Hypermagnesemia is a condition when the level of magnesium in the blood is too high. This condition is one of the diseases that rarely happening, but can cause serious complications.
Normally, the level of magnesium in the blood for adults is 1.7–2.3 mg/dL. About 3% of the magnesium in the body will be excreted in the urine and the other 97% will be absorbed into the body. A person can be said to have hypermagnesemia if the level of magnesium in the blood is more than 2.3 mg/dL.
Reason and Risk Factors Hypermagnesemia
Hypermagnesemia usually occurs as a result of the kidneys not being able to function properly in removing excess magnesium in the blood. In most cases, hypermagnesaemia is caused by renal failure.
The risk of this condition is higher if people with kidney problems consume alcoholic beverages or use medications or supplements that contain magnesium, such as antacids (which contain magnesium hydroxide) or laxatives.
In addition to impaired kidney function, there are several conditions that can also cause hypermagnesaemia, namely:
- Excessive consumption of foods or drinks that are high in magnesium
- Undergoing lithium therapy
- Experiencing tissue damage due to burns
- Have heart disease, indigestion, hypothyroidism, Addison's disease, depression, or high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
Symptoms of Hypermagnesemia
When magnesium levels in the blood are still slightly above normal, hypermagnesaemia often does not cause symptoms or symptoms that arise are not too pronounced. However, when magnesium levels have risen high enough, symptoms that can be felt include:
- Headache
- Red face
- Sluggish
- Diarrhea
- Dizzy
- Faint
- Nausea and vomiting
- Reflexes are slow
- Weak or paralyzed muscles
- Low blood pressure
- Heart rhythm disturbances
- Respiratory disorders
When to go to the doctor
Check with your doctor if you experience the above symptoms, especially if you suffer from impaired kidney function and feel symptoms after taking supplements or drugs containing magnesium. If not treated immediately, hypermagnesemia can lead to serious complications.
Diagnosis of Hypermagnesemia
As a first step in the diagnosis, the doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced, medical history, as well as any medicines and supplements that the patient is currently taking. Next, the doctor will do a blood test to check the level of magnesium in the patient's blood.
Hypermagnesemia Treatment
Treatment of hypermagnesemia is tailored to the cause. If hypermagnesemia occurs due to excessive consumption of foods, drinks, drugs, or supplements that contain magnesium, the patient needs to stop taking them so that the magnesium levels in the blood can return to normal.
In addition, there are also several treatment methods that may be used by doctors to treat hypermagnesaemia, namely:
Giving odiuretic medicine
Giving diuretic drugs aims to increase urine production, so that a lot of magnesium is wasted through urine. To prevent dehydration due to increased urine production, your doctor may give you a saline infusion.
Diuretic drugs are generally only intended for patients whose urine production is still normal and kidney function is still good.
Giving iinfusion of calcium gluconate
This treatment method aims to neutralize the effects of excess magnesium in the blood. Generally, infusion of calcium gluconate is done to treat hypermagnesemia accompanied by respiratory or cardiac disorders.
Dialysis or dialysis
This type of treatment is reserved for patients with:
- Impaired kidney function
- Severe heart and nerve complaints
- Severe hypermagnesemia (>4 mmol/L)
Complications of Hypermagnesemia
If the hypermagnesemia experienced is severe enough and not treated immediately, this condition can lead to several complications, such as:
- lethargy
- Hypotension
- Arrhythmia
- Heartbeat stopped
- Coma
Hypermagnesemia Prevention
To prevent hypermagnesemia, maintain kidney health so that it can function properly, including drinking enough water, not smoking, and getting enough sleep. In addition, also include some of the efforts below:
- Avoid consuming high-magnesium foods in excessIn good health, the recommended daily intake of magnesium for adult men is 350–360 mg and 320–340 mg for adult women.
- Take supplements or drugs according to doctor's instructionsAvoid taking supplements or medications that contain magnesium, such as antacids and laxatives, beyond the doses recommended by your doctor or listed in the directions for use. The reason is, it is at risk of increasing magnesium levels in the blood, especially in patients with kidney failure.
- Keep supplements and medications containing magnesium out of the reach of childrenKeep supplements and medications containing magnesium out of the reach of children, as they can cause a magnesium overdose if they are accidentally taken by a child.
