I've heard to stay away from Magnesium supplements. Ive recently had a bad experience with it, almost suffocated on my own saliva because I took SPirulina which has a high magnesium content. Pity because SPirulina is a great natural source of minerals and vitamins. So it;s not really a suplement but a food, which unfortunately has a high magnesium content.

Regarding getting potassium from food, the best is to have food raw as cooking destroys/alters the potassium mineral. So banans, raw almonds, raisins are best. Check out the web for a list of high potassium raw foods.

Other than that, I don't know much more.

Fatima

Here is a link I found today:
http://www.webmd.boots.com/cold-and-flu/immune-boosting-foods-slideshow

Hope it's useful

Okay, here's a question for discussion. I looked at the link NEGB posted (looks like some yummy healthy food!). I noticed the title was "Immune boosting foods". This has always been a sticking point with me since we have a disorder caused by an overactive immune system. Do we want to do anything to boost our immune systems? Or are these foods really just healthy and it's a good way to promote them as "immune boosting" since most people would be attracted to that? What do you guys think?

Interesting question Catnap!
I would also like to know what the others think, or perhaps have information on your question. As most of us are on a animmunosuppressive drug of some sort, why would we want to be on a diet that boosts the exact thing (our imune system) that the drug is meant to suppress?

Regards
Christo

hi all,
thought I'd share this information I got while in the hospital this week. The doctors are saying to avoid as many foods is possible that contain red dye unless there are of a natural base. Apparently the chemical reaction that creates the red dye is hazardous, it's also been in the news that red dye also may be linked to ADHD in children, makes you wonder why they even put food. They recommend a lot of leafy greens and foods high in natural antioxidants. This may be just nutritionists speak but I thought it would share it.
TJ: I seem to remember that you posted earlier that you had a run-in with quinine? What was your reaction? Was it respiratory or just weakness?
Also I just found this out this week that we had to be really careful when we go in for CT scans apparently the contrast that is iodine-based is not good for us I overheard the doctors talking about it. As it turned out they used it on me I didn't react too badly but the contrast always made me sick to the stomach.

Hi Steve

Yes you are correct the contrast that they use for a CT scan could be iodine-based, and we could have a bad reaction to this. Here in Finland the more commonly used Contrast Agent is not Iodine based, and apparently this is the case for most modern contrast agents - but one should always check.

There is so much to know, It is good to have a group like this to bounce thoughts off of. I thought I was pretty well informed yet I still let this get by me. Lulcky I did not have a strong reaction. I am gong in next week for a MRI (first one ) do you know if they use contrast for that?

Hi Steve

I have only had 2 MRI scans, and in my experience they dont use a contrasting agent. BUT, I see that they do actually use contrasting agents for specif scans - so check with them that it is safe for MG'ers.
It is slightly diff to a CT scan, in that it uses Magnectic fields to create the images. I had a head scan (so now I have proof that I do have a brain :-)), was rather noisy, but they gave me headphones so I could listen to music - was not an issue at all.

Some info here if you interested
http://www.mritutor.org/mritutor/contrast.htm
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/tests-treatment/mri.htm

Regards
Christo

Just a quick question about the citric acid. Does it affect MG itself or the meds. I'm not on prednisone, just mestinon..

From what I have been told it effects your medication, something in the citric acid makes them less effective.

The presdnisone and the mestinon?

From what I have read and been told it for any kind of medication you take, it makes it less effective.

I just got off the phone with my Dr. and asked him about citrus juices and the medications. According to him it is not a good practice to drink orange juice or citrus juice i.e. lemonade just prior to or just after taking your medications he gave me the following reasons: one citric acid accelerates the dissolving of the pills which means you will get a stronger dose much faster and also its effects will not last as long next with some medications citric acid reacts with the chemical in the medications in some cases can make them toxic and in other cases destroy their effectiveness,he says that if you drink juice do it more than an hour from your taking the medication or prior to taking a medication it should probably be avoided if your taking the time span medications, he also cautioned me about Apple juice, pineapple juice and of course grapefruit juice.
It makes sense to me about the pineapple juice since being a chef I know that gelatin will not set correctly with pineapple juice without cooking it or adding a neutralizing agent. And many of the coatings on our pills are made with gelatin.
It makes sense to me. anyway, that's my two cents for what it's worth.

I think the Mountain Dew had Quinine and citric acid concentrations, and what a bad combo...that almost killed me due to "extreme" weakness created and made me lose my balance and whack the back of my head on my hardwood floor. It was after that when I went and got IVIG...I have been better since, and I do avoid drinking sodas forthemostpart(I drink a natural rootbeer soda every now and then).

So I agree 100% with citric acid causing us problems. When drinking it(like some juice), perhaps it best to time it at end of our medicinal cycles of sort?

Best wishes to all

Do sodas have the Quinine and tonic water in them? Like diet coke? Because I drink that and diet rootbeer once in awhile.