Bipolar Depression and Amino Acids

[Dr Johanna Herrod]

Dear Aspen,

The normal daily intake of magnesium is greater than necessary to maintain magnesium balance and excess is excreted through the kidneys. With relevance to mood stabilisation it’s likely action is that it interacts with Calcium and affects the permeability of excitable membranes and their electrical properties.
Magnesium deficiency is very obvious as you’re very poorly (may be present in 10% of hospital patients). Mild deficiency is treated by oral supplement and severe with an infusion through a vein.
I am not convinced that “loading” (i.e. taking a lot) of oral magnesium supplement would be useful for Bipolar Disorder, as the body will just excrete any excess.

Kind regards Dr Johanna Herrod

[Aspen]

Thanks again, Dr. Herrod,

You have been very helpful.

It is almost inconceivable I might be genuinely deficient in magnesium, my diet is pretty rich.

The few studies I managed to read seemed to suggest that actual serum levels differ widely between patients with bipolar symptoms compared to non-sufferers or those in remission. But data seemed very inconsistent. I don't suppose there is a way to really look directly at levels in the brains of living patients.

Or to know how to improve absorption if there was some issue there. I understand what you say, just swallowing huge amounts of something is no guarantee it will end up somewhere useful to have an effect. Is it conceivable that if some aspect of bipolar illness led to an imbalance of magnesium somewhere in the body then flooding it with an excess of the nutrient would force things in some way, even if much of that still passed right through? Not that I'd jump to any assumption in that respect, just interested in the plausibility of it.

Best regards.