- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
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Question
Magnesium deficiency: A cause of tremors?
Can magnesium deficiency cause tremors?
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Magnesium deficiency (hypomagnesemia) may cause involuntary shaking (tremors) of the tongue, arms and legs. Other signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:
- Sudden, involuntary muscle twitches or jerks (myoclonus)
- Muscle weakness
- Sudden sensations of spinning (vertigo)
- Fatigue
- Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia)
Magnesium deficiency is rare. Its potential causes include:
- Malnutrition
- Alcoholism
- Malabsorption disorders, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Certain medications, such as the chemotherapy drug cisplatin (Platinol) and some diuretics and antibiotics
- Removal of the parathyroid glands
- Acute pancreatitis
Your doctor will probably treat magnesium deficiency by giving you a magnesium supplement as a pill or an injection. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency, including tremors, should stop after treatment.
