VIEWPOINT FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE
Magnesium Deficiency in Long Covid , Post Viral and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Sandy Sanderson | www . elektramagnesium . com . au
It is understandable if you feel bamboozled by all the different labels that have been given to the same set of symptoms ( syndrome ) over decades . Significant clinical research has been ongoing in the area of chronic illness presenting as extreme and persistent fatigue . A few decades ago it became popularly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ( CFS ), but has also been labelled by researchers as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Neurasthenia , and more recently as Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome , or Long COVID .
Inflammatory symptoms mimicking magnesium deficiency
Symptoms commonly occur after an acute viral infection where the illness has not fully resolved and a low-level chronic inflammatory state persists . The symptoms include incapacitating and persistent fatigue , muscle aches , joint pains , weakness after exercise , headaches , swollen glands , digestive disorders , inability to concentrate , memory loss , recurring minor infections or lowgrade fevers , depression , an increasing sense of being unable to function , sleep disturbance , light sensitivity , food intolerance and environmental allergies .
In the 1990 ’ s it was common for health professionals to dismiss these accounts as merely psychosomatic , instead of considering them as symptoms of an inflammatory disease which remained untreated . Health professionals correctly connected high levels of stress with these symptoms , however prescribing psychiatric drugs did not address the problem ’ s cause , and often made the symptoms worse .
Fibromyalgia has similar chronic inflammatory symptoms , and can also be brought on by excessive stress . These symptoms are :
• fatigue
• lack of energy
• trouble sleeping
• depression or anxiety
• memory problems and trouble concentrating ( sometimes called ‘ fibro fog ’)
• headaches , muscle and joint pain
• muscle twitches or cramps
• numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
• itching , burning , and other skin problems
In my clinical experience , Long COVID seems to present with stronger , more acute inflammatory symptoms . It commonly affects the lungs , brain , heart , gastro-intestinal system , and the kidneys . Patients can experience hair loss , fatigue , muscular weakness , joint pain ( arthralgia ), followed by dyspnoea ( laboured breathing ) or cough , and chest pain and palpitation . Neurological symptoms also occur frequently , such as headache , sleep disorders , anxiety and depression , and cognitive disturbances , including lack of concentration or ‘ brain fog ’.
Stress weakens the immune system and leads to inflammatory diseases .
Excessive stress is most often the trigger for inflammation . Chronic or acute stress causes the immune system to become hypersensitive and over-stimulated with a flood of cytokines , which produce excessive Reactive Oxygen Species ( ROS ) and acidosis . An inability to correct the pH of cells suffering acidic conditions due to the waste toxins worsens symptoms and increases deterioration .
This constant stimulation of the immune system without resolution eventually leads to immune exhaustion and therefore chronic inflammation and pain . It is not limited to affecting
150 | vol28 | no3 | JATMS