Intravenous or injected magnesium is used to treat other conditions, such as eclampsia during pregnancy and severe asthma attacks. Magnesium is also the main ingredient in many antacids and laxatives.

Serious magnesium deficiencies are rare. They’re more likely in people who:

• Have kidney disease
• Have Crohn’s disease or other conditions that affect digestion
• Have parathyroid problems
• Take certain drugs for diabetes and cancer
• Are older adults
• Abuse alcohol

Health care providers sometimes suggest that people with these conditions take magnesium supplements.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a common type of medicine used to treat acid reflux, have also been tied to low magnesium levels. Examples of PPIs include dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (Aciphex). If you take any of these medicines on a long-term basis, your health care provider may check your magnesium level with a blood test.