Magnesium is truly a forgotten electrolyte. Having too much or too little can disrupt the body’s homeostasis. 60% of our magnesium is stored in the bones and 40% in soft tissues. How can someone have too little magnesium? Magnesium is consumed in the diet. Too little magnesium can be due to inadequate intake, loss or malabsorption from the gastrointestinal tract, or loss from the urinary tract. Some people are malnourished and they do not have an adequate intake of dietary magnesium.

People with resected large bowel, chronic diarrhea, and those taking a group of medications called proton pump inhibitors (such as Nexium, Prilosec, or Protonix) have decreased gastrointestinal absorption of magnesium. Occasionally the kidneys lose magnesium. This may occur in people taking certain medications, such as diuretics or certain types of chemotherapy agents. This may occur in people with uncontrolled diabetes, people recovering from obstruction of the urinary tract, or acute kidney injury. There are several familial
and genetic disorders of the kidney that prevent the kidney from recouping the magnesium it filters. Having low serum magnesium can result in muscle cramps, depression, cardiac arrhythmias, constipation, tetany, and seizures. Speak to your doctor to determine if your magnesium is low, why the magnesium is low, and what specific treatment is recommended to correct low serum magnesium.

Too much magnesium?

People who have acute or chronic kidney disease are not able to remove extra magnesium from the body and may accumulate magnesium in the blood. This can especially occur if they are taking over-the-counter magnesium-containing supplements, magnesium-containing laxatives or enemas, or Epson salt which contains magnesium. Occasionally people have a genetic disorder that causes their kidneys to hold on to more magnesium than necessary. Having a high blood level of magnesium can result in progressive neurologic
paralysis, blocking of electrical conduction of the heart, and cardiac arrest. Speak to your doctor before starting over-the-counter magnesium supplementation or before taking magnesium-based laxatives to make sure it is safe for you to do so.