Symptoms of low magnesium deficiency
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Symptoms of Low Magnesium Deficiency
Neurological Symptoms: Muscle Irritability and Convulsions
Low magnesium levels can lead to significant neurological symptoms. In animals, magnesium deficiency has been shown to cause increased nervous system irritability, leading to convulsions and seizures. These seizures can be spontaneous or triggered by stimuli such as loud noises. In severe cases, these convulsions can be fatal 1. Similar symptoms are observed in humans, where magnesium deficiency can cause muscle irritability, clonic twitching, and tremors 5.
Psychiatric Symptoms: Apathy to Psychosis
Magnesium deficiency can also manifest as psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms are often non-specific and can range from apathy to severe psychosis. Conditions that can lead to magnesium deficiency include malabsorption, malnutrition, alcoholism, and diuretic treatment. Diagnosing magnesium deficiency in these cases often requires serum magnesium tests, urine analysis, and magnesium loading tests 2.
Cardiovascular Symptoms: Arrhythmias and Hypertension
Magnesium plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health. Deficiency in magnesium can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeats that can be life-threatening. Hypomagnesemia, or low serum magnesium, is often observed in conditions like congestive heart failure, diabetic acidosis, and after diuretic therapy. Magnesium therapy has been shown to improve survival rates in patients with myocardial infarction 49.
Metabolic Symptoms: Hypocalcemia and Hypokalemia
Magnesium deficiency often leads to other electrolyte imbalances, such as hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) and hypokalemia (low potassium levels). These imbalances can exacerbate the symptoms of magnesium deficiency, leading to more severe clinical manifestations 45.
General Symptoms: Weakness, Fatigue, and Cognitive Disorders
General symptoms of magnesium deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and cognitive disorders. These symptoms are often non-specific and can be mistaken for other conditions, especially in the elderly. Chronic magnesium deficiency has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and osteoporosis 7.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Diarrhea and Malabsorption
Gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea and malabsorption disorders can lead to magnesium deficiency. These conditions cause significant loss of magnesium through the gastrointestinal tract, further exacerbating the deficiency 310.
Alcoholism and Magnesium Deficiency
Chronic alcoholism is a significant risk factor for magnesium deficiency. Alcohol induces magnesium excretion and leads to a positive magnesium balance upon withdrawal. Symptoms in alcoholic patients include hypocalcemia and respiratory alkalosis, which can cause acute instability and severe symptoms 8.
Conclusion
Magnesium deficiency can present with a wide range of symptoms affecting various systems in the body. Neurological symptoms like muscle irritability and convulsions, psychiatric symptoms ranging from apathy to psychosis, cardiovascular issues such as arrhythmias, and general symptoms like weakness and fatigue are common. Gastrointestinal issues and chronic alcoholism are significant risk factors. Proper diagnosis and timely magnesium supplementation can alleviate many of these symptoms and improve overall health.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Depression and Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency can cause psychiatric symptoms ranging from apathy to psychosis, and should be diagnosed and treated accordingly.
CLINICAL MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY *
Low serum magnesium levels are common in various clinical disorders, and cellular deficiency may be present in patients with various conditions.
Magnesium metabolism and deficiency.
Magnesium deficiency can cause neuromuscular hyperexcitability, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, and cardiac arrhythmias, and may improve survival in patients with myocardial infarction.
Highly CitedClinical symptoms of mitral valve prolapse are related to hypomagnesemia and attenuated by magnesium supplementation.
Magnesium supplementation improves symptoms and reduces catecholamine excretion in patients with heavily symptomatic mitral valve prolapse syndrome.
RCTMagnesium in Aging, Health and Diseases
Maintaining an optimal magnesium balance throughout life may help prevent oxidative stress and chronic conditions associated with aging.
Very Rigorous JournalHighly CitedMagnesium deficiency in alcoholism.
Magnesium deficiency is common in chronic alcoholism, with symptoms and potential for acute symptoms when alcohol is withdrawn.
Magnesium deficiency and cardiac disorders.
Magnesium deficiency can cause serious cardiac arrhythmias and should be treated with magnesium sulfate therapy.
Case ReportHighly CitedMagnesium metabolism and its disorders.
Magnesium deficiency and hypermagnesaemia can cause various symptoms and are associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis.
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