Magnesium

Are there any interactions with medications?

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Antibiotics (Aminoglycoside antibiotics)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Some antibiotics can affect the muscles. These antibiotics are called aminoglycosides. Magnesium can also affect the muscles. Taking these antibiotics and getting a magnesium shot might cause muscle problems.

Some aminoglycoside antibiotics include amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin), and others.

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Antibiotics (Quinolone antibiotics)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Magnesium might decrease how much antibiotic the body absorbs. Taking magnesium along with some antibiotics might decrease the effectiveness of some antibiotics. To avoid this interaction, take these antibiotics at least 2 hours before, or 4 to 6 hours after, magnesium supplements.

Some of these antibiotics that might interact with magnesium include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), norfloxacin (Chibroxin, Noroxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), trovafloxacin (Trovan), and grepafloxacin (Raxar).

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Antibiotics (Tetracycline antibiotics)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Magnesium can attach to tetracyclines in the stomach. This decreases the amount of tetracyclines that the body can absorb. Taking magnesium along with tetracyclines might decrease the effectiveness of tetracyclines. To avoid this interaction, take calcium 2 hours before, or 4 hours after, taking tetracyclines.

Some tetracyclines include demeclocycline (Declomycin), minocycline (Minocin), and tetracycline (Achromycin).

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Bisphosphonates
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Magnesium can decrease how much bisphosphate the body absorbs. Taking magnesium along with bisphosphates can decrease the effectiveness of bisphosphate. To avoid this interaction, take bisphosphonate at least two hours before magnesium or later in the day.

Some bisphosphonates include alendronate (Fosamax), etidronate (Didronel), risedronate (Actonel), tiludronate (Skelid), and others.

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Medications for high blood pressure (Calcium channel blockers)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Magnesium might lower blood pressure. Taking magnesium with medication for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.

Some medications for high blood pressure include nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan), diltiazem (Cardizem), isradipine (DynaCirc), felodipine (Plendil), amlodipine (Norvasc), and others.

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Muscle relaxants
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Magnesium seems to help relax muscles. Taking magnesium along with muscle relaxants can increase the risk of side effects of muscle relaxants.

Some muscle relaxants include carisoprodol (Soma), pipecuronium (Arduan), orphenadrine (Banflex, Disipal), cyclobenzaprine, gallamine (Flaxedil), atracurium (Tracrium), pancuronium (Pavulon), succinylcholine (Anectine), and others.

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Water pills (Potassium-sparing diuretics)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Some "water pills" can increase magnesium levels in the body. Taking some "water pills" along with magnesium might cause too much magnesium to be in the body.

Some "water pills" that increase magnesium in the body include amiloride (Midamor), spironolactone (Aldactone), and triamterene (Dyrenium).

Dosing considerations for Magnesium.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

• For reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches:
• magnesium citrate 1830 mg in 3 divided doses for up to 3 months.
• trimagnesium dicitrate 600 mg (24 mmol) daily for up to 3 months.
• For reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches in children: magnesium oxide 9 mg per kg in 3 divided doses for up to 16 weeks.
• For treatment of low magnesium levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: 50 mL magnesium chloride solution (containing 50 grams magnesium chloride per 1000 mL of solution) daily for 16 weeks.
• For weak bones (osteoporosis): 150-750 mg/day has been used as a single agent or in combination with calcium or other supplements.
• For premenstrual syndrome (PMS): 200-360 mg/day.

The daily Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for elemental magnesium are: Age 1-3 years, 80 mg; 4-8 years, 130 mg; 9-13 years, 240 mg; 14-18 years, 410 mg (boys) and 360 mg (girls); 19-30 years, 400 mg (men) and 310 mg (women); 31 years and older, 420 mg (men) and 320 mg (women). For pregnant women age 14-18 years, the RDA is 400 mg; 19-30 years, 350 mg; 31-50 years, 360 mg. For lactating women age 14-18 years, the RDA is 360 mg; 19-30 years, 310 mg; 31-50 years, 320 mg. For infants less than one year of age, adequate intake (AI) levels are 30 mg from birth to 6 months and 75 mg from 7 to 12 months. The daily upper intake level (UL) for magnesium is 65 mg for children age 1-3 years, 110 mg for 4-8 years, and 350 mg for anyone over 8 years old, including pregnant and breast-feeding women.