Magnesium helps control the amount of potassium that moves into and out of your cells. Because these minerals have such a close relationship, you may develop a high magnesium level and high potassium level at the same time. If allowed to progress without treatment, hypermagnesemia and hyperkalemia -- the medical terms for high magnesium levels and high potassium levels -- cause serious complications and increase the risk of death. If you have any of the signs or symptoms of either condition, seek prompt medical attention to reduce the risk of complications.
Hypermagnesemia Causes
Hypermagnesemia and hyperkalemia occur when a disease or drug affects the amounts of these minerals absorbed in your body or excreted by your urinary system. Hypermagnesemia sometimes occurs in chronic renal failure patients who ingest excessive amounts of vitamins and antacids. Other causes of this condition include acute renal failure, administration of excessive magnesium in an attempt to correct other medical conditions, lithium intoxication, bowel obstruction, reduced motility of the bowel, chronic constipation, adrenal insufficiency, tumor lysis syndrome, milk alkali syndrome, hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetic ketoacidosis and certain types of neoplasms.
Hyperkalemia Causes
Hyperkalemia occurs in cases of renal failure, muscle fiber breakdown, metabolic acidosis, renal tubular acidosis, hyperaldosteronism, pseudohyperaldosteronism and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. If you take heparin, NSAIDs, succinylcholine, potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements, beta-blockers and penicillin antibiotics, you may have an increased risk for hyperkalemia.
Significance
Too much magnesium in your blood results in nausea, skin flushing, vomiting, lightheadedness, weakness and lethargy at first. As the condition progresses, it causes more serious symptoms. These include low blood pressure, blood vessel dilation, cardiac arrhythmia, skeletal muscle paralysis and heart block. Coma and death are the most serious consequences of untreated hypermagnesemia. Jeffrey Schelling, M.D., of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, described a patient with undiagnosed renal failure who received a magnesium-based laxative prior to surgery. The magnesium administration resulted in a severe case of hypermagnesemia. Although the medical team successfully reduced her magnesium level, the woman died due to respiratory failure and heart attack. Before she died, the patient had one of the highest serum magnesium levels ever recorded.
Hyperkalemia also affects your circulatory, nervous and muscular systems. Mild cases may cause no symptoms, but untreated hyperkalemia causes nausea, trouble breathing, weakness, numbness and tingling, fatigue and vomiting. The most serious cases lead to paralysis and cardiac arrhythmia.
Hypermagnesemia Treatment
The treatment for hypermagnesemia depends on the cause of the condition. If you have renal failure, you should avoid medications that contain magnesium to avoid severe hypermagnesemia. If you take magnesium supplements, stopping supplementation allows the amount of magnesium in the blood to return to normal. In cases of severe hypermagnesemia, administration of calcium helps prevent life-threatening respiratory and cardiac effects. Doctors also administer drugs intended to increase the amount of magnesium excreted from the urinary system.
Hyperkalemia Treatment
Calcium gluconate and calcium carbonate help restore normal heart function in cases of hyperkalemia. Sodium bicarbonate and beta agonists encourage potassium to shift from the circulatory system into cells. Binding resins cause potassium to enter the cells in exchange for a release of sodium into the gastrointestinal system. Diuretics, also known as water pills, increase the amount of potassium excreted by your kidneys.
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