14 replies to this topic

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

Hi Everyone,
I'm currently in the process of recovering from a burnout, which I'll explain in more detail below, and I was hoping to get your valuable advice as well.

 

Background

Male, mid 30s.

I've had issues with anxiety for as long as I can remember. At some point in my late 20s, I worked with a therapist, which helped a lot. I also took St. John's Wort for many years with good results.

 

Burnout

The last couple of years have been very stressful, especially work-wise and around 8 months ago I started experiencing panic attacks and reached the point, where I was constantly in the fight-or-flight mode. I struggled to sleep, had no appetite, had terrible anxiety, intrusive thoughts and fatigue.
I went on sick leave and started therapy. I've learned how to deal with panic attacks in a couple of months but still struggled with anxiety, insomnia and intrusive thoughts. I would get overwhelmed very easily by mental or physical activities. It had a major impact on my mood too, since I was having a really difficult time and wasn't sure if I'll ever get better.

Around 5 months in, I started taking St. John's Wort (Jarsin 450mg), zinc picolinate (10-15mg), using Apollo Neuro device, and went on a long holiday, which was a breakthrough moment. Even though, I still struggled with anxiety and had to rest a lot, I managed to enjoy myself and had faith that things will get better at some point.

 

Reintegration

It's been almost 9 months since the burnout started and I've been very gradually reintegrating back to work (different role, though) for over a month now. It's a stressful process, but I'm enjoying the routine and a sense of purpose. Even though I'm feeling a lot better, I still don't quite feel like myself yet. I'm still more anxious than before the burnout, I get stressed easily, I can handle way less mental and physical exertion (and overdoing it causes anxiety right away), I'm not sleeping as well as I'd like, my cognitive skills are not where they used to be, I feel traumatized by the whole burnout experience (confirmed by my therapist as well) etc etc. If I had to pick one, though, I feel like I could make the most gains overall right now by improving my sleep.

 

TLDR

Initial symptoms

• Panic attacks
• Intense anxiety & intrusive thoughts
• Insomnia / poor sleep
• Constant fight-or-flight mode
• Moodiness
• Intense muscle tension and soreness
• GI issues / IBS
• Fatigue
• Impaired cognition

Current symptoms

• Anxiety & intrusive thoughts
• Average sleep (waking up too many times, often struggling to fall back asleep after 5am or so)
• Fatigue
• Impaired cognition
• Poor recovery from mental and especially physical stress (cortisol?)
• IBS flare-ups

What have I tried so far?

• Therapy - helps a lot.
• St. John's Wort (Jarsin 450mg) - helps a lot in terms of mood, anxiety and, to some extent, sleep.
• Running - helps a lot in terms of mood and anxiety, but I feel extremely tired if I overdo it, which then actually triggers anxiety and intrusive thoughts (it's a shame, since I used to love running longer distances).
• Cold showers (1min after a hot shower) - helps a lot in terms of mood, anxiety and stress.
• Zinc picolinate (10-15mg) - helps a lot in terms of anxiety and physical symptoms, such as muscle tension & GI issues.
• Kefir - helps with digestion, especially when I have an IBS flare-up, but I believe it improves my overall well-being too, somehow.
• Chamomile tea - helps a bit with anxiety and sleep.
• Melatonin (0.1mg) - helps to fall asleep.
• Deep breathing - helps a lot in terms of reducing anxiety and physical tension, especially the box breathing and physiological sigh techniques.
• Apollo Neuro device - helps to fall asleep easier (also when I wake up at night) and to unwind in the evenings (based on Garmin HRV & stress level data).
• Daylight lamp (10k lumen) - only started using it recently, but it seems to help with sleep and mood.
• Yoga - mixed feelings, easy yoga seems fine but I had a terrible experience after an intense vinyasa class, where I had bad anxiety and my body was just tense the whole night (high cortisol?).
• Magnesium - did not help, made it more difficult to fall asleep.
• CBD oil - mixed feelings, seemed to improve anxiety a bit but usually made it more difficult to fall asleep (contrary to when I tried it years ago, when it improved my sleep tremendously).
• Valerian extract - seemed to help with anxiety and sleep a bit, but didn't sit well in my stomach and made me feel moody next day, sometimes.

