Hello everyone!
I've been taking magnesium supplements during each of my pregnancies, and this one from Sanofi aventis is also in tablet form. I had a problem with muscle cramps, and magnesium really helped me with that. So when my little boy was prescribed magnesium, I didn't hesitate to choose the liquid form of magnesium V6 from Sanofi aventis. Why torture a child with tablets when you can just drink a solution - that's what I thought, but I was wrong.
Okay, so let me give you a quick backstory on why we were prescribed magnesium V6 in the first place.
My son didn't start talking until he was over two years old, and we were told by the pediatrician that 'boys talk late.' But when we saw some posters on the wall at the clinic that mentioned autism symptoms, we freaked out. We visited several doctors, and two of them prescribed magnesium, saying our son was behaving erratically and wasn't sleeping well. So, we decided to start giving him magnesium and the other prescribed medications.
Magnesium V6 is a liquid supplement for oral intake containing magnesium and vitamin B6. It's supposed to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, reduce stress levels, improve sleep, and help combat psychological and emotional disorders.
General Information:
Where I bought it: a local pharmacy.Price: 800 rubles.Quantity: 10 vials of 10ml each.Manufacturer: France.Composition:magnesium lactate dihydrate* - 186mg;
magnesium pidolate* - 936mg;
pyridoxine hydrochloride - 10mg;
Excipients: sodium sulfite - 15mg, sodium saccharinate - 15mg, cherry-vanilla flavoring - 0.3ml, purified water - 10ml.
* - equivalent to total magnesium (Mg++) 100mg.
Packaging.
The magnesium vials come in a cardboard box. I still have an old version, but the packaging design has changed - that's not the main thing.
The box on the reverse side contains the composition of the capsules, storage conditions, and information about the manufacturer.
The vials with the medication are in a cardboard insert to keep them from rattling around in the box. They stay put, don't fall out, and that's great.
The annotation on the medication isn't very large, so it's best to read it carefully before using it.Indications for use:I've noticed that people with a magnesium deficiency often experience symptoms like irritability, minor sleep disturbances, stomach cramps or rapid heartbeat, fatigue, muscle pain, and numbness. If that sounds like you, this product might be worth looking into.
Contraindications:
I wouldn't recommend this product if you're highly sensitive to its components, have severe kidney problems (creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min), are under 1 year old, or taking levodopa at the same time.
Magnesium overdose symptoms:Be careful not to take too much magnesium, as it can cause a range of symptoms, from low blood pressure to nausea, vomiting, and even respiratory failure. The severity of these symptoms depends on the concentration of magnesium in your blood.
Side effects:I've noticed that some people experience immune system issues, and in rare cases, allergic reactions, skin reactions, or even severe allergic reactions, including bronchospasm.
Occasionally, people may experience diarrhea or stomach pain.
Dosage regimen:
I was surprised to see that adults are recommended to take 3-4 ampules per day.
For kids over 1 year old (with a body weight over 10 kg), the daily dose is 10-30 mg of magnesium per kg of body weight (0.4-1.2 mmol of magnesium per kg) or 1-4 ampules.
The daily dose should be divided into 2-3 servings, taken with meals.
To take the solution, you need to dissolve the contents of the ampule in 1/2 cup of water.
These glass ampules are a separate kind of torture. To open them, you need to break both pointed ends and pour the liquid into a container from which you plan to drink it. I still can't understand why they make the medicine in such potentially hazardous packaging - if you break the glass tip, small shards can end up in the cup with the liquid! That's super scary!
I did things differently to make it safer for the kid. First, I would break one end while holding it with a cotton swab, and then I would use a new syringe with a needle to pour the contents of the ampule into it. That way, I was sure that no glass ended up in the medicine.
I also needed to divide the contents of the ampule in half, so pouring it into a syringe was a good decision. I measured out 5 ml, and the remaining solution I stored in the fridge, sealing the broken ampule with a sterile cotton swab.
The magnesium solution is brown and transparent.
Smell and taste. The solution is cloyingly sweet, kind of like vanilla or caramel. And it smells sweet too. I gave it to my kid in its pure form and made him drink plenty of water afterwards - as much as he wanted, really. The sweetness is really overpowering.
I'll be honest, when we first started giving my son Magnesium V6, he was diagnosed with RSV and had a complex treatment plan in place, including this supplement. Fast forward, and we ended up with an autism diagnosis. If your child isn't talking by two years old, I'd recommend getting them checked out by multiple doctors and pushing for an official diagnosis, rather than just being told they'll 'catch up' or 'start talking soon.' It's always better to err on the side of caution and take proactive steps as early as possible!
Okay, back to Magnesium V6. After drawing the liquid from the ampule, I'd mix it with a Nurofen syringe and give it to my son. He'd complain, but he'd drink it without spitting it out. I'd follow it up with water, as the stuff is ridiculously sweet - almost cloying.
And then I waited for the miracle to happen... but it never did.
One thing that did stand out, though, was my son's sleep patterns when he was younger. He'd be a whirlwind in bed, constantly rolling around, flipping onto his stomach, and making these weird noises while he slept. He'd wake up frequently, and even when he did manage to settle down, it was only for a short period before he'd start thrashing around again.
Looking back, it's likely that the magnesium was intended to help calm his nervous system and improve his sleep, but something clearly went awry. And I know exactly what that was.
The Result.Our Experience was a total disaster. Magnesium V6 brought more anxiety into our home, not calmness. Our son became hyperactive, irritable, and prone to explosive outbursts. Even Corticosterin, which is usually a lifesaver, couldn't calm him down. We stopped giving it to him after a few days.
He became even more demanding and whiny, refusing to settle down and instead getting angrier and more agitated. It was like a switch had been flipped, and we were at a loss for what to do.
I thought I'd give magnesium a second chance, but it turned out to be a bad idea. Maybe it was the magnetic field or Mercury being in retrograde, but nope, the same thing happened all over again. We'd give him magnesium to calm him down, and he'd become even more anxious and irritable. That wasn't exactly what we were going for.
It was pretty clear that the magnesium was the culprit, since it was the only new supplement we'd introduced into his routine. The other stuff he'd been taking for a while didn't cause any issues like this.
Then we stumbled upon the fact that he was already taking way too much magnesium. We went in for some blood work and discovered that he had high levels of magnesium in his system. And we were still giving it to him? Yeah, that explained a lot.
It turned out he'd experienced a magnesium overdose, which was why he was acting out like that.
Apparently, doctors just prescribe magnesium without checking the patient's levels first. No thanks, we're not going to fall for that anymore!
As for the pros of this supplement, we didn't find any.
But the cons? Oh boy, there were plenty:
Awkward and hazardous packaging;Not cheap;Way too sweet of a taste;No calming effect whatsoever;Horrible behavior, tears, and tantrums;Magnesium overdose.
This is just our experience with our son, but I'd recommend getting a blood test to check his magnesium levels before giving him this supplement. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Thanks for reading, folks!
P.S. We're done with this product.