Magnesium deficiency is a common but often unnoticeable condition that can cause sudden muscle cramps, arrhythmias and a general feeling of unwellness. The NHS explains: The typical complaint is muscle cramps, especially in the calves, which are more common at night or while resting; some patients also experience tremors, weakness and even irregular heart rhythms. The standard way to check is to have a blood test for magnesium, which your doctor may order if you have nausea, weakness, twitching, cramps or signs of arrhythmia.
NHS professional guidelines describe the evolution of symptoms: initially loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue and weakness, and as the deficiency worsens, paresthesias, muscle contractions and cramps, mood swings, heart rhythm disturbances and even coronary spasms. In severe cases, shifts in other electrolytes (calcium and potassium) are possible, further unbalancing the cardiovascular system.
The US National Institutes of Health specify: a pronounced deficiency due to a "poor" diet alone is rare in healthy people, but chronically low intake or excessive loss of magnesium due to disease, alcohol abuse, or medications is a common cause of problems. The consequences of a long-term lack of magnesium include increased risks of hypertension and cardiovascular events, worsening glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and migraines.
The groups at higher risk are well defined. These include people with inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. Crohn's disease) and malabsorption, patients with diabetes (due to urinary magnesium losses), people with chronic alcoholism, and the elderly - their absorption deteriorates with age and their renal excretion of magnesium increases; concomitant diseases and medications also have an additional effect.
Assessment of magnesium status begins with a blood test, but doctors remind: most of the magnesium is not in the plasma, so if necessary, additional tests are used and always take into account the clinical picture and possible causes of losses (in particular, long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, diuretics, etc.). In any case, the issue of diagnosis and correction (diet, supplements or treatment of the underlying cause) should be discussed with your family doctor.
Important: self-prescribing high doses of supplements is dangerous - excess magnesium from dietary supplements and medications can cause diarrhea, a sharp drop in blood pressure, rhythm disturbances, and even hypermagnesemia, especially in kidney disease.