Obviously, the above is just my personal experience. Please do not take any of it as advice and reach out to your doctor or therapist if you're having difficulties of your own.
 

Questions

• What would you recommend in order to improve my sleep? I'd like to wake up less throughout the night and improve the overall quality, which I'm hoping will improve other symptoms.
• What would you recommend in order to restore my cognitive function? I'd like to restore my concentration and general cognitive abilities to the point where I could have a normal work day without feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the end of it.
• What would you recommend in order to improve my physical condition? I'd like to be able to run long distances again. I currently run 5-8km at a time and have to do it really slowly (used to run up to the marathon distance).
• Is there anything else you'd recommend based on my symptoms? For example, I have a suspicion that my vagal tone is out of balance as are my hormones (especially cortisol). And then there's inflammation as well.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you in advance!

Edited by Chōkyori ran'nā, 27 November 2022 - 09:19 PM.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

Anyone?

I just got my blood test results and the following are too high, at the moment:

Creatine Kinase, LDL, White Blood Cells, AST, Albumin, Hematocrit, Hemoglobin.

And Vit D is too low.

 

Any advice?

[pamojja]

Can you post the results for each of those test. It means different things when differently too high. Also needed the units and reference ranges, to give it a look.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

Can you post the results for each of those test. It means different things when differently too high. Also needed the units and reference ranges, to give it a look.

 

Yes, of course.

So, here's what I'm seeing in the report from the lab:

 

Lymphocytes 18.9% (normal range: 22 - 53%)

Basophils 1.7% (<1.5%)

Calcium 2.51 mmol/L (2.15 - 2.50 mmol/L)

Creatine Kinase 1015 U/l (190 U/l)

Albumin 56.7 g/l (35 - 52 g/l)

Vitamin D 65.5 nmol/L (deficiency: <25, low: 25 - 75, normal: >75, intoxication: >250 nmol/L)

 

And a few additional insights I got after I've uploaded it to InsideTracker (note that they translated the units to whatever they usually use):

 

LDL 107 mg/dL (my ideal range is 0 - 87 mg/dL according to InsideTracker)

HDL 49 mg/dL (54 - 77 mg/dL)

White Blood Cells 7.2 thousands/uL (3.4 - 7.0 thousands/uL)

AST 41 U/L (10 - 24 U/L)

ALT 28 U/L (9 - 23 U/L)

Hemoglobin 17.6 g/dL (13.2 - 17.1 g/dL)

Hematocrit 52% (38.5 - 50 %)

TS 24% (17 - 22 %)

Calcium is ok, contrary to the opinion from the lab, 10 mg/dL (8.6 - 10.3 mg/dL)

 

The rest seems to fall within normal ranges (incl. Testosterone and, to my surprise, Cortisol).

Thank you so much for your help in advance.

[pamojja]

Sorry for the delay. Don't mistake the information here as medial advise.

 

CK is indeed very high. Means most likely temporary tissue damage (sports, heart attack, ..). Location of the damage could be pinned down with a creatine kinase isoenzyme test, should such extreme high CK levels persist. But could mean about any damage (burns, infections, hypothyrodism, low electrolytes, fever, etc...). Most medications could raise it too.

 

WBC aren't really much raised, so infections in this case seem less likely. Again, just exercise could do.

 

AST too is slightly raised. Your liver is working a bid harder.

 

Albumin raised could most likely be caused by dehydration (think electrolytes again: magnesium, sodium, potassium..) or high protein diet.

 

Hematocrit could probably raised by dehydration, stress, smoking, alcohol, obesity, NAFDL, environmental pollutants..

 

Hemoglobin: High blood pressure or metabolic syndrome? Dehydration comes to mind again.

 

LDL that slighty raised I see rather as a symptom, than anything else.

 

 

Magnesium - did not help, made it more difficult to fall asleep.

 

I use a different form in the evening (Mg-glycinate) than in the morning. It is so essential. And once low, at times difficult to raise again. Vitamin D3 of course too. And lack of water-retention could explain a lot too.

 

I'm surprised you didn't mentioned inflammation and glucose metabolism markers too.

 

 

 

Edited by pamojja, 06 December 2022 - 12:00 PM.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

Sorry for the delay. Don't mistake the information here as medial advise.

