Lab test · Vitamins
Serum Magnesium
Magnesium level, muscles & heart
- Blood sample
- No fasting
- Report within 24 hours
- Home collection
What this test is for
Magnesium level, muscles & heart
This test measures the magnesium in your blood. Magnesium is a mineral the body needs for muscle and nerve function, a steady heart rhythm, strong bones and hundreds of chemical reactions. It is often checked when calcium or potassium is low, because a lack of magnesium can keep those levels low too.
Why a doctor may order it
- To investigate muscle cramps, twitching, weakness or tremor
- To help explain an irregular heartbeat
- When calcium or potassium stays low despite treatment
- To monitor people with kidney disease, long-term diarrhoea or heavy alcohol use
- To check the effect of medicines that can lower magnesium, such as some water tablets and long-term acid-reducing tablets
How to prepare
Fasting: Not needed.
There is no need to fast; eat and drink normally. Take your usual medicines unless your doctor tells you otherwise, and let your doctor know if you use magnesium supplements or magnesium-containing antacids or laxatives, which can raise the level.
At home
- Sample
- Blood sample
- How it works
- The collector who comes to your home takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm. Try to keep your arm relaxed during the draw; it takes only a few minutes, and the tube is labelled before it is carried to the laboratory.
- Report
- Within 24 hours of collection.
What the results can mean
Your report shows your magnesium level with the laboratory's reference range. A low level can be linked to poor intake, diarrhoea, alcohol use, poorly controlled diabetes or some medicines, while a high level is less common and usually relates to kidney disease or too much magnesium from medicines. Because most magnesium is stored inside cells and bone, a blood level does not always reflect the body's total store. Your doctor will weigh the result against your symptoms and other results.
What's included
One test: Serum Magnesium, from one blood sample.
Related tests
- Serum CalciumCalcium level, bones & nerves৳200
- Serum Potassium (K)Potassium is a mineral that the heart, muscles and nerves need to work properly.
- Serum ElectrolytesThis test measures sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate in your blood.
- Kidney Function Test (RFT)A kidney function test, also called a renal function test (RFT), is a group of blood tests that show how well your kidneys are filtering waste from the blood.
- Vitamin D (25-Hydroxy)Vitamin D level, bone health৳1,450
- Phosphate (Inorganic Phosphorus)Phosphate level, bones & kidneys৳200
Questions people ask
What are the symptoms of low magnesium?
Low magnesium can cause tiredness, muscle cramps, twitching or tremor, and in more severe cases an irregular heartbeat. Mild deficiency may cause no symptoms at all.
Can a normal blood magnesium rule out deficiency?
Not always. Only a small share of the body's magnesium is in the blood, so a level within range does not completely rule out low stores. Your doctor will consider your symptoms and history.
Which medicines can affect magnesium levels?
Some water tablets (diuretics) and long-term use of acid-reducing medicines called proton pump inhibitors can lower magnesium, while magnesium-containing antacids and laxatives can raise it. Do not stop or change a medicine without talking to your doctor.
How much does a Magnesium test cost in Dhaka?
With Mukti Health the price is ৳550, and the sample is collected at your home in Dhaka. You see the price again before you confirm the booking in the Mukti Health app.
Can I do the Magnesium test at home in Dhaka?
Yes. Book it in the Mukti Health app and a trained sample collector comes to your home in Dhaka to take the blood sample. You do not need to go to a laboratory.
How long does the Magnesium report take?
The report is usually ready within 24 hours of the sample being collected.