Medical disclaimer: GutVerdict summarizes what people say about supplements on Reddit. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take medicines, or have a medical condition. New, severe or worsening symptoms (such as blood in the stool, weight loss, fever, or night-time symptoms) need a doctor, not a supplement. Full disclaimer.

Question · IBS-C & constipation

Does magnesium citrate help with constipation?

Many say yes, going by Reddit owner reports: 153 of 234 rated comments from people with IBS-C or constipation describe a good experience with Magnesium citrate, and 57 describe a poor one. That is self-reported experience, not proof that it works, and results vary from person to person.

Magnesium citrate, IBS-C & constipation	Owner comments
Rated comments in this context	234
Positive	153 (65%)
Negative	57 (24%)
Describe an unwanted effect	12
Context rating (small samples pulled to the average)	3.4

Magnesium citrate overall: 4.0 from 843 owner comments in Reddit IBS and gut communities, November 2025 to October 2026.

What the research says

Magnesium is a primary ingredient in some laxatives, and high doses of magnesium salts commonly cause diarrhea.^{[NIH Office of Dietary Supplements]}
A 2021 systematic review looked at over-the-counter options for chronic constipation, including magnesium.^[PubMed]

Safety

The NIH upper limit for magnesium from supplements is 350 mg a day for adults unless a doctor advises more; the risk of magnesium toxicity rises with kidney disease.^{[NIH Office of Dietary Supplements]}
Magnesium can reduce absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines, quinolones) and osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates); space doses apart.^{[NIH Office of Dietary Supplements]}

Good experiences

4/5
“Today I would take some magnesium citrate, because wherever is fermenting in your gut needs to be released not stuck up inside of you.”

owner comment via r/Microbiome · 2026-04-10 · 20 upvotes

4/5
“I want to recommend the magnesium citrate gummies by Nature Vitality brand.”

owner comment via r/Constipation · 2025-11-12 · 19 upvotes

5/5 Fast-actingRegularity
“My daughter called & suggested Magnesium Citrate.”

owner comment via r/Constipation · 2026-10-10 · 17 upvotes

Poor experiences

2/5
“Taking more and more laxatives, drinking Magnesium Citrate as a last resort, NEVER AGAIN.”

owner comment via r/IBS · 2026-10-13 · 34 upvotes

1/5
“Mag citrate was a hellacious experience for me.”

owner comment via r/Constipation · 2026-02-24 · 4 upvotes

How reports compare in other contexts

Context	Rated comments	Positive	Negative
SIBO	95	76	13
Pain & cramping	51	31	14
Bloating & gas	43	28	10
IBS-D & loose stools	24	13	9
After antibiotics	11	8	3

More on Magnesium citrate

Talk to a doctor about new, severe or lasting symptoms, and to a pharmacist before combining supplements with medicines.