Magnesium testing may be requested as a follow-up to persistently low levels of calcium and potassium. It may also be requested if you have symptoms of an abnormally low magnesium level such as muscle weakness, twitching, cramping, confusion, cardiac arrhythmias, and seizures.Although dietary deficiencies of magnesium are rare, your doctor may request a magnesium blood test to check for a deficiency as part of an evaluation of malabsorption, malnutrition, diarrhoea, or alcoholism. If you are taking certain drugs that can cause the kidneys to excrete magnesium, testing may also be performed. If magnesium and/or calcium supplementation is necessary, then the level of magnesium in the blood is likely to be checked at intervals to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.If you have a kidney disorder or uncontrolled diabetes, your doctor may request a blood test to measure magnesium to help monitor kidney function and to make sure that you are not excreting or retaining excessive amounts of magnesium.
This test measures the amount of magnesium in your blood. Normally, only a very small amount (about 1%) of the total magnesium found in the body is present in the blood.Magnesium is a mineral that is found in every cell of your body. It is vital to energy production, muscle contraction, nerve function, and maintenance of strong bones. About half of the body’s magnesium is combined with calcium and phosphorus to form bone.A wide variety of foods contain small amounts of magnesium, especially green vegetables such as spinach, and most magnesium in the body comes from dietary sources. The body maintains magnesium levels in the blood, cells, and bone by regulating how much is absorbed from the intestines and how much it excretes in the urine via the kidneys.See MoreSee Less
