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Expert Answer: Can magnesium deficiency cause migraine disease?
February 9th, 2011 - Posted by Dr GreenI like to distinguish a “cause “from a “trigger.“ We are far from understanding all of the causes of migraine, but likely most are genetically based and therefore something we inherit. What we inherit is a low threshold for the development of a migraine.
Some people with migraine have low levels of magnesium in their brains. Should this be the case, their brains become more “irritable” and a migraine attack is more easily triggered. Unfortunately, testing the blood for levels of magnesium is not helpful, since the blood levels do not reflect the amount of magnesium in the brain.
Therefore, it is often recommended to treat this deficiency, even if we are not certain that it is a problem. You cannot take large doses of magnesium and treat it quickly, or diarrhea will occur, as when you take milk of magnesia. Therefore you need to take low doses and it will make more than 3 months of treatment to determine whether this is useful in reducing the migraines.
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"I had my first migraine when I was 12. I thought I was going blind, the spots in my vision all grouped together and everything went black. The pain was intense and felt like my head would crack open above my right eye." 
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Dr. Green is right in that it could take up to 3 months to see the benefit of magnesium supplementation, although in some people it occurs within a week or two. However, some never benefit, even if they one of almost half of migraine sufferers who are deficient in magnesium. This happens because they cannot absorb magnesium taken orally. Getting a monthly intravenous injection is a good alternative. Other symptoms that strongly suggest magnesium deficiency include cold hands and feet, leg or foot muscle cramps, and PMS. As Dr. Green pointed out, regular blood test for magnesium (serum level) is unreliable, but checking RBC magnesium level is somewhat more accurate.