 

CK is indeed very high. Means most likely temporary tissue damage (sports, heart attack, ..). Location of the damage could be pinned down with a creatine kinase isoenzyme test, should such extreme high CK levels persist. But could mean about any damage (burns, infections, hypothyrodism, low electrolytes, fever, etc...). Most medications could raise it too.

 

WBC aren't really much raised, so infections in this case seem less likely. Again, just exercise could do.

 

AST too is slightly raised. Your liver is working a bid harder.

 

Albumin raised could most likely be caused by dehydration (think electrolytes again: magnesium, sodium, potassium..) or high protein diet.

 

Hematocrit could probably raised by dehydration, stress, smoking, alcohol, obesity, NAFDL, environmental pollutants..

 

Hemoglobin: High blood pressure or metabolic syndrome? Dehydration comes to mind again.

 

LDL that slighty raised I see rather as a symptom, than anything else.

 

 

I use a different form in the evening (Mg-glycinate) than in the morning. It is so essential. And once low, at times difficult to raise again. Vitamin D3 of course too. And lack of water-retention could explain a lot too.

 

I'm surprised you didn't mentioned inflammation and glucose metabolism markers too.

 

Thank you for looking into this.

Some of the causes you've mentioned, such as alcohol, obesity and (most likely) dehydration are not applicable to me (luckily?).

However, as mentioned before, stress is definitely playing a big role here. As for inflammation, I feel like that's also the case, but which markers should I look at for that?

 

I have tried different forms of Mg, including bisglycinate (which might work the same as glycinate, I guess?), but all of them kept me awake at night. I heard Mg threonate is the most suitable form for sleep, though. Perhaps it would make sense to give it a try? Or do you think it'll get the same result?

 

For the rest, I'm now thinking to possibly give CBD oil another chance (it used to work really well for me years ago but not so much when I tried it a month or two ago). Thoughts?

 

I will also get some vitamin D, but will start slow (400 IU or less), since it has made me feel more wired (and therefore, anxious) when I tried it a few years ago.

Can you (or anyone else) recommend me a few other supplements to look into? And what other tests should I ask my GP for?

Thank you!

 

Edited by Chōkyori ran'nā, 07 December 2022 - 10:10 AM.

[pamojja]

As for inflammation, I feel like that's also the case, but which markers should I look at for that?

I have tried different forms of Mg, including bisglycinate (which might work the same as glycinate, I guess?), but all of them kept me awake at night. I heard Mg threonate is the most suitable form for sleep, though. Perhaps it would make sense to give it a try? Or do you think it'll get the same result?

I will also get some vitamin D, but will start slow (400 IU or less), since it has made me feel more wired (and therefore, anxious) when I tried it a few years ago.

Can you (or anyone else) recommend me a few other supplements to look into? And what other tests should I ask my GP for?

I for example have a very severe Mg-defiency. Found early, that the form of Mg doesn't matter as much (except before sleep), as getting a certain amount of elemental Mg - to alleviate very painful muscle cramps only. For that I take above 2 g/d of oral elemental Mg throughout the day. Only regular Mg-sulfate IVs would cease my muscle-cramps completely (hasn't be possible to keep up due to covid). I take every form: Mg-oxide, sulfate (from Mineralwater), citrate, malate, glycinate, ascorbate etc.

Other than Mg throughout the day, I do get Vitamin D3 with first meal only. And as much sunshine (without sunscreen) as possible in central Europe. Nevertheless, despite much sunexposure, I still needed 8000 IU/d to keep my 25(OH)D3 serum levels at 70ng/dl. Side effects from Vitamin D3 could be because you don't take enough co-factors needed for Vitamin D3 metabolism (Mg, preformed Vitamin A and K vitamins, boron too).

For inflammation test for example in that order: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), highsensitive CRP (hsCRP), Homocystein, Fibrinogen. Elevated LDL can imply it too.

Beside HDL or LDL, triglycerides could better predict if your LDL is atherogenic, and also gives hind on sugar metabolism.

For glucose metabolism: HbA1c, fasting glucose (also DIY 1 hour postprandial with a cheap blood glucose meter), Connecting Peptide (C-Peptide) or fasting Insulin; with 3 of those you're able to calculate your (HOMA) Insulin resistance.

Though almost everyone is to a certain degree dehydrated without mentioning, kidneys are important in this respect to test for Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine, uric acid and eGFR. Of course, all electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and phosphor should as well.

