People Who May Need to Take a Magnesium Supplement

Healthy adults who consume a balanced-mixed and healthy variety of foods will not generally need to take any additional magnesium supplementation. Supplementation of magnesium is only usually needed in the presence of specific health problems or conditions which can cause an extreme loss of magnesium, or can result in the body being able to absorb a limited amount of magnesium.

A magnesium supplement might be needed by people who suffer from conditions which cause excessive loss of magnesium through urination, chronic malabsorption of magnesium, chronic diarrhea, and/or chronic or severe vomiting.

Diuretics, including Lasix, Bumex, Edecrin, and Hydrochlorothiazide, can increase the loss of magnesium through urination. Medications, such as Cisplatin, a widely used cancer treatment, and antibiotics such as Gentamicin, Amphotericin, and Cyclosporin, can also cause the kidneys to excrete excessive magnesium through urination. Physicians routinely monitor magnesium levels of people who take these medications and will prescribe magnesium supplementation if necessary.

Diabetes that is not well controlled, can increase the loss of magnesium through urine, and could increase a person's need for extra magnesium. A physician would generally ascertain the need for additional magnesium in these situations. Routine magnesium supplementation isn't generally needed for people who have well-controlled diabetes.

Alcoholics have an elevated high risk for magnesium deficiency since alcohol increases the level of excretion of magnesium in urine. Low blood levels of magnesium are tested in 30 to 60% of people who abuse alcohol, and in almosty 90% of people going through alcohol withdrawal. Also, alcoholics who tend to replace food with alcohol will generally have a lower intake of magnesium. Physicians routinely determine the need for additional magnesium in these cases.

Losing magnesium through both diarrhea and the malabsorption of fats can happen after intestinal surgery or infection, however it may also happen with chronic malabsorptive problems such as Crohn's disease, gluten sensitive enteropathy, and regional enteritis. People who suffer from these conditions may require additional magnesium. A common symptom of a problem absorbing fat, or steatorrhea, is passing greasy, bad smelling stool.

Vomiting, on occasion, shouldn't be enough to cause excessive loss of magnesium, but conditions which cause chronic and/or severe vomiting could cause a loss of magnesium substantial enough that supplementation is needed. In these types of situations, a physician would ascertain whether a magnesium supplement is needed.

For more information regarding magnesium deficiency, see Magnesium Deficiency (Wikipedia).