Advice
Evidence: safety
Evidence: safety
No evidence on the safety of magnesium glycerophosphate was provided in the case reports[20],[21],[22].
The most commonly cited adverse effect of oral magnesium salts is diarrhoea, which may limit treatment[23],[24]. Hypermagnesaemia is reported to be unlikely to occur with oral magnesium supplementation, except in patients with kidney failure[25]. The BNF for children suggests that in patients with renal impairment magnesium glycerophosphate and magnesium-L-aspartate should be avoided or the dose reduced as there is an increased risk of toxicity.
[20] Ross JR, Dargan PI, Jones AL (2001) A case of hypomagnesaemia due to malabsorption, unresponsive to oral administration of magnesium glycerophosphate, but responsive to oral magnesium oxide supplementation. Gut 48: 857–8
[21] Arasaradnam RP, Bolton RP (2002) Hypomagnesaemia due to malabsorption is not always responsive to oral magnesium oxide supplementation alone. Gut 50: 897
[22] Shabajee N, Lamb EJ, Sturgess I et al. (2008) Lesson of the week: omeprazole and refractory hypomagnesaemia. BMJ 337: 173–5
[23] British national formulary (2012)
[24] Merck Manual (2009) Disorders of magnesium concentration
[25] UK Medicines Information (2010) How is acute hypomagnesaemia treated in adults?