For hypothyroidism start with a free-T3 (Tiiodothyronine free - fT3). Cortisol can fluctuate widely throughout the day, here a 24hr urine collected cortisol test can be more accurate.

For nutrient deficiency it could be anything, as long you haven't tested for them. For a start, see this post I wrote about long time ago: https://www.longecit...-mineral-stack/ Most easily tested are all electrolytes, 25(OH)D3 Vitamin, Ferretin, Methylmalonic acid (MMA) or Holo-Transcobalamin for Vitamin B12, Zinc and Copper...

Finally I thought I had almost burn-out 15 years too, therefore quit my very stressful job then. Short after had a full blown PAD with walking-disabilty (3-400 meters painfree walking-distance, at worse). then a COPD diagnosis and ME/CFS symptoms. All in remission since 7 years with life-style changes (diet ..) and orthomolecular medicine (Micro-nutrient therapy in high doses).

Now I think it could also have been the other way round. Instead of stress making me sick, lack of nutrients with worse diet and no supplementation could have been the breeding ground for chronic inflammation too, worsening the resilience of my immunity, and becoming vulnerable to stress to begin with. Making it all blow up seriously.

Edited by pamojja, 07 December 2022 - 12:12 PM.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

I for example have a very severe Mg-defiency. Found early, that the form of Mg doesn't matter as much (except before sleep), as getting a certain amount of elemental Mg - to alleviate very painful muscle cramps only. For that I take above 2 g/d of oral elemental Mg throughout the day. Only regular Mg-sulfate IVs would cease my muscle-cramps completely (hasn't be possible to keep up due to covid). I take every form: Mg-oxide, sulfate (from Mineralwater), citrate, malate, glycinate, ascorbate etc.

Other than Mg throughout the day, I do get Vitamin D3 with first meal only. And as much sunshine (without sunscreen) as possible in central Europe. Nevertheless, despite much sunexposure, I still needed 8000 IU/d to keep my 25(OH)D3 serum levels at 70ng/dl. Side effects from Vitamin D3 could be because you don't take enough co-factors needed for Vitamin D3 metabolism (Mg, preformed Vitamin A and K vitamins, boron too).

For inflammation test for example in that order: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), highsensitive CRP (hsCRP), Homocystein, Fibrinogen. Elevated LDL can imply it too.

Beside HDL or LDL, triglycerides could better predict if your LDL is atherogenic, and also gives hind on sugar metabolism.

For glucose metabolism: HbA1c, fasting glucose (also DIY 1 hour postprandial with a cheap blood glucose meter), Connecting Peptide (C-Peptide) or fasting Insulin; with 3 of those you're able to calculate your (HOMA) Insulin resistance.

Though almost everyone is to a certain degree dehydrated without mentioning, kidneys are important in this respect to test for Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine, uric acid and eGFR. Of course, all electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and phosphor should as well.

For hypothyroidism start with a free-T3 (Tiiodothyronine free - fT3). Cortisol can fluctuate widely throughout the day, here a 24hr urine collected cortisol test can be more accurate.

For nutrient deficiency it could be anything, as long you haven't tested for them. For a start, see this post I wrote about long time ago: https://www.longecit...-mineral-stack/ Most easily tested are all electrolytes, 25(OH)D3 Vitamin, Ferretin, Methylmalonic acid (MMA) or Holo-Transcobalamin for Vitamin B12, Zinc and Copper...

Finally I thought I had almost burn-out 15 years too, therefore quit my very stressful job then. Short after had a full blown PAD with walking-disabilty (3-400 meters painfree walking-distance, at worse). then a COPD diagnosis and ME/CFS symptoms. All in remission since 7 years with life-style changes (diet ..) and orthomolecular medicine (Micro-nutrient therapy in high doses).

Now I think it could also have been the other way round. Instead of stress making me sick, lack of nutrients with worse diet and no supplementation could have been the breeding ground for chronic inflammation too, worsening the resilience of my immunity, and becoming vulnerable to stress to begin with. Making it all blow up seriously.

 

Thank you for your input, again! I'll have a look at your old post.

 

My CRP, HbA1c, triglycerides and fasting glucose are within the normal ranges. Unfortunately, I don't know about the others (e.g. T3, Homocysteine etc).

