The Miracle of "M"

By Dr. David Eifrig Jr.

I'll always remember one of my first patients, a 62-year-old man who surely earned me a great grade and whose life I may have saved…

Early in my fourth and last year of medical school, I served an acting internship, or "AI," in an intensive-care unit. AIs are particularly stressful because medical students take part in them while still in school. You do not yet have your license, and you're expected to manage patients on your own…

When this patient, a mild drinker, came to the hospital, he was suffering dietary and general health issues. Strangely, he was having kidney failure (without diabetes), muscle pains, bruising, and generally felt ornery and "on edge." It was just a matter of time before he would die, and yet it wasn't clear to anyone why.

When I presented my patient formally at rounds the next morning, all the lab results had edged up toward normal and nothing jumped out to anyone. Later that night, I was in the call room, lying down but wide awake. I was reading a book called ICU and just happened to read about how critical magnesium was to life...

Either I had not paid attention in classes (entirely possible) or my intuition was kicking in. This guy needed magnesium, and he needed it fast. I ordered some magnesium, calcium, and potassium and continued with the slow infusion in his IV bag.

The next morning on rounds, unsure if I would be laughed at, I just said that I had "added some lytes (short for electrolytes) to his bag." This was easily glossed over by the team in our hurry to finish morning rounds. I should add that there was nothing dangerous per se about what I did. I just didn't want the usual hassle and comments in the vein of "How stupid to add magnesium, clearly the lab results are normal."

You can probably guess by now the end of the story... This guy's health turned around in hours not days. By that night, he was ready to get up and walk, which meant he was soon to be transferred off our ICU service. The next morning, I boldly told what I thought had happened only to hear that I needed to present the patient at grand rounds and do a lecture on magnesium... I did and nobody was as impressed as I was.

A second case a few months later clinched it for me. The patient was on full maximum hypertension meds and still had elevated blood pressure... By then, I was a well-read believer in the "miracle power of magnesium." So I suggested the patient purchase some over-the-counter magnesium/calcium pills, continue walking (which he rarely did), and "eat right" – the usual line that a doctor gives. He came back three weeks later elated and claimed that I had almost cured him. In fact, he was able to get off a couple meds as his blood pressure was much lower on subsequent visits. Was it the magnesium? We'll never know for sure, but my money is on yes.

The list below shows symptoms associated with a low magnesium level:

•	High blood pressure	•	Loss of appetite
•	Kidney stones	•	Confusion
•	Nausea	•	Personality changes
•	Irregular heart beats	•	Poor nerve conduction
•	Diabetes	•	Cancer
•	Immune system dysfunction	•	Coronary spasms
•	Osteoporosis	•	Poor muscle energy
•	Lethargy	•	Poor protein metabolism
•	Premature labor	•	Mental retardation in children
•	Low potassium	•	Low calcium

Amazingly this list goes on and on...

Some facts about magnesium:

•	It's the fourth-most common mineral in the human body.
•	Most of it rests within the bone and inside cells.
•	Very little of the body's total magnesium rests in the blood.
•	The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women.
•	Most of us do not get even the RDA (remember that the RDA is simply the minimum to prevent deficiency signs).
•	Foods high in magnesium include: -Cooked spinach (a cup has about 150 mg). -Roasted pumpkin seeds (a quarter-cup has about the same amount). -Apples, grapes, and citrus fruits.

When it comes to magnesium... what do I do?

•	Whenever I feel like my blood pressure may be "reactive," I'll take a couple of antacids that have magnesium and calcium combined.
•	Years ago, when I regularly ran long distances – including the New York City marathon – I would occasionally get cramps at night or while swimming... I found that a little calcium/magnesium/potassium helped immediately and immensely.
•	So if I feel crampy in my legs after exercising or even during exercise, I'll take an antacid (see No. 1) and a potassium pill (99 mg of potassium chloride).
•	If I am sore and ornery from exercising hard and if I am under too much stress, then I will fill the tub with hot water and add a cup of Epsom salt... This is simply a salt of magnesium (aka magnesium sulfate)... Wow, talk about a relaxing and calming effect.
•	I eat my spinach... My guess is that Popeye probably felt so good not because of the iron but the magnesium!

Here's to our health,

David Eifrig Jr., M.D., M.B.A.