Hypomagnesemia occurs with both loop diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide, torsemide, and ethacrynic acid) and thiazide diuretics (chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide, and metolazone).
Even when people are very conscientious about their diets, they may be taking medications that can undermine healthy magnesium levels. Diuretics like furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide, chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide often deplete magnesium along with potassium.
A variety of drugs including antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, diuretics and proton-pump inhibitors can cause magnesium loss and hypomagnesemia (see Table 1) [10,27,28,33,34,39,41,42].
Magnesium deficiency can cause: loss of appetite. nausea and vomiting. fatigue and weakness.
Common causes of low magnesium include: Alcohol use. Burns that affect a large area of the body. Chronic diarrhea.
Deficiencies due to poor absorption of magnesium from the gastrointestinal tract include: Diseases causing malabsorption such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Gastric bypass surgery. Hereditary syndromes causing poor absorption of magnesium (primary intestinal hypomagnesemia).
Chronic magnesium deficiency is often associated with normal serum magnesium despite deficiency in cells and in bone; the response to oral supplementation is slow and may take up to 40 weeks to reach a steady state.
Very low magnesium levels may cause:
Headaches. Nighttime leg cramps. Numbness or tingling in the legs or hands. General body weakness.
Thus, the elderly population is especially at risk of magnesium deficiency due to low intake but also increased risk for chronic diseases that predispose to magnesium deficiency (ageing also reduces magnesium absorption from the diet, ie, achlorhydria).
Hypomagnesemia is an electrolyte disturbance caused by a low serum magnesium level (less than 1.46 mg/dL) in the blood. Hypomagnesemia can be attributed to chronic disease, alcohol use disorder, gastrointestinal losses, renal losses, and other conditions.
Statins: Cholesterol-lowering medications, such as Lipitor, are intended to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. These prescription drugs bind to fats that are necessary for mineral absorption, reducing the body's capacity to use magnesium.
One study found that very high doses of zinc from supplements (142 mg/day) can interfere with magnesium absorption and disrupt the magnesium balance in the body [17].
Bananas may be best known for being rich in heart-healthy and bone-strengthening potassium, but a medium-size banana also provides 32 mg of magnesium, in addition to 10.3 mg of vitamin C (a good source) and 3 g (a good source) of fiber, according to the USDA.
Dark chocolates are confirmed as an excellent source of magnesium (252.2 mg/100 g) and iron (10.9 mg/100 g): in chocolate containing 90% cocoa, their content corresponds to, respectively, 67.0% and 80.3 of Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) in the European Union.
Magnesium deficiency can lead to mental health symptoms like apathy and lack of emotion. In severe cases, it can cause delirium and coma. Studies have shown that magnesium deficiency may be associated with depression and anxiety.
Quite the dilemma. The good news is, stress and chronic fatigue that might result from low magnesium levels can be reversed. Supplementing with magnesium is shown to reverse low red blood cell magnesium and improved energy, emotional state, and pain levels in people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Hypokalemia and Hyperkalemia
Magnesium depletion typically occurs after diuretic use, sustained alcohol consumption, or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Magnesium glycinate -- Magnesium glycinate (magnesium bound with glycine, a non-essential amino acid) is one of the most bioavailable and absorbable forms of magnesium, and also the least likely to induce diarrhea.
You can test your magnesium levels by purchasing a simple at-home finger prick test kit which is then analysed at an accredited lab. Forth offers a number of blood tests which include magnesium such as our Nutri-check test and Menopause Health blood test.