I don't know how effective it is but George Eby, the fellow who advocates the use of magnesium (among other things) to nutritionally combat depression, now claims to have a magnesium lozenge that can quickly help with asthma attacks.
I believe you're probably referring to zinc lozenges. These are often used to help prevent and shorten the duration of colds.
This is the first I've heard of magnesium, in a lozenge form. I even Googled "magnesium lozenges" and came up empty. So, I'm guessing this is a new invention (at least in terms of magnesium administration).
Fortunately, I don't have a specific need for the lozenges but perhaps someone else will and hopefully they'll help.
If anyone tries them, please let us know how things work out.
Magnesium is involved in muscle relaxation. One form, magnesium sulfate, is a really strong muscle relaxant if injected. So it should be no surprise that it relieves asthma, which involves bronchial muscle spasms or contractions.
Magnesium is also an important cofactor in many enzymatic reactions, any one of which can also be involved in the muscle relaxation that relieves the asthma. In this regard, consider it, too, for gout, where it is a cofactor for the enzyme that allows purines to be "recycled" instead of being thrown off as uric acid "waste."
Since I first discovered that magnesium throat lozenges rapidly terminated allergy-induced asthma, I realized that magnesium throat lozenges might kill asthmatics with rhinovirus-induced asthma.
Thanks for stopping by with this warning George. It is interesting to note that asthma has a different cause in children than is does in adults.
I wonder why you chose mag chloride to test in creation of your lozenge. Would it matter if it were mag citrate or mag malate? I'll assume it is the same with all forms of magnesium where children are concerned.
I really don't know of any children that suck on anything for very long; especially if it does not taste good. Yet it is a good warning none the less.
I used magnesium chloride, magnesium glycinate and magnesium oxide, representing highly ionizable, moderately ionizable and poorly ionizable magnesium compounds. All worked in allergy-induced asthma in adults and I suspect all would worsen rhinovirus-induced asthma, perhaps fatally especially in children.
I've been using Zinc Lozenges for my asthma. Whenever I feel an attack coming on, I just suck on one of those. The effect: I haven't used my bronchodilator in three days. This is the amount of time I've been taking them!
I generally only need the lozenge once a day.
According to Phyllis A. Balch in Nutritional Healing, "Zinc Lozenges can shorten an attack or halt one before it becomes severe."
However, it also says that you should not take over 100 mg daily.
She also states, "Magnesium and Calcium may stop the acute asthmatic episode[s] by increasing the vital capacity of the lungs. They have a dilating effect on the bronchial muscles. Use chelate or asporotate forms.
High amounts of zinc will displace copper. If you are using that much, 100mg, definitely make sure you are getting copper. 2.5mg copper for 50mg zinc. Too much zinc can suppress the immune system. My personal rule is no more that 50mg per day.
Magnesium dilates the muscles. Calcium constricts.