The official Cal Mag thread
 

ok.. I was *very* surprised that there's not a sticky that just screams CALLLLL MAGGGGG! :giggle

But since there's not.... (and please redirect me if I missed it) can everyone sort of chip in to this one? Links are fine. One word answers are fine. Whatever you want to say. :smile

Cal Mag is mentioned in every fifth thread here.. on every forum. :giggle i'm still snitching kids Calcium gummy bears :O but probably need to move on to something more.. ahem.. mature.

So..
1) What's the best brand?
2) Any features to look for or avoid (I've seen mention of carbonate free.. ?) ?
3) Typical dosing for adults and children?
4) What issues are caused by Cal/Mag deficiency... or what issues are generally helped by Cal/Mag?
5) Any side effects or cautions? (I saw the thread about sleepiness... SEE! As many times as I've heard CalMag praised, I never knew *that* about it... :doh )

Give me the scoop guys! I've googled this a bit, but I always find out stuff here that Google doesn't turn up. ;)

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I think there might be one in the Cradled forum FAQ. I don't remember. I mean, I know there is one, just not where exactly.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Well that doesn't help those of us who never go there.. I think it should be here too.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

hmm...good idea...

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

cal/mag is good for people who are not pregnant as well :yes

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I sort of hop around brand wise so I'll be curious to see what people like. For the boys we give Peter Gillham's Natural calm stuff, they have baby and kid ones, too.

I can say for sure my migraines are less frequent and less severe. I noticed it a few months into taking the mag, and then happened to read the bottle where it said migraines could be a sign of a deficiency. I sleep better, too.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I agree. Hope I didn't come off as bad or anything. I was just saying that there was something out there somewhere, just wasn't sure where (:lol I know so helpful)

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

no, you didn't come off as bad or anything. I was just trying to remind people that some of us don't visit the cradled board and having it as a sticky here too would be a good idea. :)

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

it has helped my restless leg syndrome & solved some, ahem, bowel issues.

I think a sticky here is a good idea, it is kind of "hidden" in cradled & I know a lot of ladies don't go there.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I know that when i take my cal mag i sleep better, i'm more regular, and i don't have leg cramps :tu

I got the trader joe calcium citrate/vit D and then i take the magnesium with it. I take it right before bed.

Calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed calcium, from what i read..

where IS Allison? :P

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I take the Natural Calm at night when I remember... I need to remember more often though.. It does help me a lot.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I have some.. but I always forget to take it. :blush Maybe I should add a line to my siggy... :giggle

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

So is Natural Calm good? I almost got some but the $20 a container thing stopped me. :shrug

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

I'm intrested in dosing for kids, adults and pregnancy

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Migraines!!! I should have done this a month ago.

Just came off 2 weeks of horrible daily cluster headaches. :doh

ok.... What other fabulous secrets lie in the minds of you cal-mag people? :giggle

off to check Cradled... (thank you! I never would have thought to look there!)

UPDATE: found this one right away in FAQ ... http://www.gentlechristianmothers.co...?topic=93035.0

feel free to link if you guys find other threads. :yes

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

ok, I'm looking at this liquid form:

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Liquid-C...ngredientFacts

which provides 500 mg Cal and 230 mg Mag

To get Allison's recommended dose of 1200/400... :scratch well, doubling the serving would give me 1000/460... ?? :think and then I'd be over on Mag and under on Cal

and also at this pill form:

http://www.rainbowlight.com/Categori...a-649a02ce93c5

and here's one more...

http://www.bluebonnetnutrition.com/m...n_citrate.html

a liquid with 1000/400

which is similar ... 500/250 and I'd have to take 2 (presumably huge) pills :giggle, which is not a big problem for me, but I know it is for some.

So... how important is that 3:1 ratio?? Would I need to make a point of getting that extra Calcium supplement?

Also gathered from comments on the other thread that it might be wise to start with a lower dose and gradually ease into the higher amounts, since the Mag can act as a laxative or stool softener--especially if your body is not used to it. :think

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

i take separate cal & mag for that reason, i couldn't find the right ratio & citrate

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:yes

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:cup :cookie

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

ok.. another question...

http://www.supplementsolutions.com/calmag.htm

I'm looking at this dissovable form, and it talks about how the more chalky liquids are actually undissolved calcium, which is harder for your body to absorb.

Thoughts? It actually makes sense to me in a lot of ways. I :think

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I take Natural Calm (my naturopath recommended this brand). He said the powder is much more absorbable than a pill. I double the dose because it helps my crampy legs at night. http://www.vitacost.com/Peter-Gillha...m-Plus-Calcium

It's pricey, but even doubling the dose, a bottle lasts me about 3 months. I don't think I'll ever try another brand because this one works so well.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

It has helped my drepresssion. :tu

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:rockon That's awesome. Earlier today, I was actually looking up the relation between depression/bipolar and Cal/Mag levels. VERY interesting!

This, for example:

http://george-eby-research.com/html/...depression.pdf

"Rapid Recovery From Major Depression Using Magnesium Treatment"

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

:popcorn

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Um, what is it? :O :shifty

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

http://www.gentlechristianmothers.co...topic=166885.0

Various brands suggested in this thread too

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

It says there's only 8 servings per container?

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

I buy a 16 oz. bottle for about $20. It lasts me quite a while. :shrug It says a serving is 4 teaspoons. I take an overflowing tablespoon, so I'm doubling what I used to take, not what the bottle says to take. Sorry about the confusion. :blush

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

yeah, how important is the 3:1 ratio? I'm taking more like a 2:1 ratio...my magnesium comes in 250mg pills, which makes it hard to get 300...and my calcium comes in 300ish mg pills, which means taking four horse pills just to get to 1200. :/

And why, oh why, is magnesium so awful to swallow? I was taking Nature Made and thought it was just the brand--these flat, round tablets that would ALWAYS get stuck in my throat :sick So I switched brands to something I found at Target...they're caplet shaped, so that's better, but they still start to dissolve in my mouth/throat :sick It's like they're missing a coating that other vitamins have. Why is that??

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

3:1 ratio is minimum
2:1 and even 1:1 have all been studied, and shown to be at least as good as 3:1 if not better for some conditions (1:1 is best for those coping w/ hypertension, but can give digestive problems from so much magnesium)

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Cal/Mag was mentioned on the Today show today, but I only saw the end of it.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Here it is:

http://www. msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23936737#23936737

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

Does cal/mag end up making you a little tired during the day? I don't know if it's because we are coming off a week of spring break, or the fact that I just started taking cal/mag again (a 2:1 ratio). I'm just so much more sluggish during the days this week.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

RE: ratios... One case study in the thread I linked to was a man sensitive to calcium and severly depressed, who actually needed to cut way back on his calcium and take substantial amounts of Magnesium in order to stabilize. Kefir was added after a point, with good results.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

cal mag should be taken at NIGHT. It acts as a sedative and relaxes muscles. Perfect for the end of the day, not so great in the morning.

Re: The official Cal Mag thread
 

This is what worries me, I think I've only been taking later in the evening. I'm very fatigued for the past 2 days. I'm on the end of my AF, so that might have something to do with it. I don't know. I just feel like a slug bug and have no desire to do anything. I've had my second cup of coffee and I just feel blah. I have a meeting to go to tonight, and I just want to take a nap instead.