To avoid adrenal fatigue, healthcare practitioners generally recommended that you take in at least 600 to 800 milligrams of magnesium a day. Great dietary sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, seeds (sunflower and sesame, for example), and nuts (such as almonds and Brazil nuts).
If you're told that your magnesium levels are low after testing (a normal range is 1.6 to 2.6 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL]), then you likely need to supplement. The goal of many healthcare practitioners is to have your magnesium level be at least 2.1 to 2.2 mg/dL to ensure optimal magnesium levels in the body. Many people need to take a magnesium supplement to get their levels higher.
Be aware that not all magnesium is created the same. The body absorbs different types of magnesium at different rates. For example, the body absorbs only a small amount of the magnesium in magnesium oxide, a commonly prescribed formulation.
Ask your healthcare provider to prescribe a supplement that's highly absorbed by the body, such as the following:
Chelated magnesium: Chelated magnesium is a form of magnesium without the heavy metals. Normal starting doses are 200 milligrams twice a day. Coauthor Rich likes to use this form, which is well-tolerated. As with many forms of magnesium, diarrhea and loose stools are possible side effects.
Magnesium malate: This combination of magnesium and malic acid is a well-tolerated form of magnesium that provides energy to the cells.
As you may recall from your biology class in high school, the mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. Both magnesium and malic acid provide the energy necessary to make the mitochondria work optimally in the cell. This dynamic combination of magnesium and malic acid is highly recommended to anyone with adrenal fatigue.
More than 50 percent of people with fibromyalgia have associated adrenal fatigue, and anyone with fibromyalgia should strongly consider magnesium malate. In one study from the Journal of Rheumatology published in 1995, a combination of magnesium and malic acid not only reduced pain and tenderness in people with fibromyalgia but also improved their ability to function on a daily basis.
Magnesium malate comes in many forms. A dose of approximately 200 milligrams taken in divided doses throughout the day helps to enhance absorption. Magnesium malate can be taken with food.
Be aware that for some people, taking magnesium orally causes intestinal upset, including diarrhea. If you develop diarrhea soon after you start taking a magnesium supplement, inform your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible.
Magnesium is well-absorbed through the skin, so it can be administered topically as a gel or oil that's rubbed on the arms or legs on a daily basis. For people who have severe magnesium deficiency, an oral formulation and a topical gel may both be necessary.
Some people experience a rash with magnesium oil, but the rash seems to be less common with the gel. People who don't tolerate any form of oral magnesium may try applying the gel twice a day.
In a few people, magnesium levels remain low despite the oral and topical (skin) forms of supplementation. In those cases, when the magnesium depletion is severe, magnesium can be prescribed to be given intravenously. This usually requires that the patient go to the short procedure unit of the hospital. The dose is usually 2 to 4 grams of magnesium sulfate over a few hours.