MAGNESIUM in HEALTH and ILLNESS

Magnesium is a very important mineral.  It is critically necessary for proper body function and good health.  

Most of the body’s magnesium is in the nerves and muscles. When levels are low in these organs, a wide variety of symptoms can appear: weakness, fatigue, pain, cognitive problems, dizziness, numbness, tingling, intestinal malfunction, muscle spasms, neuropathies, facial and other tics, twitching, and imbalance, to name a few. 

Many people who consider themselves to be overall healthy occasionally report these symptoms to one degree or another. Usually, the symptom is uncommon, intermittent, and does not interfere with a person’s life. When tests are normal, temporary use of medication may be prescribed. For most, the symptom resolves or feels unimportant. The complaint is ignored if it happens only rarely and is merely mildly distracting. Despite it being transient and fleeting, it can be a sign of intracellular magnesium deficiency.

These same maladies are often seen in patients with a wide variety of illnesses, including high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, and neurological diseases. When they occur, they are viewed as minor and unimportant. Because the testing is normal, no real treatment is found. The problem is minimized. The drugs used to treat these problems also have uncomfortable side effects. Patients may learn to disregard an occasional discomfort. When occurring in the context of other chronic illnesses such as these, the symptoms may be more prominent. Intracellular magnesium deficiency is a prominent factor in the genesis of these discomforts.

There are poorly understood systemic sicknesses that exhibit these same ailments. Some examples of these maladies include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long Haul COVID, Chronic Lyme Disease, Sick Building Syndrome, Multiple Environmental Sensitivity Illness, and Fibromyalgia. Little is understood about these mystery illnesses which plague thousands of individuals. But for all, magnesium plays an important etiologic and therapeutic role.

(For a complete description of the nature of these similar diseases and my approach to healing, see my book: “IF EVERYONE SAYS I LOOK SO GOOD, THEN WHY DO I FEEL SO TERRIBLE?” The title of the book reveals the frustration that comes from living with a debilitating illness without objective findings. It discusses magnesium and illness in great detail. This book is available on Amazon.com.)

Magnesium is also present in the blood (serum) where it is critical to survival. Decreased serum magnesium levels can cause kidney damage leading to renal failure.  It can also be associated with cardiac irregularities, epilepsy, and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux disease.  

We can easily measure the level of magnesium in the blood, but there is no easy test to quantify magnesium in the muscle and nerve tissues. For survival, our bodies have evolved to maintain the correct blood level of magnesium at the expense of the tissue concentrations. This means that a blood test can indicate a normal serum level of magnesium, while the tissues are deficient.

Because we cannot directly measure the level of magnesium in the tissues, it’s also difficult to study magnesium metabolism over time and in different circumstances. However, we can learn about these mechanisms by studying another mineral, calcium. 

Knowledge gained from researching the biology of calcium in the body provides a model for how vitamins and minerals (collectively known as micronutrients) are retained and lost in the tissues.  Calcium metabolism has been studied extensively in order to treat osteoporosis; a disease caused by calcium deficiency in the bones, making them prone to fracture. The calcium concentration in the bone tissue is readily measured using an imaging technique called a bone density scan (also known as a DEXA SCAN). Using this radiological tool, scientists have learned a great deal about the nature of intracellular calcium deficiency in bone.

Several very important points are revealed from these investigations: Bone calcium levels decline over time. The cause of this reduction is multifactorial, not just a part of the aging process. There is no intrinsic mechanism to maintain a normal level of calcium in bone tissue.  By contrast, the serum calcium level is kept within a narrow range by several hormonal systems.  As with magnesium, if the serum level of calcium gets too high or too low, the health consequences can be dire. It is confirmed that a normal blood level of calcium can coexist with a highly deficient bone density. These insights apply to all the minerals and vitamins, delineating the difference between blood and tissue level, function, and related evolution of disease. 

The only direct method to evaluate nerve and muscle magnesium levels is a tissue biopsy. This invasive procedure can cause many potential complications, some serious. Therefore, it is not a good test to use for routine diagnosis. It is certainly not as simple (or non-invasive) as a DEXA SCAN.

The symptoms listed above, especially fatigue, can all be caused by magnesium deficiency in the tissues. As noted, this can occur in the presence of normal blood magnesium levels. Oral magnesium supplementation may help over many months of therapy. As just one part of a treatment program, however, the efficacy is difficult to appreciate. Being able to add some certainty to the process is great encouragement to those being treated.   

Absent a simple and definitive test to measure tissue magnesium levels, I developed a creative approach to the problem in my medical practice. I successfully evaluate the body’s magnesium content using a diagnostic-therapeutic trial.  Because oral magnesium is slowly and poorly absorbed, I gave patients intramuscular injections.  I administered 1 gram of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) in the gluteus muscle, from which it is absorbed over hours into the bloodstream and then into tissues.  (This should only be done by a medically licensed professional under a doctor’s supervision). 

Such rapid absorption into the blood produced a relatively rapid increase in the level of the mineral in the magnesium-starved cells. Improvement is often seen within a few days, assuring patients that insufficient magnesium is, indeed, the culprit. The test was evaluated based on the patient’s subjective report.  Improvement in relevant symptoms within one week indicated a positive response.

A patient who responded well to magnesium injections might then receive a series of shots, along with a program of high doses of all of the other micronutrient supplements. Like calcium and magnesium, all of the vitamins and minerals which our bodies require – the micronutrients needed for vigorous health – become depleted from the cells. All need to be replenished. Even ideal foods grown in an ideal environment are inadequate to the task. Radiologic studies show that osteoporosis is a pre-industrial disease. Therefore, having good farm-raised produce did not prevent this condition.

Why the food supply is inherently inadequate for a long and vigorous life is the subject for another time.

Magnesium is a crucial mineral.  Its level in the nerves and muscles decreases from many of the stresses and encounters of living.  Cellular aging, emotional or physical trauma, intercurrent or chronic illness, and surgery all reduce stores of magnesium.  Diarrhea contains large amounts of this mineral.  Caffeine, nicotine, refined sugar, and alcohol deplete magnesium from the cells.  

When the replenishment is stimulated by intramuscular MgSO4 injection, the body becomes “trained” to absorb and utilize orally ingested magnesium efficiently and willingly. 

This is analogous to the muscles responding to exercise:  Using your muscles helps them to get stronger and more efficient.  It makes them more comfortable in situations whenever a new habit of stressing the muscles occurs. In other words, the body can be taught to meet its needs for optimal health. Maintaining adequate tissue levels of magnesium is one of those needs.

Magnesium therapy helps people who suffer from a wide variety of illnesses and symptoms which defy diagnosis. These conditions are characterized by physical examinations and laboratory studies that are normal. When faced with this type of mystery medical problem, imaginative care is in order. Intramuscular and oral magnesium are incredibly beneficial for many. Finding a doctor willing to pursue this approach may be a challenge, but a rewarding one when accomplished.