Can Diarrhea Result From Using Magnesium Supplements?

Magnesium supplements, including magnesium glycinate, can cause adverse effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. These issues are not easily recognized due to the lack of diagnostic tools. Magnesium is a water-soluble nutrient, meaning it cannot be absorbed by the body. Overdose of magnesium can lead to diarrhea and abdominal cramps, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and death.

Prescription-only magnesium supplements, taken by IV or as a shot for longer than 5 days, may also cause diarrhea. High doses of magnesium can cause nausea, upset stomach, and diarrhea. The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for magnesium is 350 milligrams daily for adults, which is the maximum amount unlikely to cause side effects.

Excessive ingestion of magnesium can cause diarrhea, which can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Toxic amounts of magnesium can cause kidney problems. Taking magnesium supplements on an empty stomach may cause diarrhea. For individuals taking the extended-release form of this dietary supplement, swallowing the tablets is recommended.

Magnesium bisglycinate is another common form of magnesium supplement that can cause diarrhea. Taking too much magnesium from a supplement in amounts exceeding the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (the “UL”) for magnesium can cause diarrhea. It is important to note that magnesium supplements are generally safe to use, but excessive intake can lead to serious health issues.

What should you avoid when taking magnesium?

Certain medications should not be taken with magnesium, including certain antibiotics, PPI drugs, diuretics, bisphosphonates, and high doses of zinc. If you take any of these medications and might need to supplement your diet with magnesium, speak to your healthcare provider before adding any new medications or supplements to your daily routine.

What form of magnesium does not cause diarrhea?

Magnesium supplements come in various salt forms, including Mg oxide, Mg citrate, Mg chloride, Mg gluconate, Mg malate, and Mg glycinate. The US Institute of Medicine (IOM) established a magnesium (Mg) tolerable upper intake level (UL) for adults in 1997, which is currently debated due to diarrhea being a limiting factor. Increasing the UL may lead to more Mg supplementation, decreasing the prevalence of undernutrition for this nutrient and providing additional protection against numerous chronic diseases.

To update the literature base, a PubMed search was conducted to identify intervention studies published between 1997 and 2022 that used single-ingredient Mg products reporting a priori diarrhea adverse events among adults. The Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS) was also searched for adverse events caused by Mg supplementation.

The updated data suggest that increasing the tolerable upper intake level for magnesium supplements is safe and may decrease the prevalence of individuals not meeting their need for this nutrient, which contributes to protection against numerous chronic diseases. The updated data indicate that doses above the current UL for Mg supplements can be consumed without adverse events.

What is the most common side effect of magnesium?

More common side effects from magnesium include upset stomach and diarrhea.

Magnesium competes with calcium for absorption and can cause a calcium deficiency if calcium levels are already low. Some medications may lower magnesium levels in the body. These include:

• Chemotherapy drugs
• Diuretics
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Steroids
• Certain antibiotics

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use magnesium without talking to your health care provider first.

Is it safe to take magnesium every day?

Is taking a magnesium supplement safe?. The benefits of magnesium supplementation in healthy individuals aren’t clear, but Dr. Nassar says that taking a magnesium supplement every day likely isn’t unsafe for most people.

Just be sure you’re not taking too much magnesium. The maximum dietary allowance for most adults is around 400 mg or less.

And Dr. Nassar doesn’t recommend starting a magnesium supplement without first discussing it with your primary-care doctor. He or she will need to review your health history, as well as any medications you’re taking.

“Certain medical conditions, like kidney problems, can increase the risk of magnesium build-up and toxicity,” warns Dr. Nassar. “And magnesium can decrease the absorption of some medications and interact with others.”

How long after taking magnesium will I poop?

Magnesium citrate comes as a powder to mix with a liquid and as a solution (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken as a single daily dose or to divide the dose into two or more parts over one day. Do not take magnesium citrate for more than 1 week, unless your doctor tells you to do so. Magnesium citrate usually causes a bowel movement within 30 minutes to 6 hours after taking it. Follow the directions on your product label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take magnesium citrate exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Take the liquid product with a full glass (8 ounces (240 milliliters)) of liquid.

