Product Endorsement #1 (or, How Magnesium Has Revolutionized My Life)

OK. So. I have had headaches - migraine-style - for about as long as I can remember. I can remember being at my grandmother's house when I was about six and my mother gave me my first Excedrin for this massive headache I was having. I've always seemed to have them quite frequently, but over the past few years, they have really escalated. Ever since that little Michael Boy was born and screwed up my horomones. But you know, he's super cute, so I forgive him. Anyway, I have tried all kinds of prescription meds - daily, preventive types and others for when I actually have a headache, in addition to OTC types. The daily ones never gave much change, but the painkiller meds helped until I had taken them so often that their effectiveness went away. Seriously, I sound like a drug addict, don't I? Send me to La Cirque with Lindsay Lohan! But when you have (and I am so not exaggerating about this) 12 - 16 headaches a month, you'll do whatever to make the pain go away. Not to mention how this chronic pain contributes to depression. Anywho (don't you hate it when people say that? It's so Michael McKean), I offered this as a prayer request in Sunday School in December (as I was about to start my third or fourth daily med...I haven't brought up the ick side effects of these meds, have I?). Our SS teacher mentioned that he could relate to my pain as a former migraine sufferer. "Former?" I said. "Do tell!" Well, as it turns out, health guru that he is, he and his wife have been taking a magnesium (500mg) supplements for health for several years just for health reasons. After a few months, they both noticed a drastic reduction in their headaches. After doing research, he discovered that this is a well-documented, but little-discussed remedy for migraines. Alan and I looked into this, too, and found lots of internet articles, as well as this book (The Magnesium Solution for Migraine Headaches - a good, quick read). As it turns out, most of us are magnesium deficient and one of the side effects of that can be headaches. But, you say, I take a multi-vitamin! Yeah - go look at that bottle and see how much yours has in it - mine is only 13% of the RDA. I started giving it a try in mid-December (three tablets a day for a total of 750 mg), and mentioned it to my own GP (who is very mainstream medicine - not really a homeopathic type) at a visit I had previously scheduled. As it turns out, my GP has chronic headaches, too, and had also just started Mg therapy, so she was very supportive (she recommended I try to go up to 1000mg a day...I quit my prescription med at that point).
So, here I am three months out from initially starting it. I actually only take two tablets (500 mg) a day, as any more tend to upset the tum a bit. And my headaches have decreased from an average of 12 - 16 a month to MAYBE three. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a headache, which is unbelievable. LIFE CHANGING!!! I love not being in pain all the time. I love not having a shelf of prescription meds to take once+ a day. I love not having my (very exciting and intellectually stimulating) daily life cramped. Disclaimer #1: of course, this has been a perfect solution for me, and I have friends that have tried magnesium also tell me they have seen similar results. But clearly I am not all-knowing, and you should do your own research before you try it. I just know that there are more of you out there that have chronic headaches that have not heard about this as an option. Disclaimer #2: it seems to have no effect on poison ivy.

Ooh - this got a little lengthy, didn't it? That's what happens when I've got such, such tasty morsels for you...