Magnesium Side Effects
Are Very Common
But Easily Managed

What is Magnesium

While Magnesium Side Effects are actually relatively common, they are easily managed and are not a reason to have to stop taking magnesium. Magnesium is a vital nutrient in the body that is obtained mainly from fruits and vegetables. It is considered an 'Electrolyte', meaning that it helps to carry electrical impulses throughout the body. It is present in VERY large amounts INSIDE of each and every single cell in your body and its movement out of and back into the cells is what makes muscular contraction and thought even possible.

Many diseases have a component of Magnesium Deficiency, such as the strong link between Fibromyalgia and Magnesium deficiency - and many drugs have the side effect of Magnesium Depletion that is often overlooked because doctors use routine Magnesium Blood Levels to determine magnesium deficiency.

But blood levels don't test for the amount of magnesium INSIDE the cells- which is where the vast majority of magnesium IS. So your Magnesium Level in your blood is not a valid test to determine the need for magnesium, despite its routine use by doctors and in hospitals.

Magnesium Supplement Side Effects

Magnesium Taken by Mouth

Magnesium side effects are EXTREMELY common with oral supplementation. Because of this, many doctors refuse to use magnesium routinely saying that magnesium side effects are 'Too Problematic' for magnesium to be of wide use and that drugs for most conditions are better and without as many problems.

While the side effects ARE common, a little bit education can completely eliminate these problems – or even make magnesium side effects become USEFUL and beneficial to your health! The side effects of magnesium are common for every single supplement and drug in the world and are often at the same rate as for placebo drugs. These include nausea and vomiting.

Magnesium has been well- studied in many research trials and these show that magnesium has an extremely low number of side effects and an AMAZINGLY good safety profile with virtually the only people ever reporting Magnesium Overdose are those with kidney problems or those who have received inappropriate dosing by the intravenous route in hospitals.

That one Side Effect is loose stools or diarrhea.

Occasionally this occurs with abdominal pain or cramping, but most of the time, it is simply loose stools at higher dosages. For some who are already have regular bowel movements or are prone to loose stools, this could be a problem. For those who are prone to constipation, however, it is likely that your constipation is a Sign of Magnesium Deficiency anyway, and therefore taking magnesium could remedy this problem for you.

Read Dr. Carolyn Dean's Post on Four Ways to Stop Magnesium from Causing Diarrhea and get the first module of her Future Health Now Program for free while you are there. You can also get more information about magnesium and side effects of magnesium from the Nutritional Magnesium Association.

Intravenous Magnesium Side Effects

Magnesium Sulfate is often given in hospitals by infusion directly into a vein, and side effects do occur when magnesium is used as a medication in this way. As with all medications given by the intravenous route, there is always the chance of allergic reactions and pain or infection at the infusion site. But magnesium side effects are fairly rare even when given this way.

The side effects of magnesium given intravenously are:

Temporary skin flushing

Slower heart rate

Nausea/vomiting

Sweating

All in all, there are few magnesium side effects when it is given intravenously or when taken by mouth.

Avoiding Magnesium Side Effects

It's easy to avoid magnesium side effects if you know a couple of the Magnesium Facts. First of all, taking the right amount of magnesium is the key to avoiding loose stools. How do you know how much to take to avoid magnesium side effects. It is easy if you follow the instructions on the Magnesium Dosage page.

For those of you who still have Signs of Magnesium Deficiency despite having loose stools, you can either:

Take Epsom Salt Baths as outlined on the Epsom Salt Uses page
Or Use
Magnesium Oil rubbed topically into the skin

Both of these strategies can get you extra magnesium if you get loose stools on a very low dose of magnesium. This is because magnesium is easily absorbed right through the skin and into your bloodstream. Those who are severely magnesium deficient can notice a difference in their sleeping or in their pain levels after the first time that they use Magnesium Oil or take an Epsom Salt Bath- that is how powerful magnesium is as a drug.

When You Should Avoid Taking Magnesium

If you take too much Magnesium, there is always the chance of a Magnesium Overdose, so you should be aware of those symptoms if you are taking magnesium supplements.

Anyone with impaired kidney function for ANY reason should NOT take magnesium until they are specifically told to do so by their doctor. If you have:

Kidney Failure

Renal Failure

Are on Dialysis

A Kidney Doctor or Nephrologist

Impaired Kidney Function

This does NOT include those who simply get frequent "Kidney Infections", which are almost always urinary tract infections or bladder infections and not true infections of the kidney. This also does NOT include those who get frequent kidney stones. As long as your kidney FUNCTION is normal, those who are 'stone formers' can benefit GREATLY from the addition of extra magnesium- however, you should speak to your doctor about this first.

You should also NOT take magnesium if you currently have an excessively slow heart rate, myasthenia gravis or a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation unless you specifically get instructions from your doctor to do so.

While there are a few reasons, outlined above, to avoid taking magnesium- the truth is that the vast majority of people with chronic illnesses are suffering from Signs of Magnesium Deficiency and can benefit from extra magnesium- either in your diet or in the form of supplements.

But if you are already magnesium deficient, you would need to become a vegan to get the large amounts of magnesium that you would need in order to replace your low magnesium stores. For those whom that sounds like a great idea, then take a look at David Wolfe's Longevity Now Program which can show you how to improve chronic health problems and manage a safe and successful vegan diet.

But for most people, simply taking Magnesium Supplements is the better choice. If this is a better choice for you, then keep reading to find out the right Magnesium Dosage...

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Magnesium Dosage

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