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magnesium concerns

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:17 am
by Neo
My transplant is failing badly now with a low GFR of 13

My GP recently advised me to have a colonoscopy but this entails taking a prep of a 'purging' powder of 60 grams Heavy Magnesium Carbonate.

60 grams of this powder arrived from my GP for me to take two days before the examination.

it seemed rather a lot so i checked out apothecary weights and conversions and 60g weight is the equivillent of taking 60,000mg of magnesium.

Even strictly reducing this weight down to the 'active ingredient' of magnesium carbonate alone of 24g (removing the 36g of Anyhydrous citric acid which the sachet also contained) that still equates to 24,000mg of Magnesium Carbonate as medicinally, 1g = 1000mg

The RDA is 450-450mg per day and so you can see i am very concerned at taking this massive dosage as the RDA is between 250-450.

Can somebody please advise?

Re: magnesium concerns

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:50 am
by freddyy
Disclaimer: What was right for me, might not be right for you. To be sure, ask your doctor.

I was also scheduled for colonoscopy a few months ago, and got prescribed a heavy magnesium "cleanse" to use before examination. I read on the package that it should not be used by people with kidney problems, so I contacted my kidney team. The nurse asked the doctor, and he said that it was fine for a one-time use. So I went ahead and used it. No side effects or notable impact on my kidney functions.

As a side-note... It took a really long time before the magnesium started working. Bowel movement started around 12 hours after first dose... spent all night on the toilet without much sleep. Don't know if that was intended or not... the nurses at the colonoscopy didn't seem surprised to hear about it though.