Magnesium for Relief of Tinnitus Research

[Karl]

I'm sorry to report that I bought some Swanson's Albion Gelated Magnesium Glysinate, and my tinnitus has been going through the roof. I've been following the bottle's directions, taking three capsules a day, for three days. This has also had a very negative effect on my "digestive system", if you know what I mean. (As my wife says, "TMI!, TMI! Too much information!").

Today has been one of the worst "T" days I've had in a long time, where my right ear is getting a pure tone again.

Am I the only one who doesn't benefit from this stuff? Or did take too much magnesium?

 

[Karen]

Karl,
Magnesium can definitely do that to one's "digestive system", so it's best to start taking it slowly to see how much your body can tolerate. I started out taking Natural Calm magnesium citrate, and it did that to me, too. At the advice of my naturopath, I switched to magnesium chloride, and I no longer have that problem. I started out taking only one tablet, and worked up to 2 per day. I also use magnesium chloride oil spray -- sparingly -- and it seems to help. It is especially calming to take it before going to bed at night. Worth a try, and it does seem to have many benefits.

 

[erik]

Hi Karl

As Karen advised, I would cut back on it some and see if that helps. I too had some issues with magnesium when I first started to take it but that was mainly the liquid form and that went away after a while. I then switched to capsules and have had no issues with pills but I just was probably used to it by then. Are you taking anything else besides the magnesium?

 

[Karl]

Hi Karl

...Are you taking anything else besides the magnesium?

I take pills for cholesterol (Pravachol) and blood pressure (Altace). I was curious if this particular magnesium would lower the volume of my tinnitus. I didn't feel any benefit, in that respect.

Years ago I learned that magnesium can help depression. It's sort of an easy and cheap fix for milder forms of depression. Many people have a shortage of magnesium, even though it is one of the earth's most abudant minerals.

 

[click]

I'm thinking about actually taking a supplement (rather than just storing it unopened in the cupboard with all the rest I've bought) and need to know which magnesium anyone has had success with. I have the magnesium spray (not yet used) but have been reading about 'ionic' magnesium & also that calcium citrate is better than others?

Could anyone please let me know their experiences with calcium citrate and also ionic magnesium ... thank you in advance.

The ionic type was on another forum:
'I went out and purchased a Magnesium supplement on the advice of one of the members here (danny) and let me tell you after the first dose I felt a little improvement. The second dose even more improvement. I really hope this continues. At times I feel like T is gone but its not completely (yet lol). I bought it at the Vitamin Shoppe. Its 400mg of ionic magnesium made by Trace Minerals. It is in liquid suspension and tastes super nasty but I'll drink it by the bucket if it helps. Just thought I'd share in case anybody else wants to try it. It was like $10 for a bottle.'

 

[carlover]

600mg Citrate a day for 3 months ,nothing ,of course thats me maybe you...?

Pete

 

[click]

Thanks Pete - probably won't help me either as most supplements in the past have made me feel very strange!
Jane

 

[Petloy]

Click, any updates on the Magnesium?

 

[click]

It's in the cupboard unopened Pete. So not really doing anything for me ...

 

[Gail Kraker]

I woke up this am noticing my ringing is improved. I've been taking magnesium for a few months and wondered if it could have anything to do with it. I came across this forum during my search for studies. I take much less than that given in the study. I've been waiting for another magnesium product to come in the mail with the plan to increase my intake so this gives me added incentive. I've been using several types of supplements, but the magnesium oil is my favorite and I've been using mostly that lately. I get Dr. Barbara Hendel's Mag. Oil, which is a Swanson's product, on Amazon. It's supposed to be the same thing as a more expensive brand. I usually spray it behind my knees, but just learned the torso is even More absorptive and I sprayed it there last night. It got rid of a leg cramp and really helps me sleep after decades of insomnia. You get 100 mg magnesium per seven sprays, apparently. i slept even More soundly last night from spraying it on my tummy and back. If it stings it will go away after a while, but putting aloe juice on first will prevent it. Dr. Carolyn Dean says the oil is best, but also recommends Natural Vitality cal-mag with a 1to 1 ratio of calcium to mag, which is what I'm waiting for in the mail. Google her for more info. I've also read that silica may hellp. I've just started taking that and I wonder if that could be helping. I take it for bone health, but it's good for other things. Unfortunately, I have to order it from the UK. It's LLRG-5 Organic Silica and I get it online from Plant Spirit. There are other brands, but this is the only one I personally trust for now. There is an interesting history behind it, which you could Google. I hope this helps someone. Oh, in regard to calcium causing heart attacks, it could be because we don't take enough magnesium, which helps calcium absorb into the bones rather than the tissues. See Dr. Carolyn Dean for more info.

