Magnesium citrate is a chemical compound derived when the mineral magnesium is combined with citric acid. Health supplements containing magnesium citrate are commonly used to treat magnesium deficiencies or constipation. Magnesium citrate supplements are generally safe and well-tolerated when taken at the recommended dose, but they may cause potentially harmful side effects if used in excess. As you should before you take any other health supplement, consult a qualified healthcare provider before taking magnesium citrate.
Gastrointestinal Side Effects
Magnesium citrate supplements have potent laxative properties, and they are commonly used for short-term relief of constipation. Using magnesium citrate as a laxative frequently produces watery, loose stools. Excess use can lead to severe diarrhea, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center. Other possible gastrointestinal effects include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and abdominal cramps.
Overdose Effects
As a mineral, magnesium is involved in regulating many crucial biochemical reactions in the body. Consuming excess magnesium citrate supplements can upset the delicate balance of electrolytes in the body and cause side effects that are potentially harmful. Symptoms of a magnesium overdose include confusion, fatigue, muscle weakness, dangerously low blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm and difficult breathing, explains the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. In extreme cases, coma, cardiac arrest and possibly death may result from a magnesium overdose.
Overdose Risk Factors
Certain health conditions can increase the risk of a magnesium overdose. In particular, the kidneys normally remove excess magnesium from the bloodstream, and health conditions affecting the kidneys may increase the risk of magnesium accumulating to dangerous levels in the body, warns the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Drug Interaction
Magnesium citrate may reduce the effectiveness of several types of antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and doxycycline. Supplements containing magnesium citrate may also interfere with a thyroid medication called levothyroxine and with medications used to treat osteoporosis, such as alendronate. Take magnesium citrate supplements at least one or two hours before taking these other medications. Magnesium citrate supplements may cause potentially harmful side effects with a heart medication called "digoxin" and with several blood pressure medications, including diltiazem and verapamil, as well as several diabetes medications, such as glipizide and glyburide.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Magnesium
- MayoClinic.com: Magnesium Supplement (Oral Route, Parenteral Route); November 2010
- Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health: Magnesium; July 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Magnesium Jane Higdon et al.; August 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Magnesium Citrate (By Mouth); January 2010
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