Fibromyalgia Relief With Magnesium – Studies Give Hope To Fibromyalgia Sufferers

“A study by Guy D. Abraham, M.D., showed positive results in the reversal of fibromyalgia with magnesium and malic acid supplementation. Fifteen patients with fibromyalgia who took magnesium (300–600 mg) and malic acid (1,200–2,400 mg) experienced improvement in their symptoms within the first forty-eight hours. Over an eight-week period of supplementation their degree of muscle tenderness and pain dropped from 19.6 points to 6.5 points, according to standardized medical  scores.”

Reference: Abraham GE, Flechas JD, “Management of fibromyalgia: rationale for the use of magnesium and malic acid.” P J Nutr Med, vol. 3, pp. 49–59, 1992.

Magnesium Deficit in a Sample of the Belgian Population Presenting With Chronic Fatigue

In the following study we see that nearly half of patients complaining of chronic fatigue symptoms and fibromyalgia (companion diseases to hypothyroidism) have magnesium deficiencies.

97 patients (25 per cent males, ages ranging from 14 to 73 years, median 38 years) with complaints of chronic fatigue (chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and/or spasmophilia) have been enrolled in a prospective study to evaluate the Mg status and the dietary intake of Mg. An IV loading test (performed following the Ryzen protocol) showed a Mg deficit in 44 patients. After Mg supplementation in 24 patients, the loading test showed a significant decrease (p = 0.0018) in Mg retention. Mean values of serum Mg, red blood cell Mg and magnesuria showed no significant difference between patients with or without Mg deficiency. No association was found between Mg deficiency, CFS or FM. However serum Mg level was significantly lower in the patients with spasmophilia than in the other patients.

Reference: Moorkens G, Manuel y Keenoy B, Vertommen J, Meludu S, Noe M, De Leeuw I
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. Magnes Res 1997 Dec;10(4):329-37

Selenium and Magnesium Status in Fibromyalgia

The following study also shows that fibromyalgia is associated with magnesium deficiency.  Very importantly it also indicates that magnesium deficiency may be a consequence of thiamine (vitamin B-1) deficiency and that selenium status is slightly correlated with magnesium levels.  This shows that there is some interdependence of selenium and magnesium and that thiamine may be critical for magnesium metabolism and possibly selenium metabolism

Muscle pain has been associated with magnesium (Mg) and selenium (Se) deficiency: magnesium and selenium status were investigated in fibromyalgia (FM). Erythrocyte (E), leucocyte (L) and serum (S) magnesium, serum selenium and zinc, and vitamin B1, B2, A or E status were assessed in 22 patients with fibromyalgia and in 23 age-matched healthy controls. LMg is significantly increased (P < 0.05) and EMg slightly decreased in fibromyalgia. These magnesium abnormalities are associated with previously-reported impairment of thiamin metabolism. Antioxidant status (as well as plasma malondialdehyde) is unchanged in fibromyalgia and serum selenium levels, slightly but not significantly correlated with serum magnesium, is normal.

Reference: Eisinger J, Plantamura A, Marie PA, Ayavou T
Centre Hospitalier de Toulon, France. Magnes Res 1994 Dec;7(3-4):285-8