Magnesium is a mineral essential to good health. Your body works hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant. If your kidneys are not functioning properly, you can develop high levels of magnesium, which can be dangerous. Magnesium can also be involved in the formation of kidney stones, which can also affect kidney function. Talk to your doctor before taking magnesium supplements.
Kidney Stones
When substances in your urine get too concentrated, they form small crystals that can aggregate to form large masses, or kidney stones. Kidney stones can lodge in the ducts of the kidneys, causing intense pain in the flank and problems urinating. The most common type of kidney stone is made up of calcium and another molecule, known as oxalate, but magnesium is also found in kidney stones as well.
Kidney Disease and Magnesium
The kidneys are involved in filtering your blood and excreting a number of substances from your blood, including minerals such as magnesium. If your kidneys become damaged or do not work properly, they can lose the ability to excrete excess levels of magnesium, leading to this mineral accumulating in your blood. Kidney stones can cause kidney damage, either by directly damaging the kidneys or making it easier for bacteria to infect the kidneys.
Hypermagnesemia
Hypermagnesemia is the result of magnesium levels getting too high in your blood. You may not have any symptoms if your hypermagnesemia is mild, but as the disease progresses, you can develop health problems. Common symptoms include muscle weakness, decreased reflexes and confusion. In severe cases, hypermagnesemia can be fatal because it can affect the heart and cause respiratory failure. Taking magnesium supplements if you have kidney disease can result in hypermagnesemia.
Considerations
If you are concerned about developing hypermagnesemia, talk to your doctor. He can order blood tests to measure the amount of magnesium in your blood. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking magnesium or any other type of supplement. This is especially true if you have impaired kidney function, as you are at risk of accidentally overdosing due to poor urinary excretion of substances.
References
- "Acta Cirurgica Brasileira"; Chemical and morphological analysis of kidney stones. A double-blind comparative study; da Silva et al.; 2010
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium
- "Southern Medical Journal"; Fatal Hypermagnesemia Caused by an Epsom Salt Enema: A Case Illustration; Tofil et al.; 2005
- National Kidney Urologic and Disease Information Clearinghouse; What I need to know about Kidney Stones; April 2007
