What Causes Swelling In The Knee Post Intake Of Magnesium Glycinate?

Posted on Tue, 6 Sep 2016

Question: Hi. Im XXXXXXX 27. I just recently started taking a low dosage of magnesium glycinate (120 mg 2-3 times a day). Since then, the condition of my right knee has started to go bad. Slight swelling, i can feel the bones crunch together sometimes. I have no medical need for magnesium, though i believe i could be deficient and that i wanted to prevent osteo arthritis of the knee as my grandmother has it and i am afraid of it being hereditary. Yet it seems that magnesium has actually GIVEN me osteo arthritis! Im not sure what to do. Can anyone help?

Answered by Dr. Mahaveer Patil (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
needs further evaluation

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX

Welcome to HEALTHCARE MAGIC..

How was your day?
Hope this message finds you in good health.

I have gone through your query in detail and understand your concern.

First of all i would like to assure you that, you are so young still and there is absolutely no need of any medications for you right now,just because you have a family history.

I can understand that you are worried about a positive family history of osteoarthritis . But i would like to tell you that osteoarthritis is a ageing disease which usually occurs after age of 45-50 years.

If at all you are worried,you can confirm if you have any deficiency of calcium,magnesium in your blood . I dont think,you may be having any deficiencies at thisage. If at all,you have, you can then start appropriate medicines.

If you start any medicines without knowing about deficiencies, you will land up in doing more harm than good.

You can also get a xray/mri of knees done to see if you have damaged anything.

Let me know once your investigations are done.

You should eventually get back to normal in coming few days.Nothing to worry about, as long as i am there to help you.

I hope your question has been answered.

Feel free to consult me anytime for follow-up queries. Take care,God bless.
Wish you a healthy life : )

If you do not have any clarifications,you can close the discussion.

Kind Regards..
Dr Mahaveer Patil, (MBBS,MS,Mch)
Consulting Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Mahaveer Patil (5 hours later)

Hmm. Thanks for your info! Since i do not have easy access to a hospital (just a local clinic, a good hospital is a couple of plane rides away) im going to cross my fingers and ease myself back off the magnesium supplement, hoping that my body will heal itself and go back to its old self. Or maybe i should just quit altogether? I dont know. I just really hope that i get my knee 100 percent back to functioning as it was before it started to go bad. I also hope my kidneys will go back to functioning (this might be silly but i thought that my kidneys stopped producing magnesium as soon as i started taking the supplement, which probably may not be true). Another one of my reasons for taking magnesium was attempting to improve my metabolism. I am a tad overweight, yet not drastically 5'4" and 175-ish lbs (my weight usually fluctuates 4 lbs lower or higher than that number, due to diet and exercise). I know of people who are super thin yet they eat so much. But maybe that has nothing to do with magnesium and more to do with their genes. I feel sheepish for not doing more research. I guess it's best to just stick to good old diet and exercise. XXXXXXX Anyways. Thanks!

Answered by Dr. Mahaveer Patil (10 hours later)

Brief Answer:
query answered

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Welcome back

Now common XXXXXXX you have to accept that "YOU JUST LOVE MAGNESIUM " blindly.. hehe
Jokes apart, i know you dont have a good hospital nearby,which all of us ,perhaps need. But you need not worry,as i am there just a click away 24/7/365, whenever you need me.

Nothing has happened to you kidneys- chill : ) as kidneys have nothing to do with magnesium production

God has gifted us natural metabolites in our body and magnesium is just a minor ingredient in our body.

You will be surprised to know that we hardly advice any patients to get their blood magnesium checked ever in their lifetime... it is just that much of least importance..

So just relax...enjoy your life...listen to music,party hard and do whatever you like doing...I am there to take care of your health..always

I hope your question has been answered.

If you have any follow-up queries,feel free to consult me anytime.

If you do not have any clarifications,you can close the discussion. Wish you a good health.Have a great day : )

Take care,God bless.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng