocaine cannot; but lidocaine is a great numbing agent, and costs drastically more than a syringe of magnesium!
7...and, if one is constipated, or tends to get that, then using a bit more magnesium helps things move on through....just please, _avoid_ using the Oxide form---because the Oxide form is very harsh.

NO!

It is no secret the older you get the more depletion of vital nutrients that our bodies decrease in making to sustain health. Brain health is one of them. Google " magnesium for brain health" Also be aware that not all B12 are good. The only B12 that I know is very healthy for you is B-12 Methylcobalamin. The B-12 Cyanicobalamin is made with cyanide and your liver does not metabolize it and causes hair to fall out. This is my favorite brain supplement. Take a few minutes and research this xenesta keytohealth

by the way, by "helps" his symptoms, his physical symptoms of shaking/quivering is what it helps, no opinion on the dementia angle. I haven't been there enough to notice.

Erret, my Dad's symptoms mimic Parkison's and the magnesium helps him absolutely. My personal belief is that supplements help those who are deficient in that particular vitamin or mineral. That said, more is not better most of the time, and we feel that when he takes too much magnesium, it gives him very loose bowels, so uh oh, don't overdo the magnesium.

In the case for my husband the 250 twice a day doesn't seem to both his GI tract. In fact so many other drugs he is on tend to cause him to be dry and bind him a little. Sure would like to know if it works though. He does take D3 and B12 daily and we do live in South Florida so he is in the sun a lot.