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Magnesium/Zinc potentiates opiates via nmda

Bucklecroft Rudy

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N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, such as MK801, delay the development of morphine tolerance. Magnesium, a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, reduces postoperative morphine requirements. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of intrathecal co-administration of magnesium sulfate with morphine on antinociceptive potentiation, tolerance, and naloxone-induced withdrawal signs. Magnesium sulfate (40-60 microg/h) co-administration for 7 days, similar to MK801 (10 nmol/h), prevented the decline in antinociceptive response compared with morphine (20 nmol/h). Magnesium sulfate (60 microg/h) produced no antinociception, but co-infused with morphine (1 nmol/h), it resulted in potentiated antinociception compared with morphine throughout the 7-day period. Probe morphine doses after 7-day infusions demonstrated a significantly greater 50% effective dose value for morphine 1 nmol/h (109.7 nmol) compared with saline (10.9 nmol), magnesium sulfate 60 microg/h (10.9 nmol), and magnesium sulfate 60 microg/h plus morphine 1 nmol/h (11.2 nmol), which indicates that magnesium had delayed morphine tolerance. Morphine withdrawal signs after naloxone administration were not altered by the co-infusion of magnesium sulfate. Cerebrospinal fluid magnesium levels after intrathecal magnesium sulfate (60 microg/h) for 2 days increased from 17.0 +/- 1.0 microg/mL to 41.4 +/- 23.6 microg/mL, although serum levels were unchanged. This study demonstrates antinociceptive potentiation and delay in the development of morphine tolerance by the intrathecal coinfusion of magnesium sulfate and morphine in the rat. Implications: The addition of magnesium sulfate, an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, to morphine in an intrathecal infusion provided better analgesia than morphine alone in normal rats. These results suggest that intrathecal administration of magnesium sulfate may be a useful adjunct to spinal morphine analgesia.


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An excess of excitatory pathway activation via N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been described in neuropathic pain that responds poorly to morphine. However, in this situation, several published data sets show that coadministration of NMDA receptor antagonists restores the efficacy of opioids. Considering that magnesium behaves like an NMDA receptor antagonist, we investigated the effect of the combination of magnesium and morphine in experimental models of chronic and tonic pain. METHODS: Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed with the paw-pressure test in mononeuropathic (chronic constrictive injury model) and diabetic rats. Behavioral reactions were scored in a model of inflammation induced by formalin. The animals were assigned to one of three groups according to the intraperitoneal pretreatment: magnesium (30 mg/kg x 3), magnesium (30 mg/kg), and saline. Before testing, morphine was injected intravenously in mononeuropathic (0.3 mg/kg) and diabetic rats (1 mg/kg) and by the subcutaneous route in rats with the formalin test (1.5 mg/kg). RESULTS: Magnesium alone induced a significant antihyperalgesic effect in mononeuropathic and diabetic rats after a cumulative dose of 90 mg/kg. Furthermore, it significantly increased morphine analgesia, regardless of the loading dose used (30 or 90 mg/kg) in the two models of neuropathic pain. In the formalin test, magnesium alone did not have a significant effect. However, in combination with morphine, it revealed the analgesic effect of this opiate. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that magnesium amplifies the analgesic effect of low-dose morphine in conditions of sustained pain. Considering the good tolerability of magnesium, these findings may have clinical applications in neuropathic and persistent pain.

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Magnesium increases morphine analgesic
effect in different experimental models of pain
by
Begon S, Pickering G, Eschalier A, Dubray C.
EMI INSERM/UdA 9904-Pharmacologie Fondamentale et Clinique de la Douleur,
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Medicale,
Faculte de Medecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Anesthesiology 2002 Mar;96(3):627-32

ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An excess of excitatory pathway activation via N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been described in neuropathic pain that responds poorly to morphine. However, in this situation, several published data sets show that coadministration of NMDA receptor antagonists restores the efficacy of opioids. Considering that magnesium behaves like an NMDA receptor antagonist, we investigated the effect of the combination of magnesium and morphine in experimental models of chronic and tonic pain. METHODS: Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed with the paw-pressure test in mononeuropathic (chronic constrictive injury model) and diabetic rats. Behavioral reactions were scored in a model of inflammation induced by formalin. The animals were assigned to one of three groups according to the intraperitoneal pretreatment: magnesium (30 mg/kg x 3), magnesium (30 mg/kg), and saline. Before testing, morphine was injected intravenously in mononeuropathic (0.3 mg/kg) and diabetic rats (1 mg/kg) and by the subcutaneous route in rats with the formalin test (1.5 mg/kg). RESULTS: Magnesium alone induced a significant antihyperalgesic effect in mononeuropathic and diabetic rats after a cumulative dose of 90 mg/kg. Furthermore, it significantly increased morphine analgesia, regardless of the loading dose used (30 or 90 mg/kg) in the two models of neuropathic pain. In the formalin test, magnesium alone did not have a significant effect. However, in combination with morphine, it revealed the analgesic effect of this opiate. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that magnesium amplifies the analgesic effect of low-dose morphine in conditions of sustained pain. Considering the good tolerability of magnesium, these findings may have clinical applications in neuropathic and persistent pain.
 
Interesting! But, increased analgesia does not always translate into increased euphoria. My own experiments taking chelated magnesium with opiates did not increase euphoria (but did increase upset stomach...).
 
Of course increases analgesia. It is an NMDA antagonist which are widely know to hinder opioid tolerance and cause analgesia due to raising the threshold for excitatory glutamatergic neurons Ca influx and so a numbing effect. How they reduce tolerance. I couldn't tell you but it probably has to do with less neural firings causing less down-regulation.
 
Ive been doing this for years now - its impossible to say whether its made a difference to my tolerance but it definitely potentiates my dose quite significantly as in at least 5-10%
 
I've noticed this as well. I've recently been taking all of my opiates with Magnesium, since I noticed that my opiate tolerance felt significantly reduced the day after taking an NMDA antagonist such as DXM. It does seem to increase the overall effects, moreso than tagamet or other enzyme-inhibitors.

I usually take 200-300 mg 30 minutes prior to taking an opiate, and it really does make a difference.
 
I would say that Magnesium and Zinc are probably long term alternatives to the psychoactive nmda antagonists - memantine would be another but unless you have alzheimers and a prescription for memantine ordering it over the internet would require some deep pockets.
 
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