Drug & supplement interaction

Magnesium + Tigecycline

Tigecycline brand name: Tygacil.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Tigecycline falls into 3 drug categories that Magnesium can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Magnesium decreases absorption of quinolones.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Magnesium and Tigecycline

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Magnesium interacts with whole categories of medication. Tigecycline falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Magnesium in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Tigecycline

Tigecycline falls under QUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS — the group Magnesium interacts with.

Magnesium decreases absorption of quinolones.
Magnesium can form insoluble complexes with quinolones and decrease their absorption. Advise patients to take these drugs at least 2 hours before, or 4 to 6 hours after, magnesium supplements.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's some reassuring news: this particular interaction isn't really one you need to worry about with tigecycline (Tygacil). The concern on file is that magnesium can bind to certain antibiotics in the gut and block them from being absorbed. That matters for pills you swallow, like quinolones such as ciprofloxacin. But tigecycline is given as an IV infusion, not by mouth, so it never mixes with your magnesium supplement in your stomach. There's nothing there for the magnesium to grab onto.

So in practice, taking a magnesium supplement shouldn't weaken your tigecycline treatment. It's still smart to let your care team know everything you're taking, but this combination through an IV isn't a real-world problem.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Hansten PD, Horn JR. Drug Interactions Analysis and Management. Vancouver, WA: Applied Therapeutics Inc., 1997 and updates.
Moderate

TETRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS

2 of 3

Tigecycline also falls under TETRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS.

Magnesium decreases absorption of tetracyclines.
Magnesium can form insoluble complexes with tetracyclines in the gut and decrease their absorption and antibacterial activity. Advise patients to take these drugs 1 hour before or 2 hours after magnesium supplements.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's some reassuring news about this particular pairing. The classic worry with magnesium and tetracycline antibiotics is that magnesium binds to them in the stomach, forming clumps your gut can't absorb, which weakens the antibiotic. But tigecycline (Tygacil) is given as an IV infusion, not a pill you swallow. Since it goes straight into your bloodstream and never meets magnesium in your gut, that binding problem really doesn't apply here.

This interaction comes from older oral tetracyclines and lab-based data, so it's largely theoretical for tigecycline. Still, if you're getting this antibiotic in the hospital and also take magnesium, mention it to your pharmacist or nurse so they can confirm everything's fine for your situation.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sompolinsky D, Samra Z. Influence of magnesium and manganese on some biological and physical properties of tetracycline. J Bacteriol 1972;110:468-76.. PubMed
Moderate

AMINOGLYCOSIDE ANTIBIOTICS

3 of 3

Tigecycline also falls under AMINOGLYCOSIDE ANTIBIOTICS.

Concomitant use of aminoglycoside antibiotics and magnesium can increase the risk for neuromuscular weakness.
Both aminoglycosides and magnesium reduce presynaptic acetylcholine release, which can lead to neuromuscular blockade and possible paralysis. This is most likely to occur with high doses of magnesium given intravenously.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the honest picture for tigecycline (Tygacil). The interaction we have on file is really about aminoglycoside antibiotics, which is a different class. Tigecycline is a tetracycline-type drug, so it doesn't share that same nerve-and-muscle effect. The concern with aminoglycosides plus magnesium is that both can quiet the signal between nerves and muscles, which in rare cases causes muscle weakness, mostly when high-dose magnesium is given through an IV.

For tigecycline specifically, this concern doesn't really apply, and the evidence behind it is only anecdotal to begin with. An everyday oral magnesium supplement is very unlikely to cause a problem. Since tigecycline is given in the hospital for serious infections, just let your care team know what supplements you take so they can keep an eye on things.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. L'Hommedieu CS, Nicholas D, Armes DA, et al. Potentiation of magnesium sulfate--induced neuromuscular weakness by gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin. J Pediatr 1983;102:629-31..

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Magnesium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Magnesium has 6 major, 174 moderate, 114 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tigecycline one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 6 Moderate 174 Minor 114 No known interaction 2,536 (incl. Tigecycline)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Magnesium

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Magnesium. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Magnesium or Tigecycline

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Magnesium or Tigecycline, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tigecycline

This page covers Magnesium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tigecycline page lists 98 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Oleander (major), Para-aminobenzoic Acid (paba) (major), Acerola (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 88 moderate · 8 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tigecycline page

“Tigecycline (Tygacil) is an intravenous antibiotic usually reserved for serious or resistant infections, and its supplement list deserves real attention. The two major-rated entries come first: oleander, a heart-toxic plant whose compounds may build to dangerous levels with certain antibiotics on board, and PABA, which can blunt the an…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tigecycline interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Magnesium as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 29,717 real supplement products containing Magnesium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Magnesium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tigecycline too, on top of Magnesium — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Magnesium and Tigecycline Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Magnesium
Top 10

#4 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tigecycline
Steady interest

#2,526 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Magnesium

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium
  • Preventing or treating magnesium deficiency
  • Constipation
  • Muscle cramps
  • Sleep support
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Migraine prevention

Magnesium is an essential mineral your body needs for muscles, nerves, blood pressure, and many other functions, and supplements are useful for preventing or correcting deficiency. Some other uses, like easing constipation or preventing migraines, have reasonable support, while uses for sleep and anxiety are less proven. It is generally safe for most healthy people at recommended amounts, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have kidney problems.

Read the full Magnesium monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tigecycline Injection

What Is Tigecycline Injection Used For?

Brand name: Tygacil

Tygacil (tigecycline for injection) is approved for adults 18 and older to treat three types of serious bacterial infections: complicated skin and skin structure infections, complicated intra-abdominal (stomach and intestinal) infections, and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (pneumonia caught outside a hospital).

It is not approved for diabetic foot infections or for pneumonia caught in a hospital setting, including ventilator-associated pneumonia — clinical trials showed it did not work well enough for those uses and was associated with higher mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.

See full Tigecycline Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Magnesium

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Magnesium — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

6Major
174Moderate
114Minor
2,535No known interaction
6 Major 174 Moderate 114 Minor 2,535 No interaction
Major

6 interactions

Moderate

174 interactions

Showing 60 of 174 moderate interactions — see all 174 on the Magnesium page.

Minor

114 interactions

Showing 60 of 114 minor interactions — see all 114 on the Magnesium page.

No interaction 2,535 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Magnesium against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,535 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Magnesium list.

See the full Magnesium interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tigecycline, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Magnesium monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Tigecycline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Tigecycline, ranked by severity Tigecycline Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Magnesium and Tigecycline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Magnesium with Tigecycline?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Magnesium and Tigecycline?
Tigecycline belongs to more than one drug category, and Magnesium interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Magnesium and Tigecycline interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Tigecycline and Magnesium?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.