According to Verywell Health, self-medicating with magnesium when the body is not deficient can be risky.
The most common side effect of magnesium is diarrhea, especially when using poorly absorbed forms such as magnesium oxide.
In addition to diarrhea, supplementing too much magnesium can lead to hypermagnesemia.
In mild cases, magnesium hyperkalemia may not cause obvious symptoms. However, if magnesium levels are high, patients may experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, muscle weakness, low blood pressure and heart rhythm disorders. In severe cases, this condition can be life-threatening.
Verywell Health recommends stopping magnesium use and seeing a doctor if these symptoms appear.
How to know if the body is deficient in magnesium?
Determining magnesium deficiency is not simple. According to Verywell Health, a common blood test only shows the amount of magnesium in the serum, but does not fully reflect the amount of magnesium stored in the body.
This means that a person with normal test results may still not be sure if their body is really deficient.
If you want to use magnesium for a long time, doctors recommend periodic check-ups to ensure that magnesium levels in the blood do not increase excessively.
Who needs to be careful when using magnesium?
People with kidney disease need to be especially careful because the risk of magnesium hyperkalemia is higher. In addition, magnesium may interact with some medications, so users should consult a doctor before supplementing.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, the kidneys play a role in filtering excess magnesium out of the body. When kidney function declines, magnesium can accumulate in the blood and cause dangerous complications.
People with chronic kidney disease, especially in the progressive stage, are at high risk of magnesium hyperkalemia if they arbitrarily use magnesium-containing supplements or laxatives, antacids containing this ingredient.
In addition to people with kidney disease, people who are taking chronic medication should also consult a doctor because magnesium may interact with some medications.
