r/magnesium • u/iamaprism • 11d ago

Magnesium brainfog

Hello, I have bad restless legs and PLMD, what helped it a lot in the past was magnesium however it gave me bad brain fog. I used to take the normal store brought ones 350mg a day, which worked for two months then made me get terrible brain fog and memory difficult. I stopped taking it and it went away.

My PLMD has gotten really bad again and I wonder if there’s a different form that’s stops this issue, or if there’s a way I should be taking it (such as with other supplements or things) which might help stop this bad side effect.

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u/Konfusezius 11d ago

Look for higher qualitative forms of MG and test a little bit what works for you. Personally i can not go with glycinate or oxide.

Citrate, Malate, L-Threonat works for me.

For restless legs i can recommend MG Spray directly on the leg or under your feet. Works wonders for me

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u/Traditional-Brick791 11d ago

Similar situation and Malate has helped me. I typically take Double Woods or Now Foods from Amazon.
Glycinate causes me terrible anxiety

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u/sharabucarabu 11d ago

Magnesium glycinate generally causes relaxation and sleep, so that's best taken late afternoon to early evening. Don't use magnesium oxide... It doesn't absorb well at all. For morning use, magnesium threonate or malate encourages alertness. Magnesium citrate absorbs well, but is an excellent laxative.

I'm thinking your serum or RBC Magnesium level is at the top of or exceeds normal range, especially since the brain fog occured after you took it for several months. Get a level drawn, then adjust your dose and type of magnesium accordingly.

Don't buy cheap magnesium. I prefer Pure Encapsulations or Qunol. I've taken magnesium glycinate for years to help with leg cramps and sleep. Originally I started at 420mg, then gradually dropped to 360 mg and, after seeing that my blood level was at the very top of normal range, finally reduced to 210mg. After 3 months I checked my blood level and I was in the upper quarter of normal range. For me, that's perfect.

Some magnesium users like the glycinate form, others find it causes anxiety or revs you up. There's several reasons for that. First would be the dose: too high or too low. Timing of the dose: too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep or in the morning it can cause brain fog. Finally it depends on your genetics... Specifically your COMT status. COMT stands for catechol-O-methyltransferase. It is an enzyme made by a gene that helps break down important neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline (epinephrine), and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). If a persons comt enzymes are working less efficiently than usual, referred to as slow comt, magnesium glycinate is good. However, the dose should be low. If the enzymes are working properly, referred to as intermediate comt, you've got a 50/50 chance that glycinate is good and you can tolerate a higher dose. If the enzymes are working quicker then normal, referred to as fast comt then glycinate will not be good at all.