Dosage Required to Recover From a Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is essential for maintaining normal muscle and nerve function. About half of the magnesium in your body is in your bones, the Office of Dietary Supplements explains. Magnesium helps regulate your blood sugar levels and facilitates normal blood pressure. Magnesium also helps keep your bones strong, your heartbeat regular and your immune system healthy. When your magnesium level falls below normal, magnesium supplements can elevate your magnesium level back to normal.
White pills on a white table (Image: leungchopan/iStock/Getty Images)Recommended Daily Dose
Taking the recommended daily dose of magnesium helps prevent hypomagnesemia. The recommended daily dose varies according to age. Infants and children up to age 3 need 40 to 80 mg daily. This amount increases to 120 mg per day for children ages 4 to 6. Between the ages of 7 and 10, children need about 170 mg per day. Teenagers and adult females need 280 to 300 mg daily, while their male counterparts need 270 to 400 mg per day.
Magnesium Deficiency
Hypomagnesemia refers to low levels of magnesium. According to the January 2010 issue of the "Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases", hypomagnesemia is defined as having magnesium levels that are less than 1.8 mg/dL. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency do not usually manifest until magnesium levels have dropped to less than 1.2 mg/dL. Conditions such as alcoholism, malnutrition and chronic diarrhea usually cause hypomagnesemia, MedlinePlus notes.
Magnesium Deficiency Dose
The dose required to treat magnesium deficiency varies from individual to individual and is determined by the severity of the deficiency, MayoClinic.com explains. Age and gender are also likely factors that determine individual dose. Nevertheless, 535 mg of magnesium chloride or 64 mg of elemental magnesium daily are possible doses for treating mild hypomagnesemia, Drugs.com notes. Severe hypomagnesemia usually requires intravenously-administered magnesium. A possible dose is 4 g of magnesium chloride in 5 percent dextrose or normal saline given once over a period of 3 hours.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Treatment doses for magnesium deficiency should not exceed the tolerable upper intake level, or UL, to avoid causing adverse effects. Children ages 1 to 3 can only tolerate 65 mg daily. The UL for children ages 4 to 8 years is 110 mg, while the UL for children older than age 9, as well as teens and adults is 350 mg daily. Consult a doctor before taking magnesium supplements to determine the optimum dose for treating your magnesium deficiency.