 

If I was deficient in Mg, though, would I react to it the way I do (e.g. cannot sleep after taking it)?

 

 

 

[pamojja]

My CRP, HbA1c, triglycerides and fasting glucose are within the normal ranges. Unfortunately, I don't know about the others (e.g. T3, Homocysteine etc).

If I was deficient in Mg, though, would I react to it the way I do (e.g. cannot sleep after taking it)?

Normal ranges are not optimal. When glucose markers are not optimal that means you are probably heading in 10, 20 years towards diabetes. When they are above normal, natural intervention most likely are too late to reverse, and you'll have to take medication to the rest of your life, without recovery.

An good example is higher Vitamin D3 intake, where the usual amount of co-factor Mg-intake doesn't suffices anymore. And therebe causing side-effects. Was probably the reason for my severe Mg-deficiency: suboptimal tissue levels of Mg, which usually would suffice for survival, where too fast completely used up. Difficult to replete.

Triglycerides are allegedly normal below 150 mg/dl. Many are not aware that close to only 50 LDL is mostly of the large fluffy type, difficult to oxidise. Closer to 150 LDL will definetely be more of the oxidised, small, dense type, and serously artheriogenic. That's why LDL measures alone (which by the way is only calculted) is meaningless. A detailed Cholesterolpanel with all subfractions of LDL would mean something, but costs. Tryglycerides is a cheap approximation. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) would also tell.

A HbA1c below 5.5% is optimal, some would put it as low as 5% only. A 1 hr postprandial of 140 mg/dl means you're already prediabetic.

You, as most other people today, are probably not sufficient in a number of essential nutrients. About 40 of them, don't know how many combinations that could mean, multiplied with difficult genetics and underlying undiscovered conditions - million reasons for you not to sleep after taking Mg before sleep.

You have to understand: single nutrients most often work in concert with all others. If intake of only one is raised, it kick-starts metabolic healthy processes otherwise on hold more essiental for immatiate survival. That uses up all other nutrients involved in those processes, but since not supplemented already alike, could lead to deficiencies in those other nutrients. It might not even be Mg, but other deficiencies exagerated by taking Mg.

But I don't understand why you don't simply take Mg in the first half of the day anyway, where one usually wouldn't sleep?

Edited by pamojja, 07 December 2022 - 05:11 PM.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

Normal ranges are not optimal. When glucose markers are not optimal that means you are probably heading in 10, 20 years towards diabetes. When they are above normal, natural intervention most likely are too late to reverse, and you'll have to take medication to the rest of your life, without recovery.

An good example is higher Vitamin D3 intake, where the usual amount of co-factor Mg-intake doesn't suffices anymore. And therebe causing side-effects. Was probably the reason for my severe Mg-deficiency: suboptimal tissue levels of Mg, which usually would suffice for survival, where too fast completely used up. Difficult to replete.

Triglycerides are allegedly normal below 150 mg/dl. Many are not aware that close to only 50 LDL is mostly of the large fluffy type, difficult to oxidise. Closer to 150 LDL will definetely be more of the oxidised, small, dense type, and serously artheriogenic. That's why LDL measures alone (which by the way is only calculted) is meaningless. A detailed Cholesterolpanel with all subfractions of LDL would mean something, but costs. Tryglycerides is a cheap approximation. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) would also tell.

A HbA1c below 5.5% is optimal, some would put it as low as 5% only. A 1 hr postprandial of 140 mg/dl means you're already prediabetic.

You, as most other people today, are probably not sufficient in a number of essential nutrients. About 40 of them, don't know how many combinations that could mean, multiplied with difficult genetics and underlying undiscovered conditions - million reasons for you not to sleep after taking Mg before sleep.

You have to understand: single nutrients most often work in concert with all others. If intake of only one is raised, it kick-starts metabolic healthy processes otherwise on hold more essiental for immatiate survival. That uses up all other nutrients involved in those processes, but since not supplemented already alike, could lead to deficiencies in those other nutrients. It might not even be Mg, but other deficiencies exagerated by taking Mg.

But I don't understand why you don't simply take Mg in the first half of the day anyway, where one usually wouldn't sleep?

 

I understand that 'withing the range' does not equal optimal.

