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Do you monitor magnesium levels in Crohn’s disease patients? If so, do you monitor only serum levels or other forms as well?

David

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Naples, Florida
Do you monitor magnesium levels in Crohn’s disease patients? If so, do you monitor only serum levels or other forms as well?

A member recently asked,
Do you monitor magnesium levels in Crohn’s disease patients? If so, do you monitor only serum levels or other forms as well? If serum, what range do you consider to be “Normal”?
Tolulope O. Falaiye, M.D. of the Penn State Hershey Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center took time out of her busy schedule to answer this question. A little about Dr. Falaiye:

Tolulope O. Falaiye, MD is a pediatric gastroenterologist Hershey/Penn State IBD Center.

In regards to the question, Dr. Falaiye stated:

For Crohn’s disease, we usually monitor blood count, inflammatory levels, vitamin levels and liver counts. There are different ways to order these tests and in some hospitals, the magnesium level is part of the standard panel. Crohn’s patients can have poor nutrition which can lead to low magnesium levels. If we noticed it was low, we would treat and follow to make sure the level went back to normal. Also, if a patient is on nutrition through an intravenous or IV line (called parenteral nutrition) we check magnesium levels because we give electrolytes (like magnesium) in the nutrition bag. We monitor the levels because if they are too high or low, we adjust the levels of magnesium and other electrolytes in the nutrition bag. At this time for patient care we only measure serum levels. The magnesium value that is considered normal will vary a little depending on the lab. Exact numbers according to the 2013 version of Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 1.8 – 3.0mg/dL or 0.75-1.25mmol/L. As always, talk to your doctor about your levels if you have any concerns.
Thank you to Dr. Falaiye for her time and expertise!
 
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