 

[Karen]

Hi, Gail,

Yes, I believe magnesium really helps tinnitus. I've been taking magnesium for about a year now, and it has seemed to help my tinnitus quite a bit. I have both ringing and pulsating, and the magnesium has helped me with sleep and, I'm pretty sure, calming down the shakiness I felt at the beginning.

I have some of the spray-on oil, too, but got away from using it, because of the stinging. The aloe sounds like a good idea. I'll try it! Also, I was spraying it behind my knees, too. Maybe the torso is a better idea.

Thanks for providing all this information, and I'm glad you are doing better as a result!

 

[Sven]

Magnesium is a very promising new treatment for noise-induced hearing loss [13, 14], which often causes tinnitus, but in such cases therapy must start within a few hours of the noise trauma to be effective.

So in my case, with 14 years of noise-caused T, and possible a worsening 7 days ago, it would be pointless? Some other statements talk of the contrary in this thread.

Also, how long before any effect, should there be any?

 

[Markku]

So in my case, with 14 years of noise-caused T, and possible a worsening 7 days ago, it would be pointless? Some other statements talk of the contrary in this thread.

Also, how long before any effect, should there be any?

Not completely sure, but I would take magnesium nonetheless. I wouldn't ever say it's pointless.

And considering all the studies mentioned in this thread, for us tinnitus sufferers magnesium can be a beneficial addition to our regimens.

Here's some suggestions (I know iHerb delivers to Sweden too. I've been a customer of theirs for years now, a really great source of supplements. Plus, TT gets a percentage of the sales!):

Doctor's Best, Best Brain Magnesium, 150 mg, 60 Veggie Caps
The above contains Magnesium L-Threonate (below is a quote from Life Extension's Neuro-Mag, which has the same form of Magnesium):
Most magnesium supplements are not readily absorbed into the nervous system. To overcome this obstacle, an innovative form of magnesium is being introduced called Neuro-Mag, shown to specifically target the aging brain and nervous system. In preclinical models, L-threonate contained in Neuro-Mag boosted magnesium levels in spinal fluid by an impressive 15% compared to no increase with conventional magnesium. Even more compelling, animal models revealed improvements of 18% for short-term memory and 100% for long-term memory using the Neuro-Mag form of magnesium.

Cheaper alternatives, used by many:

Solgar, Chelated Magnesium, 250 Tablets

Now Foods, Magnesium Citrate, 180 Softgels

Or maybe in spray oil form?

Life Flo Health, Pure Magnesium Oil, 8 oz (236.6 ml)

...and find all the Mg products here...


One form of magnesium I would avoid is magnesium oxide. It has extremely poor bioavailability (4%...?).

9 Common Types of Magnesium Explained

 

[Sven]

I bought these: http://naturprodukter.se/vita-mineral-antioxid/mineraler/wnt-magnesium-100-kaps-500-mg/

We'll see if I feel better... tinnituswise or otherwise.

 

[walter Brennan]

Yes, we both do. I've had mine since 2010, as a result of taking blood pressure medicine. Have had MRI/MRA, CT scan, carotid artery scan. Nothing unusual found. Still looking for something to calm it down. I do have an underactive thyroid, and that could have something to do with it. No answers found, as yet!

sorry to hear that....hope you can find a solution

 

[Karen]

Hi, Walter,

Thanks for your concern. I'm still working on it, but I am doing better. My chiro (chiropractic neurologist) thinks mine was more likely caused by trauma; in my case, the trauma associated with going on and off blood pressure medicines. I already had mild tinnitus in my right ear, and the BP meds made the condition much, much worse! It has calmed down a lot since then, and I am still hopeful it will continue to improve.

Magnesium really helped me; because of magnesium and some other natural supplements, I'm able to sleep again. With magnesium, you have to start slowly, and let it build up in your system. Most natural supplements take a little time before you can tell how effective they are, but it really does work for me!

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[DomUnique]

For the people that use Magnesium Oil Spray why behind the knees? I have it and was thinking maybe I should spray it on and behind my ears!

Anyone try that?

