Magnesium is essential for multiple bodily functions, and it also helps regulate the amount of other minerals in your system. However, getting too much or too little can cause adverse symptoms, like nausea. Taking magnesium supplements may also cause stomach upset, even in moderate doses. Discuss your magnesium levels with your doctor to determine if you need to alter your intake, and tell her about the nausea you are experiencing.
Deficiency
Most people do not meet the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for magnesium through their diets. The RDA is 420 mg for men older than 30, and it is 320 mg for women over 30, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. However, a genuine deficiency in this mineral is rare and most likely the result of certain medical conditions that can upset your body's balance of magnesium, such as diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases or hyperthyroidism. Temporary illnesses that cause vomiting and diarrhea can also lower your magnesium levels. Nausea is a symptom of a magnesium deficiency, and other signs include vomiting, fatigue, weakness, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping, trouble breathing and poor nail growth.
Supplements
Your doctor may prescribe magnesium supplements if you develop a deficiency in the mineral or are at risk for one. It is important to discuss proper dosing with her, but even if you do ingest the right amount, you may still experience nausea, diarrhea and other types of stomach upset. Take your supplement with a meal or right after one to decrease your risks of developing these adverse symptoms. If your nausea persists even when you consume your supplements with food, tell your doctor.
Overdose
Overdosing on magnesium through food is unlikely, but if you take supplements, ingesting too much can have toxic effects. The tolerable upper limit for magnesium supplements is 350 mg, but there is no tolerable upper limit for magnesium in food, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Along with nausea, symptoms of a magnesium overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, fatigue, an irregular heartbeat and confusion. It is also possible to overdose on this mineral if you ingest large amounts of Epsom salts or milk of magnesia.
Additional Considerations
Nausea can have many causes and may not necessarily be associated with your intake of magnesium or lack thereof. If your symptoms are concerning you, see your doctor, who can help you determine the source of your nausea. People with certain conditions, like heart or kidney disease, should not ingest magnesium supplements without their doctor's consent. Always discuss new supplements with your health-care provider before taking them, and tell him about any conditions you have.
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