Magnesium sulfate is used as a sterile injection for the treatment of magnesium deficiency and is a preventive and treatment option for seizures. By inhibiting the effect of acetylcholine, a protein released by nerve cells to control muscle contraction, magnesium sulfate can block uncontrolled twitching of muscles involved in a seizure. Because of its ability to control the underlying biochemical process involved in muscle contraction, magnesium sulfate at high levels has numerous side effects, including decreased organ function.
General Side Effects
Magnesium sulfate can cause numerous side effects, including increased sweating, hot flashes and dizziness. Magnesium sulfate can also cause hypotension, or decreased blood pressure, as well as decreased heart rate, suppressed respiratory activity and decreased reflexes. In some cases, magnesium sulfate can cause complete circulatory collapse, a term that is used as a general description of the failure of the circulatory system.
Pregnancy Contraindications
An injection of magnesium sulfate into a pregnant woman would not cause serious notable defects in fetal development, according to DailyMed, a service of the National Institutes of Health. But continuous IV administration of magnesium sulfate as a treatment for convulsions in toxemic mothers can cause magnesium toxicity in unborn children, which involves decreased respiration and decreased neuromuscular activity. Although data are limited, magnesium sulfate should be avoided when breastfeeding in case of unknown toxicities.
Drug Interactions
The depressive effects of magnesium sulfate on the central nervous system can increase the effects of barbiturates and other narcotics. The dosage of barbiturates and similar medications should be adjusted in order to decrease the chance of side effects. When used in combination with digoxin, a medication commonly used to treat heart failure, magnesium sulfate can cause severe cardiac effects, including heart block. Heart block occurs when the electrical impulses of the heart are decreased, causing an inefficient heartbeat.
Renal Insufficiency
Magnesium sulfate should be administered to patients with renal insufficiency, or decreased kidney function, with extreme caution. In patients with some types of kidney disease, the excretion of magnesium sulfate is decreased, which may lead to unsafe levels.
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