 

[Karen]

The behind-the-knees thing is because it is supposed to be better absorbed that way. But someone (above) commented that it was better to spray it on the torso (tummy area) for best absorption. I don't know about spraying it around the ears; the magnesium oil kind of stings when you first apply it. It would probably be better to try it elsewhere on the body.

 

[jazz]

Phase 3 of Mayo Clinic's double blind clinical trial using 535 mg of daily magnesium is scheduled to be completed this month. The Phase 2 trial was quite positive. All the trials were conducted on people with moderate to severe tinnitus. I've posted an update in the Knowledge Base under Clinical Trials.

 

[Golly]

How much is an appropriate dose of supplemental Magnesium? I understand that in a recent study patients were given over 500mg daily. I have read elsewhere, however, that this is excessive. For awhile I took 100mg daily, but didn't notice an effect in connection with my tinnitus.

-Golly

 

[inadmin]

500mg, for 3 months.

 

[Golly]

500mg, for 3 months.

... and did you notice any effect on your tinnitus? -G

 

[Map]

Taking 400 mg of magnesium daily for 5 months, but not any noticeable effect for me :/

But I will continue, it is natural supplement and it shouldn't do any harm.

 

[Karen]

Golly,

I've been taking 520 mg. of magnesium chloride twice a day for many months now. I still have tinnitus, but it is much calmer. The magnesium also helped me with body tremors, etc., that happened as a result of my pulsatile tinnitus.

I think magnesium really works to calm down tinnitus. Maybe for some people, it is a total cure. Not for me, but it has helped!

 

[Golly]

Golly,

I've been taking 520 mg. of magnesium chloride twice a day for many months now. I still have tinnitus, but it is much calmer. The magnesium also helped me with body tremors, etc., that happened as a result of my pulsatile tinnitus.

I think magnesium really works to calm down tinnitus. Maybe for some people, it is a total cure. Not for me, but it has helped!

Thanks for the feedback. As it happens, I just heard back from my doctor who says that 500mg of Magnesium per day is fine. I'll give it a try and report back!

 

[jazz]

Thanks for the feedback. As it happens, I just heard back from my doctor who says that 500mg of Magnesium per day is fine. I'll give it a try and report back!

Hi Golly,

Magnesium is a glutamate antagonist that affects the NMDA receptors. It helps to calm the brain and protect it from glutamate excitotocity. This is important for people with tinnitus. Many people say their sound is reduced; and I'm one of them. But the supplement probably won't get rid of your tinnitus.

WebMD has some practical information regarding magnesium dosing, interactions, etc. Of course, your physician knows best. Most studies do talk about having good kidney function as a prerequisite for taking larger doses. Some drugs, moreoever, will interact with magnesium or prevent its clearance. This is where the WebMD article, cited below, might help. With any supplement, it may take a month before you see results.

Here are some general and specific links to magnesium and glutamate excitotocity if you're feeling studious!

​

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...gredientId=998&activeIngredientName=MAGNESIUM

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...diopathic-tinnitus-preliminary-outcomes.1374/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/e/excitotoxicity.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excitotoxicity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMDA_receptor_antagonist
​

Magnesium comes in several forms with differing degrees of bioavailability. I take magnesium glycinate 200 mg, 2x daily, Bluebonnet brand. iHerb has a good price and purchasing it from the website helps TT with overhead costs!

Here's a good article explaining the different types:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-...oid---how-to-take-it-and--safety/show/1002415
​

Note: Some people will initially experience digestive problems when they first begin magnesium. It's probably best to start out lower and increase. Always divide your magnesium doses for maximum effect.

 

[click]

I only take one supplement and it's only because I found a natural source of magnesium, without ANY chemicals etc. It's basically 'ground up food' so I thought it may be ok. Before this I was trying to increase my magnesium through food ate at meals and it was difficult - unless I wanted to put on loads of weight!

Anyway, it's Synergy Bone Formula, and I had no side effects at all (even though just taking a normal multi vitamin pill makes me ill... eg. fuzzy head & feeling sick).

http://www.thesynergycompany.com/v/bone_renewal.html

 

[Golly]

Thanks Jazz and Click! I have been researching brands on ConsumerLab and it looks like there are quite a few approved, including CVS, GNC, and Nature Made, just to name a few. I am certainly not expecting a miracle. But as you all know, every little bit helps.

 

[inadmin]

... and did you notice any effect on your tinnitus? -G

I started yesterday, this is the dose the doctor recommended.

 

[Golly]

I started yesterday, this is the dose the doctor recommended.

Aha! I'll start today and we can compare notes. -G