Can Magnesium Interact With Antibiotics?
It’s not common to hear that magnesium can interact with medicine. But did you know there is a chance it can react to antibiotics? Antibiotics are strong medicines used to treat infections that come from bacteria. They can kill bacteria right away or stop them from getting bigger, so the body can fight off what is left. Antibiotics do not help with viral infections like the flu or a cold. There are many kinds of antibiotics, and each one works best on certain bacteria. For example, penicillin was one of the first antibiotics that people found, and it works well on many common bacterial infections. Other types like tetracycline or ciprofloxacin are used to treat other or tougher bacteria.
Why must antibiotics be taken in specific ways?
Many times, doctors tell people to take antibiotics in a certain way. For example, you may need to take them with food so your stomach does not get upset. Sometimes, you should take them away from other medicine to stop any problems between them. The number of times you take them is also important, to make sure they work well. Even when you use supplements, antibiotics can be so strong that they might change how the supplements work.
Can magnesium interact with antibiotics?
Yes, magnesium can change how some antibiotics work. That is true when you take magnesium as a supplement, and it is in things like antacids or laxatives.
Magnesium can stop some antibiotics from working well. This includes types like tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and fluoroquinolones (like ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin). The magnesium and the antibiotic stick together in your stomach and this makes it hard for your body to take in the medicine. Because of this, not enough of the antibiotic gets in your blood. The medicine may not fight germs as well.
To help avoid this, doctors say you should not take both at the same time. You may need to use the antibiotic two to four hours before, or four to six hours after, you take magnesium or antacids.
Which forms of magnesium affect antibiotic absorption?
The interesting thing about this is that the types of magnesium supplements that change how your body takes in antibiotics are the ones that come in certain forms like magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide.
Magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide can change how your body uses some antibiotics. This happens because of a chemical action called chelation. During chelation, magnesium ions stick to the antibiotic molecules in the stomach or gut. This makes a bond that the body can’t take in very well. Magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide are not taken up well because they have citric acid and oxygen in them.
This is especially true for antibiotics like:
Tetracyclines (like doxycycline and tetracycline)
Fluoroquinolones are a kind of antibiotic. Some examples are ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. You can use them to treat different infections. These are strong medicines that doctors often choose when other antibiotics do not work. If you get a prescription for the, make sure to take all doses as your doctor tells you.
When magnesium from citrate or oxide sticks to these antibiotics, it can stop the drug from getting into the blood as it should. This means the antibiotic may not work as well. The drug might not be strong enough in the body to kill the bacteria. So, people could get sick for longer, and bacteria can get harder to kill over time.
Many people take magnesium citrate when they need a quick way to help their stomach go. Magnesium oxide is often used to help with acid or as a supplement. A lot of people use these products and do not know they can mess with other medicines. That's why it is very important to take antibiotics and magnesium products at different times. A good way is to take the antibiotic hours before or after you use something with magnesium. This helps the body take in the antibiotic the right way.
Does Upgraded Magnesium avoid these issues?
But did you know that here at Upgraded Formulas, we sell Upgraded Magnesium with a 99% absorption rate, and we guarantee it? This happens because our product depends on the size of the molecules, not the form. Because of this, it should not get in the way of how antibiotics are used or taken in by the body.
Sure, you should follow what your doctor says. But because our Upgraded Magnesium does not make you run to the bathroom, you can use it at the same time as other supplements.
Interested? Take a look at our Upgraded Magnesium here today.