In my case, fasting glucose is 4.50mmol/L (<5.80mmol/L is considered a norm). Triglycerides are at 0.70mmol/L (<2.28mmol/L), HbA1c is at 5.1%.

The reason I've been sort of avoiding Mg (even though I do take baths with Epsom salts every now and then) is that it felt like it made my anxiety a bit worse back then, so it was not just the sleep. But I will slowly reintroduce it again (in the mornings) and see how that goes.
In terms of deficiencies, given that I respond very well to Zinc and not well at all to Mg at the moment, what would you advice to look into?

 

I was also considering to start taking Athletic Greens (AG1). What's your opinion about it (apart from the fact that it's pricey)?

 

Thanks!
 

[pamojja]

Thank you for your input, again! I'll have a look at your old post.

 

You haven't read it yet?

 

.. also considering to start taking Athletic Greens (AG1). What's your opinion about it (apart from the fact that it's pricey)?

 

If you would have read, you would've know that I consider proprietary blends a complete rip-off, has some cheap and unhealthy kind of vitamins and minerals just like any really cheap multi. And as such many at such minuscule amounts not worth mentiong, others in amounts probably to the disadvantage of your health.

 

In terms of deficiencies, given that I respond very well to Zinc and not well at all to Mg at the moment, what would you advice to look into?

 

Test, don't guess. With Mg in Serum it doesn't pick up an intracellular deficiency though. Therefore a RBC or a whole blood as second best would be the right test for Mg.

 

 

Edited by pamojja, 08 December 2022 - 05:14 PM.

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

You haven't read it yet?

 

 

If you would have read, you would've know that I consider proprietary blends a complete rip-off, has some cheap and unhealthy kind of vitamins and minerals just like any really cheap multi. And as such many at such minuscule amounts not worth mentiong, others in amounts probably to the disadvantage of your health.

 

 

Test, don't guess. With Mg in Serum it doesn't pick up an intracellular deficiency though. Therefore a RBC or a whole blood as second best would be the right test for Mg.

 

Noted. I see your point about the multivitamins and such. I did try AG1 since I got a sample from a friend of mine. Of course, it's impossible to tell from just a single dose, but I think it made me feel more energetic (but in a calm way).

I also started using an Mg spray/oil on Thursday. It might be placebo, but think it gives me more energy yet induces anxiety roughly 2 hours after I apply it. In fact, on the 4th day of application I got a panic attack (with derealization and other annoying symptoms), which I haven't had in a while. Could be a coincidence, but I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about it.

Thank you!
 

[pamojja]

 In fact, on the 4th day of application I got a panic attack (with derealization and other annoying symptoms), which I haven't had in a while. Could be a coincidence, but I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about it.

 

I've absolutely no experience with panic attacks, or even anxiety. Only physical symptoms of Mg-deficiency, that's already enough. As I told already, adding only one together with insufficent co-factor nutrients, side-effects are most likely from a nutrient you don't think of, and depleted thereby.

 

Would do a search in your case: https://metager.de/m...from magnesium?

[Chōkyori ran'nā]

I've absolutely no experience with panic attacks, or even anxiety. Only physical symptoms of Mg-deficiency, that's already enough. As I told already, adding only one together with insufficent co-factor nutrients, side-effects are most likely from a nutrient you don't think of, and depleted thereby.

 

Would do a search in your case: https://metager.de/m...from magnesium?

 

Thanks for sharing the info, as usual!

 

Stupid of me, but I completely overlooked it in my lab report. Turns out, my intracellular magnesium levels are within the normal range (2.1mmol/L while the normal range is 1.65 - 2.65mmol/L). Again, I understand that within the range does not mean it's optimal, but at least it rules out a clear deficiency.

This makes more sense. Perhaps supplementation raised the levels too high, which in turn caused anxiety.

 

[pamojja]

Turns out, my intracellular magnesium levels are within the normal range (2.1mmol/L while the normal range is 1.65 - 2.65mmol/L). Again, I understand that within the range does not mean it's optimal, but at least it rules out a clear deficiency.

 

Again, normal is a statistical construct (bells curve), where 95% of all tested are considered normal. 2,5% above and below are abitrarily considered abnormal. We know from other sources that in fact nowaday at least half the population is actually deficient by intake from diet only.

 

Docs with consideration of those shortcomming see above 2.47 as sufficient in a Mg-RBC test.