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5 Side Effects of Magnesium Supplements

Magnesium is an essential mineral needed for hundreds of enzymatic reactions within our bodies. These range from producing energy to regulating our blood pressure to even helping our muscles contract.

As important as this mineral, for some reason, our bodies can only absorb around 30 to 40% of the dietary magnesium that we eat, which means we don’t always get as much as we need from our diet. This is why magnesium supplements are incredibly popular, such as magnesium glycinate, but are there side effects to taking magnesium?

1. Upset Stomach
2. Diarrhoea
3. Nausea
4. Vomiting

The above four side effects only generally occur when you take excessive doses of magnesium. This is called magnesium toxicity or hypermagnesemia, which causes discomfort or loose stools.

An upset stomach will generally subside within a few hours but see a doctor if it doesn’t.

Pregnant women rarely experience magnesium overdose from their diet as their required dosage is higher than regular adult women.

Magnesium supplements can sometimes cause bad bowel movements in pregnant women, which can cause diarrhoea, which can then further lead to dehydration. Make sure to see a doctor if this occurs as it can affect the amount of amniotic fluid and be a serious risk.

5. May interact with some antibiotics and medicines

What medications should you not take with magnesium?

Don’t take magnesium supplements if using:

• Bisphosphonates (used to treat osteoporosis)

• Blood pressure medication

• Antibiotics

• Muscle relaxants

• Water pills

• Heart medications

• Medications that slow blood clotting

• Digoxin

• Medications for diabetes

• Antacids

• Gabapentin

• Ketamine

• Sevelamer

Those with kidney problems are at higher risk of experiencing adverse side effects when taking magnesium supplements.

Which Magnesium Has Less Side Effects?

To learn about the main different types of magnesium supplements on the market, read our article: The different forms of magnesium and their benefits.

The post above also goes through the side effects of each magnesium type and which ones you should and shouldn’t take for various reasons. For example, in terms of which is better, magnesium citrate or glycinate, while both are great as they are some of the forms of magnesium that our bodies absorb best, magnesium citrate is a laxative, so it’s not great for those with loose bowel movements. Magnesium glycinate, on the other hand, is much more gentle and is great for people who need to increase their magnesium levels long-term, without getting diarrhoea.

Each form of magnesium is slightly different and so are their benefits — other than increasing your magnesium levels — and side effects, so use the post above to help in your decision.

Why Should I Take Magnesium Glycinate?

Magnesium glycinate is a popular form of magnesium. Magnesium glycinate ingredients are magnesium and glycine, an amino acid, and this combination makes it incredibly absorbable into the body, known as its bioavailability. This form of magnesium also has a low risk of side effects.

Some mild side effects may include nausea and vomiting, possibly in the early stages of taking the supplement until your body starts getting used to it, with some very rare side effects including kidney issues, nervousness and irritability.

FAQ: Is chelated magnesium the same as magnesium glycinate?

Chelated just means that the magnesium is attached to a molecule. In magnesium glycinate’s case, is the amino acid, glycine, in magnesium malate, it’s bound with malic acid. So magnesium glycinate is a chelated magnesium but not all chelated magnesium is magnesium glycinate.

Is magnesium glycinate the best type of magnesium to take?

As mentioned, chelated magnesium glycinate is a much gentler form of magnesium, so it’s the magnesium to take if you don’t want diarrhoea.

It’s also one of the best magnesium supplements for sleep. Some clinical trials found that magnesium glycinate helped some inflammatory conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, as well as those with too much stomach acid.

Scientific research has also found that magnesium glycinate has calming properties, helping those with anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia.

FAQ: Is magnesium glycinate good for constipation? No. Since magnesium glycinate is a gentle form of magnesium, it’s absorbed into the intestines without causing you to need to go to the toilet. If you have constipation, you’re best looking at magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate or magnesium hydroxide. Be sure to speak with your doctor before taking any of these.

How Do I Prevent Magnesium Glycinate Side Effects?

When starting any new supplement, start with a lower dose, then raise the dosage every few days. This allows your body to acclimatise to the magnesium you’re putting into your body and reduces the risk of digestive discomfort.

As mentioned above, don’t take magnesium glycinate supplements if you’re using certain medications or antibiotics, but if you’re unsure, make sure to talk with your doctor first, which you should be doing before incorporating any new supplement into your diet.

If you have heart or kidney problems, also talk to your doctor before increasing your magnesium intake.

A study found that you shouldn’t take magnesium with high doses of zinc supplements, as these can interfere with magnesium absorption and even disrupt the magnesium balance in the body.

FAQ: Is it safe to take 500mg of magnesium a day? When searching for magnesium supplements, check the amount of elemental magnesium in the supplement and purchase from reputable sources. What is elemental magnesium? This is the actual amount of magnesium in the compound. Magnesium oxide, one of the worst magnesium supplements to take due to its poorer bioavailability, is only about 60% magnesium, so, while you think you’re getting the 400mg that’s on the bottle, you're actually only getting about 240mg of actual elemental magnesium — and remember, due to its poor availability, you’re body isn’t properly utilising all of this.

Make sure to choose a reputable brand known for producing high-quality magnesium glycinate supplements, and make sure they state that their products have undergone third-party testing for purity and potency, like Xandro Lab, for example.

Stick to the recommended dosage on the product label or as advised by your doctor. Avoid exceeding the suggested amount, as this can increase the risk of magnesium supplement side effects.

FAQ: Can you take too much magnesium? When looking at how much magnesium men should consume per day, they should generally consume about 400 to 420mg while women should get about 320 to 360mg. High doses of magnesium from food do not pose a risk to healthy individuals, as our bodies excrete the rest from our urine, but doses greater than this from supplements can potentially become unsafe. This depends on your age, whether you’re pregnant or what you’re trying to treat, but high doses of magnesium supplements can cause the above side effects, along with the more rare side effects due to magnesium buildup in the body.

To enhance absorption and reduce the risk of digestive upset, take magnesium glycinate with a meal or a snack. This can also help spread out the absorption over time.

If you're taking multiple supplements, consider spreading them out throughout the day. This can help prevent interactions and allow your body to absorb each supplement effectively.

Ensure you're well-hydrated when taking magnesium glycinate. Being hydrated supports the body's natural processes and can help minimise the risk of side effects.

Interested in the benefits of Magnesium Glycinate? Check out Xandro Lab’s Magnesium Glycinate 500mg today!