Gauging Magnesium Deficiency

Symptoms
Carolyn Dean MD ND | Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Every week I seem to find more things to say about magnesium. The topic is usually
prompted by a readers comment. Lately people have been asking me how much
magnesium to take. Serum magnesium blood tests are no great help, because only 1% of
the bodys magnesium is in the blood, so I made a list. I found 100 factors that are
associated with magnesium deficiency and I put them in my book, The Magnesium
Miracle.
I recently added that list to an updated version of my Maximizing Magnesium module in
Future Health Now! and I thought Id share it with you.
Heres what you do. Print up several copies of this page and put a big check mark by
your magnesium deficiency factors. Start taking magnesium. In a few weeks pull out a
fresh sheet and mark it up. Compare both. If you still have many symptoms remaining,
increase your magnesium.
1. Alcohol >7 drinks/wk

22. Food cravings

42. Muscle problems

2. Anger

a. Carbohydrates

a. Cramps

3. Angina

b. Chocolate

b. Spasms

4. Anxiety

c. Salt

c. Twitching

5. Apathy

d. Junk food

d. Tics

6. Arrhythmia

23. Gagging or choking

e. Weakness

7. Asthma

24. Headaches

43. Numbness hands/feet

8. Blood tests

25. Heart disease

44. Osteoporosis

a. Low calcium

26. Heart rapid rate

45. Paranoia

b. Low potassium

27. High blood pressure

46. Parathyroid (hyper)

c. Low magnesium

28. Homocysteinuria

47. PMS

9. Bowel problems

29. Hyperactivity

48. Polycystic ovaries

a. Undigested fat in stool

30. Hyperventilation

49. Pregnancy

b. Constipation

31. Infertility

a. Currently pregnant

c. Diarrhea

32. Insomnia

b. Preeclampsia/eclampsia

d. Constipation/diarrhea

33. Irritability

c. Multiple pregnancies

e. IBS

34. Kidney stones

d. Postpartum depression

f. Crohns

35. Medications

e. Child with cerebral palsy

g. Colitis

a. Digitalis

50. Radiation therapy

10. Brain trauma

b. Diuretics

51. Raynauds syndrome

11. Bronchitis, chronic

c. Antibiotics

52. Restlessness

12. Caffeine >3 per day

d. Steroids

53. Sex drive low

13. Chronic fatigue

e. Oral contraceptives

54. Shortness of breath

14. Cold extremities

f. Indomethacin

55. Smoking

15. Concentration poor

g. Cisplatin

56. Startled easily

16. Confusion

h. Amphotericin B

57. Stressful life

17. Convulsions

i. Cholestyramine

58. Stroke

18. Depression

j. Synthetic estrogens

59. Sugar intake high

19. Diabetes

36. Memory impairment

60. Syndrome X

a. Type I

37. Mercury fillings

61. Thyroid hyperactivity

b. Type II

38. Menses pain/cramps

62. Tingling hands/feet

c. Gestational diabetes

39. Migraines

63. Transplants: kidney/liver

20. Fibromyalgia

40 Mineral supplements

64. Tremor of hands

21. Food intake

a. Calcium w/o mag

65. Water contamination

a. Limited greens

b. Zinc w/o mag

Flouride, chlorine, calcium

b. High protein

c. Iron w/p mag

66. Wheezing

c. Limited nuts/seeds

41. Mitral valve prolapse