Magnesium Metabolism

AlcoholismHypomagnesemia occurs frequently in patients with alcoholism, either in the presence or in the absence of delirium tremens or cirrhosis.^{93,120, 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176} Because of its known sedative effects magnesium sulfate was used empirically to treat delirium tremens.1,1a The discovery of hypomagnesemia in patients with chronic alcoholism and delirium tremens,^93,120 coupled with the similarity of signs and symptoms of delirium tremens and magnesium deficiency in animals, led to the hypothesis that delirium tremens is the direct result of magnesium deficiency.^112,113 Much of the research carried out on human magnesium metabolism over the past decade was stimulated by these observations. In man the . . .