Last Updated on by Eat Better Move More
People who use magnesium supplements run the danger of having an excessive amount of magnesium in their bodies. The symptoms of cramping, nausea, depression and low blood pressure can all be caused by taking in excessive amounts of magnesium.
It may be necessary for you to stop taking magnesium supplements but you may suffer magnesium L-threonate withdrawal.
You must make an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you suffer any of the symptoms of magnesium toxicity. Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in the body’s various activities, including nerve function, the regulation of blood sugar, the synthesis of protein, and the control of blood pressure.
It can be found in foods such as seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and cereals that are completely unprocessed. However, many people also take magnesium supplements to control their bowel motions and aid in the healing of their muscles.
When consuming food products, it is unusual to consume an excessive amount of magnesium; nevertheless, this is more likely to occur when using magnesium supplements.
People who already have kidney problems, among others, are at a greater risk of consuming an excessive amount of magnesium. Here is how to recognize the symptoms of having too much magnesium and how to seek the assistance you require.
How Much Magnesium is Considered Excessive?
The recommended daily intake of magnesium for adult men is between 400 and 420 milligrams, and the recommended daily intake of magnesium for adult women is between 310 and 320 milligrams. It is estimated that over 48 percent of Americans do not get enough magnesium from their diets, which is why supplementation is so widespread.
When using magnesium supplements, you should never drink more than the tolerated upper intake level, which is 350 mg per day for those who are 9 or older. The Food and Drug Administration established this threshold. If you take more than that dose, you may begin to experience symptoms as soon as the second day.
The amount of magnesium that various magnesium supplements have to offer varies. Magnesium-specific supplements often include 200 mg or more of the mineral, but a multivitamin may contain only 100 mg of magnesium at most.
The Side Effects of Magnesium
If you take in an excessive amount of magnesium, the first symptoms that may present themselves are cramps, diarrhoea, and nausea.
When the concentration of magnesium in your blood reaches 1.74 to 2.61 millimoles per litre, this indicates that you may be suffering from magnesium poisoning. When this occurs, you might also notice additional symptoms, such as the following:
- Weakness in the muscles
- and a lowering of blood pressure.
- A sudden rush of water to the face.
- Keeping the fluid in place.
- Lethargy.
- Depression.
- Confusion.
Magnesium toxicity of a severe degree can result in difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, and even cardiac arrest. People who consume excessive amounts of magnesium have a very small risk of developing deadly hypermagnesemia, an electrolyte disease that is most common in those who are suffering from kidney failure. The symptoms of magnesium toxicity can build up over time, particularly if you are taking supplements that have a high amount.
Treatment
If you are taking a supplement that contains magnesium and you begin to experience symptoms of magnesium poisoning, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is especially important if you have recently started using the supplement.
The first step in treating magnesium toxicity is to discontinue the use of any nutritional supplements or pharmaceuticals that contain magnesium. Your magnesium levels should drop to roughly half of what they were for the average adult within twenty-eight hours after discontinuing the use of any medications or supplements, and you should start to feel significantly better.
However, the length of time required for this process is heavily reliant on the level of kidney function, given that magnesium is typically eliminated from the body through the kidneys.
If your levels are incredibly high, or if you have difficulties with your kidneys, your doctor may decide to give you an intravenous diuretic. This will help you generate more urine and eliminate magnesium more rapidly, but only if your levels are particularly high.
Calcium gluconate or calcium chloride may be prescribed by a doctor if your symptoms are severe and include low blood pressure or loss of muscle function. These drugs can neutralize magnesium in the body, so preventing it from altering the part of your nerves and muscles.
People who suffer from kidney disease have a more difficult time recovering from their condition because their kidneys may be less able to handle magnesium. It may be necessary for a patient to undergo dialysis to remove magnesium from their blood in more severe situations. Within just four hours, the quantity of magnesium that is present in the blood can be cut in half by the process of dialysis.
Factors, Danger and Their Interplay
The danger of magnesium overdose is rather low for the typical healthy adult who takes magnesium supplements. People who are at the greatest risk typically either have an underlying illness that impairs kidney function or are taking drugs or supplements with a very high dose. Both of these factors can put a person in danger.
Patients with cancer who are undergoing therapies such as chemotherapy, which can reduce the number of blood cells in their bodies, are also at an increased risk of having magnesium levels that are too high. Magnesium can be released into the body when red blood cells swell to the point where they burst, a process known as cellular hemolysis.
Because high doses of magnesium are typically administered to patients suffering from preeclampsia to prevent seizures, pregnant women who are undergoing treatment for preeclampsia are at an increased risk of developing the condition. Magnesium treatment for these patients is often administered for a brief period, typically for less than 24 hours. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against continuing to use it for more than five to seven days at a time. During your therapy, your physician will keep a close eye on you to look for any signs of magnesium toxicity.
Even though taking a magnesium supplement might not appear dangerous, several medications already contain magnesium, and taking a magnesium supplement might interact with those medications and raise your risk of toxicity. Among the medications that can cause interactions with magnesium supplements are:
- Bisphosphonates are a type of medication that is used to treat osteoporosis.
- Antibiotics like demeclocycline (trade name: Declomycin®) and doxycycline (trade name: Vibramycin®), for example.
- Diuretics.
- Some proton-pump inhibitor medications are taken to lower the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
Concentrate on consuming foods that are rich in magnesium, such as chia seeds, spinach, and black beans, to raise the amount of this mineral that your body takes in. If you are still having trouble with it, taking a magnesium supplement can be helpful, and the risk of taking too much of it is quite low. You should never keep your supplement use a secret from your physician and always discuss it with them. Many have the potential to interact negatively with drugs or to produce hazardous effects.
Magnesium L-Threonate Withdrawal Effect
The first step in treating magnesium toxicity is to discontinue the use of any nutritional supplements or pharmaceuticals that contain magnesium. Your magnesium levels should drop to roughly half of what they were for the average adult within twenty-eight hours after discontinuing the use of any medications or supplements. You may feel some unpleasant withdrawal but it won’t take long, you should start to feel significantly better.
But take note, if a magnesium shortage is not treated, you run the risk of developing symptoms such as tingling and numbness, changes in personality, abnormal heart rhythms, and seizures. If you see any signs of deficiency, it is essential to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.
Summary
Users of magnesium supplements run the risk of having their bodies contain an excessive amount of the mineral because of the supplement. Consuming an excessive amount of magnesium may result in a variety of unpleasant side effects, including cramps, nausea, sadness, and a drop in blood pressure. These are the warning signs that you may have an excess of magnesium, as well as the steps you may take to receive the assistance you require.
People who ingest an abnormally high amount of magnesium have a very low chance of having hypermagnesemia, which is an electrolyte condition that occurs most frequently in patients who are experiencing kidney failure. The first step in treating magnesium poisoning is to stop using any nutritional supplements or pharmaceuticals that include magnesium. This includes both over-the-counter and prescription medications.
A normal healthy adult who takes magnesium supplements faces a relatively minimal risk of magnesium overdose as a result of their consumption of these supplements. People who have an underlying condition that inhibits kidney function or who are taking medications or supplements at an extremely high level are often the ones who are at the highest risk.
When red blood cells enlarge to the point where they burst, magnesium can be released into the body as a byproduct of this process. Both the risk of ingesting too much magnesium and the risk of overdosing on magnesium is rather modest for most people. If you observe any symptoms of magnesium deficiency, you need to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible.
The first step in addressing magnesium poisoning is to stop using any nutritional supplements or medicines that include magnesium. This should be done as soon as possible. You may feel some unpleasant withdrawal effects but it won’t take long, you should start to feel significantly better.