To prepare the powder for solution, mix the powder with 10 ounces (296 milliliters) of cold water or other liquids and shake or stir the mixture thoroughly. If needed, refrigerate the solution after mixing it, but mix it again before use. If the oral solution mixture is not used within 36 hours after preparation, dispose of the mixture. Be sure to ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about how to mix or take this medication.

Do magnesium supplements have a laxative effect?

Yes, magnesium can help you poop. When you take magnesium supplements, much of the mineral stays in the gut. This draws water into the bowels, which helps keep things moving. This is sometimes called an “osmotic effect,” and it’s why magnesium can be an effective laxative.

Why am I pooping so much with magnesium?

• Muscle relaxation: Magnesium may relax the muscles in the intestines. This can help to establish a smoother flow as the stool passes through the bowels.
• Stool softener: Magnesium draws water into the intestines, working as an osmotic laxative. This increase in water stimulates bowel motion, or motility. It also softens and increases the size of the stool. This prompts a bowel movement and helps to make stools easier to pass.

Food Sources of Magnesium. The best place to get magnesium is from the food you eat. Pumpkin seeds, for example, contain very high amounts of magnesium—about 152 milligrams (mg) per ounce.

• Nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts, and cashews
• Beans and legumes such as black beans and lima beans
• Whole grains, including whole wheat bread, wheat bran, and oatmeal
• Dark chocolate
• Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens

How many mg of magnesium can cause diarrhea?

When taken by mouth : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately. Doses less than 350 mg daily are safe for most adults. In some people, magnesium might cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects. 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.

When given as a shot or by IV : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when the prescription-only, injectable product is used correctly by a healthcare provider.

When taken by mouth : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately. Doses less than 350 mg daily are safe for most adults. In some people, magnesium might cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects. 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.

When should I stop taking magnesium?

When taken by mouth : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately. Doses less than 350 mg daily are safe for most adults. In some people, magnesium might cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects. 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.

When given as a shot or by IV : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when the prescription-only, injectable product is used correctly by a healthcare provider.

When taken by mouth : Magnesium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately. Doses less than 350 mg daily are safe for most adults. In some people, magnesium might cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects. 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.

What are signs of too much magnesium?

Very large doses of magnesium-containing laxatives and antacids (typically providing more than 5, 000 mg/day magnesium) have been associated with magnesium toxicity , including fatal hypermagnesemia in a 28-month-old boy and an elderly man . Symptoms of magnesium toxicity, which usually develop after serum concentrations exceed 1. 74–2. 61 mmol/L, can include hypotension, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, retention of urine, ileus, depression, and lethargy before progressing to muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, extreme hypotension, irregular heartbeat, and cardiac arrest . The risk of magnesium toxicity increases with impaired renal function or kidney failure because the ability to remove excess magnesium is reduced or lost ( 1, 29 ).

The FNB has established ULs for supplemental magnesium for healthy infants, children, and adults (see Table 3) . For many age groups, the UL appears to be lower than the RDA. This occurs because the RDAs include magnesium from all sources—food, beverages, dietary supplements, and medications. The ULs include magnesium from only dietary supplements and medications; they do not include magnesium found naturally in food and beverages.

Interactions with Medications. Several types of medications have the potential to interact with magnesium supplements or affect magnesium status. A few examples are provided below. People taking these and other medications on a regular basis should discuss their magnesium intakes with their health care providers.

Is magnesium good for your gut health?

7. Magnesium and digestive health. Magnesium is key in helping your digestive system work well. It helps break down your food and helps your body absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. Also, it can help make it easier to go to the bathroom by relaxing your stomach muscles and bringing in water to soften the stool.

8. Magnesium and muscle function. Magnesium plays a role in muscle function by helping your muscles squeeze and relax. It may also keep your muscles from getting cramps and feeling tired.

People who do a lot of exercise, like athletes, might feel better and have more energy if they eat a diet rich in magnesium or supplement with magnesium.