I take magnesium after I run and I've never noticed anything as far as changes and effects to the medications. I too take Lovan :)
I am extremely sensitive to anything effecting my medications, for some reason alcohol is the worst!

Apparently magnesium is supposed to be nature's Valium :)

Never tried it but if you try it and it has good results please share.

The only supplements I know a top OCD expert recommends are Inositol and 5-HTP taken together. They had some OCDers benefit from taking that combo at their clinic and I think there is a poster on here taking them.

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease among other illnesses in January of 2013 and the number of supplements they put me on and the number of supplements that Lymies are taking based on what I read on Lyme SGs and message boards is mind numbing or mind spinning. Endless supplements and even diets (cutting out sugar, processed food and gluten seem to be a biggie these days).

There are studies on supplements but nothing proven as fact. So how much is a placebo affect and how much is real is up for debate. However, I am sure that if people take the "XYZ" supplement and feel it helps their OCD, they will keep taking it.

I do not believe in supplements after spending 100's of $$$ on them last year with no effect (agaian, not for OCD but for Lyme, active viruses and GI Tract issues) . But to each. his/her own.

The tablets I got are 200mg each and the recommended dosage is 400mg/day (2 tablets). I'm super conservative when it comes to trying new things, so last night I cut one of the tablets in half and took it a couple of hours after dinner (when I take the Fluoxetine). I took the other half this morning with breakfast. So, although I am taking 200mg/day, I'm planning on spreading it out a bit--at least for now. So far I haven't noticed anything.

In July of 2013 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and I became anemic. Plus I was put on a bland diet for a few weeks. I also have Type 1 Diabetes, which I've heard also depletes the body's magnesium (as digestive issues do as well).

I have taken a powdered magnesium supplement for years to help with anxiety. You mix it with warm water and it fizzes. After I drink it, I do feel calm right away. It is called CALM. I buy it at my homeopath but you can buy it at Whole Foods, places like that or online. Here is a link to it at Amazon. It's full name is Natural Vitality Natural Magnesium Calm.

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Magnesium-Calm-1x16/dp/B000GJOZWE

ChattDana, how has it helped you in the long term? Do you find yourself taking the powder often?

Just to clarify about supplements, I would of course tell someone who blood test said they were low on vitamin D to take a lot of Vit D over the next few months as I would any vitamin or mineral that a blood test showed was low.

From my Lyme disease and other illnesses experiences I was referring to supplements as I know them like Oil of Oregano, grapefruit seed extract, Samento, CO Q-10, apple cider vinegar, monolaurin (lauric acid from coconut milk) and many others. These are some I have no belief in.

KMiyagi, I do not take the powdered magnesium often. I also take Prozac (40 mgs a day). I used to take 60 mgs, but my shrink prescribed Gabapentin (generic for Neurontin) for me and it has "cured" my anxiety, so I don't need as much Prozac and I don't need any supplements. Before I found this "cure" (I know there is no cure, but after having suffered with anxiety for 25 years, I feel "cured"), I took the Magnesium probably 4 or 5 times a year for a few weeks at a time. I also took other natural remedies like chamomile and valerian. I also used cat nip and fennel which I order from Nature's Sunshine. So it has been a mix of things and I didn't use magnesium continuously for more than a few weeks at a time, but that is because once the panic subsided I didn't feel like I needed it.

So once you start taking mag, how long does it take to feel an effect from it (when taking it for anxiety and depression)? A few days, weeks?

The powdered form I take provides immediate relief from anxiety. I never noticed it helping with depression, but I might not have taken it long enough.