Is it okay to take magnesium?!

[Toddlermum2024]

Hi, I'm 5 weeks 5 days today. My doctor prescribed high strength folic acid and told me to stop taking any other supplements, not even a prenatal multi vitamin. I really miss my magnesium as it helps my sleep. Just wondering has anyone else been given other advice? Seems strange not to take a prenatal multi vitamin

Why did they prescribe high strength folic acid?!

I took folic acid, now I take pregnacare multi vit and extra magnesium..... Because of leg cramps and it helps me sleep. You can only have up to 350mg a day of magnesium.

You can Google the reasons for high strength folic.

I had a miscarriage last month and I'm 40 so she prescribed...
Maybe I could ask about coming off it after 12 week and take supplement like you did.

I can’t imagine why they don’t want you to take anything else - surely any vitamin that you have sufficient stores off is just filtered out by your body and excreted by your urine. I was prescribed high strength folic acid and took normal multivitamins beside it with no issues. Why don’t you buy a magnesium supplement on it’s own?

What was the rationale for not wanting you to take a prenatal vitamin?

There was no rationale, just that it wasn't recommended. I've been taking magnesium on its own for years as it helps my sleep. I asked another gp I know after I wrote this post and his explanation was there aren't studies that show its safe in pregnancy so he just recommends pregnacare...
But that has magnesium too when I looked at ingredients!!

I wouldn't if the Dr said not to.

You'd usually be advised to take vitamin D for bone health as well as folic acid but perhaps the doctor didn't advise this since its the summer months now and we're meant to be able to get more vitamin D from the "sunshine" 😂

You shouldn't take a regular multivitamin in pregnancy as these contain vitamin A which should be avoided in pregnancy, but a prenatal vitamin shouldn't contain vitamin A and should be fine if you want to take one

Thank you all for the replies... I stopped taking my magnesium supplement after the doctor advised but it affects my sleep and I'm waking up at 4am... I have to work and mind a toddler in evenings so it has huge impact on my health. I would go ahead an take prenatal vitamin even if doc doesn't recommend but it contains folic acid and I think I'd be over dosing along with high strength folic acid...

I took it all through my pregnancy, I even upped the dose cos to help with pregnancy related leg cramps - I had no issues with it and had a healthy baby! I suppose the only risk with it is that it has a laxative effect if you take too much so could imbalance your electrolytes if you get the sh*ts

Haha @sunshinewithrain... I'd imagine lot of people take magnesium... I was very surprised the doctor advised me to stop. I just wanted to check did anyone else get similar advice

I was told to stop taking magnesium at my booking in appointment, I used to take it for sleep as well, basically haven't slept properly for the while pregnancy now!

I'm pretty sure the midwife said to stop taking it so that when I have bloods further along they would know if I was deficient in it or not? Seems a bit backwards to me but I listened.

I'm now getting awful leg cramps, I'm 32 weeks now and I'm going to ask at my next appointment if it can start taking it again.

I’ve been taking magnesium, it helps with my muscle aches. Honestly any supplements you can buy over the counter will be fine; it’s just impossible to test anything on pregnant women that’s why they say they can’t be definite on most things

That's interesting you were also recommended to stop taking magnesium. I agree that most over counter supplements are probably fine and they are just being over cautious. I wonder how much research there is taking covid vaccine during pregnancy and we'll all be taking that!

The Covid vaccine is now one of the most well- researched medicines ever.

Magnesium- there is not enough data to say that it's safe in pregnancy because it just hasn't been studied. You can choose to continue taking it if you feel the benefits of it helping your sleep outweigh the unknown risks - this is an absolutely valid thing to do and the same scenario applies to a lot of medicines. If you wanted to be cautious you could stop it until the end of the first trimester when your baby will be fully developed

Also, just because you can buy supplements over the counter doesn't mean they are safe in pregnancy. Eg higher dose vitamin a would def not be recommended.

Yes lots of money invested into that 😃

NHS nutritional advice for pregnancy is hopelessly out of date. Check out books by Lily Nichols for what the latest research says - magnesium is helpful especially in final trimester if I remember correctly.

FWIW I’m taking magnesium or I get dreaded nighttime cramps!

That's great, thank you... I'll will check her out!

the pregnacare multivitamin I’m taking has 150mg
of magnesium in it so it must be fine, but is just different to the guidance from your doctor which is tailored to your personal circumstance? I’ve not had any dr appt yet but have just been taking the vitamins.

I think I stopped taking magnesium when I was pregnant, but when the restless legs started I used magnesium cream. All well.