Magnesium: How One Mineral Saved Me

When Vertigo First Showed Up

Several years ago, I had vertigo. Not the mild, slightly dizzy kind—the kind that’s intense enough to make you keep your head looking forward at all times and propped up super high on a serious wedge pillow when trying to sleep. . .the kind that makes you feel terrified and trapped. At the time, I had no idea that magnesium would eventually become part of how I managed things.

I worked through it, and eventually it settled down. Then, awhile later, it came back. I’ve written before about how symptoms like this can show up during intermittent fasting and some things that can help.

How Magnesium Entered the Picture

While googling things that might help, I came across a small blog written by a woman who claimed magnesium had played a role in ridding her of vertigo. It wasn’t a scientific paper, but it was thoughtful enough to catch my attention.

A Family Pattern I Couldn’t Ignore

This woman’s magnesium connection got me thinking about my family history. Both my mom and my grandma used to talk about having “dizzy days,” when they needed to take things slowly for a few days. It made me wonder whether there might be a family tendency toward low magnesium, especially after learning that magnesium insufficiency becomes more common with age and that about half of adults don’t meet recommended intake levels. And the fact that neither my mom nor grandma took supplements made that possibility feel more plausible. So I decided to try a magnesium supplement myself.

Finding a Form That Actually Worked for Me

Like most people, I didn’t get it right on the first try. Some forms didn’t agree with me, not because they upset my stomach, but because they moved through me too quickly. That ruled those types out right away. After some trial and error, I found a formula that I tolerated well, and I’ve been taking it consistently since 2018. (Well, mostly consistently! See below.)

What I Noticed Over Time

Over time, I noticed two things: the dizziness stayed away, and the nighttime calf cramps I’d been having on and off disappeared. Magnesium is also often mentioned as a sleep aid, which may have been relevant given how disrupted my sleep was at the time.

What Happened When I Stopped Taking It

A few years into taking magnesium, I ran out and decided not to rush to reorder it. I’ve never been a big fan of supplements, and I was wondering whether it was actually doing anything or whether it had just become part of my routine. Within less than two weeks, I started feeling dizzy again. That was when I realized that, however the magnesium was helping— physically or mentally—it mattered enough for me to keep taking it.

Why I Stay Consistent

That experience was enough to convince me to stay consistent. However, I don’t think of magnesium as a cure, and I’m careful about drawing a straight line between cause and effect. What I can say is that this particular form has worked great for me, hasn’t caused digestive side effects, and has earned a permanent place in my routine. Paying attention to how my body reacts without forcing conclusions is always top of mind for me.

Why This Is the Magnesium I Use

For those reasons, BioEmblem Triple Magnesium Complex is the one I recommend. It’s been reliable, well tolerated, and helpful over time, and because it combines three forms of magnesium (glycinate, malate, and citrate) that the body needs and uses in different ways.

A Note on Choosing Magnesium

If you’re considering magnesium, the form really does matter. How your body responds (especially regarding digestion) will determine whether it’s something you can actually use for the long term. Paying attention to those signals has become much more important to me, and I’ve written more about this idea in another post.

After some trial and error, magnesium is now one of the few supplements that’s earned a spot in my daily routine.