Is it true that magnesium can help reduce hot flashes? Is it good to take it as a dietary supplement?

Question

51 years old, in good general health, seasonal allergy (discovered in 2018) including birch (very important), seafood allergy, sensitive to oral allergy. Does not take any medication other than Reactin on a yearly basis because in addition to allergies, hives when training. I forgot to mention that I am also allergic to walnuts as well. I was also diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome in 2018, which has been coming and going ever since, anxiety attack that is characterized by the tingling sensation in my mouth and whole body, which usually manages well with a few things. Super thank you so much I'm going to abstain and take more healthy foods.

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Hello ma'am, Magnesium is found in many foods (whole grains, nuts, legumes, dairy, meat and seafood, etc.). However, taking magnesium supplementation is far from trivial and can lead to overdoses , especially when taking certain medications concurrently and when suffering renal failure (i.e., when our kidneys have slower/lower filtration function). 😕 When magnesium is found in too much in the blood, the following side effects/complications can occur: Decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure and its associated symptoms (dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, decreased reflexes, increased risk of falling, etc.); ❤️ Significant diarrhea . 🚽 It is true that magnesium supplementation may be indicated for certain health problems (e.g., migraine prevention), but in terms of hot flashes, it has not been proven effective and therefore is not recommended for this indication . Some natural health products have been studied and shown to be mildly effective for mild hot flashes, but the data is quite limited. In addition, even though they are "natural" health products, they require serious consideration as they may be contraindicated under certain conditions : 1) Phyto-estrogens (e.g. Promensil): Vegetable derivatives that bind to estrogen receptors, helping to alleviate symptoms related to hot flashes; Not recommended (or even contraindicated) if personal or family history of hormone-related cancer (e.g., breast, uterus, ovaries), cardiovascular disease or thrombotic events (e.g., pulmonary embolism, phlebitis, stroke, etc.); Theoretically, could decrease the elimination of Reactin and thus cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, urinary retention, etc. 2) Black cohosh (ex: Menoconfort): Mechanism of action is not yet clear, but may act at estrogen receptors, so the same contraindications above may apply. Other doctor-prescribed options can be tried to relieve hot flashes. So I encourage you to discuss this with your family doctor if this is the case. I hope this information helps you gain clarity. Please feel free to contact us again if you have any other questions! ☺️ Marc-Antoine Dufresne, pharmacy intern (Pharm.D), supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist.