Low magnesium: check your symptoms
A questionnaire to organize your observations before a discussion with a professional. The score does not measure a deficiency.
Short answer
Fatigue, cramps or poor sleep do not prove you are low in magnesium: these symptoms have many other causes, and no single test accurately measures your stores. Recommended intakes in the United States are 400 to 420 mg per day for men and 310 to 320 mg for women.
Calculator
Validated inputsAssess your symptoms
1. Chronic fatigue
Do you wake up tired, even after 7-8h of sleep?
2. Muscle cramps or twitches
Nighttime cramps, a twitching eyelid, or involuntary muscle contractions?
3. Disrupted sleep
Trouble falling asleep, waking during the night, light sleep?
4. Anxiety or chronic stress
Do you feel tense, irritable or constantly on alert?
5. Digestive issues
Constipation, bloating, reflux, or irritable bowel syndrome?
6. Palpitations or a racing heart
Feeling irregular heartbeats or your heart skipping a beat?
7. Frequent headaches or migraines
Tension headaches, migraines with or without aura?
8. Menstrual cramps or premenstrual syndrome
Painful periods, severe PMS or premenstrual irritability?
Aggravating factors
Response summary (out of 100)
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Analysis of your symptoms
Recommendations
This questionnaire is not a validated screening test. The score is not a probability of deficiency and does not select a test.
If your symptoms persist, worsen or interfere with daily life, seek professional advice regardless of your score. Palpitations accompanied by feeling unwell, chest pain or difficulty breathing require urgent assessment (15 or 112 in France).
To learn more, explore our articles: Magnesium: intake, tests and forms • L-Threonate vs Bisglycinate
What the tool measures
Symptoms to consider in context
Fatigue, cramps, disturbed sleep or palpitations can have several causes. Their presence does not prove a lack of magnesium.
The NIH notes that assessing magnesium status can combine clinical context and tests. No single test provides a satisfactory picture of all stores. The red blood cell test is not a universal gold standard.
Start by distinguishing insufficient intake from deficiency. This questionnaire does not replace that assessment.
Interpreting the result
Interpret without overpromising
The result out of 100 summarizes the answers entered. 60/100 does not mean a 60% risk of deficiency. A low score does not rule out a problem, and a high score does not establish its cause.
Use the list of frequent symptoms mainly to discuss their duration, impact, your treatments and your diet with a professional.
Calculation and assumptions
Methodology
This is an editorial score that has not been clinically validated:
- Eight answers worth 0 to 3 points, divided by 24, account for a maximum of 70 points.
- Four contextual factors, present or absent, account for a maximum of 30 points.
- Result = round(70 × sum of answers ÷ 24 + 30 × contextual factors ÷ 4).
The 70/30 weighting and display categories are choices made by the site. No trial establishes their sensitivity, specificity or a threshold for prescribing a test or supplement.
Sources consulted
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Magnesium: Health Professional Fact Sheet
Reference on assessing status, symptoms, the limitations of tests and precautions. It does not validate this questionnaire.
Scope of validity
Limitations to know
This questionnaire neither screens for nor diagnoses a deficiency. It does not select a test or recommend a supplement dose. If symptoms persist, worsen or interfere with your daily life, seek medical advice regardless of the score.
Palpitations with feeling unwell, chest pain or difficulty breathing require urgent assessment, regardless of the result. In France, call 15 or 112 in an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
Before using the result
Does this questionnaire diagnose a deficiency?
No. It is not validated for screening for or diagnosing a deficiency and does not provide a probability.
Is an RBC test enough to confirm a deficiency?
No single test is a universal gold standard. The professional chooses tests based on the clinical context.
What should you do about a high score?
Record recurring symptoms and their impact. If they bother you or persist, discuss the context with a professional without starting a supplement based on the score alone.