High doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. In addition, the magnesium in supplements can interact with some types of antibiotics and other medicines.
“Magnesium is essential for brain function and acts on NMDA receptors in the brain which help brain development, learning and memory. It also helps with fatigue, tension, anxiety, mood, sleep and healthy functioning of the entire nervous system”.
Common side effects may include: loose stools, diarrhea, stomach cramps; upset stomach; dizziness; or.
If you take a high dose of magnesium right from the start it's like taking muscles that powered a bicycle and expect them to power a jet. Your body might just be so weak that revving up 800 enzyme systems all at once makes you feel jangled and even anxious because you don't know what's going on.
Too much magnesium from food does not pose a health risk in healthy individuals because the kidneys eliminate excess amounts in the urine [29]. However, high doses of magnesium from dietary supplements or medications often result in diarrhea that can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping [1].
Early signs of excessive magnesium intake can include low blood pressure, facial flushing, depression, urine retention, and fatigue. Eventually, if untreated, these symptoms can worsen and include muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and even, in very rare cases, cardiac arrest.
Antibiotics: Taking magnesium supplements may reduce the absorption of quinolone antibiotics, tetracycline antibiotics, and nitrofurantoin (Macrodandin). Magnesium should be taken 1 hour before or 2 hours after taking these medications. Quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics include: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Magnesium helps you to relax by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you sleep. Magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which lead to increased inflammation and stress.
Taking large or frequent doses of dietary magnesium supplements, including magnesium glycinate, can cause adverse effects, including diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Extremely high intakes of magnesium can lead to an irregular heartbeat and potentially a cardiac arrest, which can be dangerous.
Generally speaking, you will find that magnesium supplements start to work after one week of using them. After one week of regular magnesium supplementation, individuals may experience benefits such as improved energy levels, reduced muscle cramps, better sleep quality, and reduced anxiety.
Magnesium is being touted as a miracle supplement. If you do a quick search online, you will see it has been said to lower stress, help with sleep, lose weight, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, treat depression and anxiety, strengthen bones and increase testosterone levels.
Who should avoid magnesium supplements? Magnesium supplements may be unsafe for people taking diuretics, heart medications or antibiotics [5]. People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease, or kidney disease should only take this supplement if their healthcare provider prescribes it.
Magnesium yields opposite effects on the nuclear and cytosolic cascades of apoptosis in different rat brain regions. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 Sep;26(18):6523-6535.
Magnesium is important for maintaining muscle and nervous system function, cardiac electrical properties, and for supporting immune system as well as regulating glucose and insulin metabolism [2,3].
The claimed benefits of magnesium supplementation range from boosts in everyday wellness — better sleep, increased energy levels and improved mood — to specific health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and improvement in migraines.
Common side effects of magnesium citrate may include:
loose stools, diarrhea, stomach cramps; upset stomach; dizziness; or. increased sweating.
Magnesium also modulates activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPAA) which is a central substrate of the stress response system. Activation of the HPAA instigates adaptive autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral responses to cope with the demands of the stressor; including increasing anxiety.
Low serum magnesium has been linked to depressive symptoms. Magnesium effects the Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in the brain, which controls the stress response system and therefore, anxiety and depression.
High doses can also result in falsely elevated blood glucose readings, which can be problematic for diabetics. Low blood glucose can cause them to feel shaky, sweaty and can even lead to seizure or a loss of consciousness.
While they may provide enough daily magnesium to make a difference with anxiety symptoms, they are not without potential drawbacks. Though magnesium is generally safe, if you take too much, it can cause side effects. Also, magnesium may interact with certain medications, including: antibiotics.
When taken in very large amounts (greater than 350 mg daily), magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Side effects of magnesium
Taking magnesium supplements can bring a range of side effects, such as drowsiness or fatigue during the day, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, skin flushing or diarrhea, Gurubhagavatula said. Some risks are even more serious.
Caution is advised if you have diabetes, alcohol dependence, liver disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), or any other condition that requires you to limit/avoid these substances in your diet. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using this product safely. During pregnancy, this product should be used only when clearly needed.