Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate

Supplements Over the counter

What it is

Magnesium citrate is magnesium bound to citric acid, a well-absorbed oral form of an essential mineral. Magnesium is a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes and dampens nerve and muscle excitability, which is why it is used for muscle cramps and spasm, for sleep support, and to correct low magnesium.

Typical dose
200–400 mg
1× a day
Times
With food
Evening

Used for

  • Deficiency
  • Sleep support
  • Spasm

What to know while taking it

It is taken with food to soften the effect on the stomach, and in the evening, which suits both the sleep and the cramp indications. Unabsorbed magnesium draws water into the bowel, so looser stools are the usual sign that the gut has had more than it can take up. Magnesium also binds several drugs in the gut and blocks their absorption, notably levothyroxine, the antibiotics doxycycline and ciprofloxacin, and gabapentin, whose uptake is reduced the same way, so a gap of a couple of hours from other medicines is the standard precaution. Blood magnesium is the marker used to check the picture, though it reflects stores only roughly.

When to see a doctor

Diarrhoea that does not settle, or ongoing cramps and palpitations despite supplementation, should be assessed rather than managed by trial and error. Anyone with reduced kidney function needs a doctor's view before taking magnesium at all, since the kidneys are what clear it.

Worth knowing

  • Can loosen stool
  • Separate from other medicines by 2 hours

Markers to watch

Reference information, not medical advice. Discuss any change with your doctor.