PMS Health Center
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) - Other Treatment
Although premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can't be cured, you do have a number of lifestyle, medicine, and other treatment choices that can reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Although most of the therapies listed below are not considered standard treatment for PMS, you may find one or more of them helpful in relieving some of your symptoms. In general, these treatments are safe and well tolerated.
Other Treatment Choices
Complementary or alternative therapies
These therapies may help relieve symptoms in some women.
Depression is a symptom that many women experience during their menstruating years. The key element that sets apart PMS-related depression from other forms of depression is the timing of symptoms. More than 150 different symptoms have been ascribed to PMS, but the hallmark of PMS-related problems is their occurrence during the two weeks prior to the onset of menstruation (around the time of ovulation). Women suffering from PMS-related depression report dramatic relief from their symptoms...
Read the Depression and PMS article > >
- Relaxation methods, including relaxation exercises, roll breathing, yoga, and massage therapy.
- Bright light therapy. Bright light therapy with cool-white fluorescent light in the mornings and evenings on days when PMS symptoms are present may help relieve symptoms.
Vitamin and mineral supplements often recommended for home treatment of PMS and PMDD
These supplements are commonly recommended for PMS home treatment:
- Calcium. This mineral affects the hormone-producing endocrine system. Calcium may help relieve PMS symptoms. A high level of calcium intake, broken up into three doses per day, may improve your negative moods and reduce fluid retention and pain. Calcium has the added advantage of reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
- Magnesium. Some women take magnesium supplements to help with certain symptoms of PMS. But these supplements might not help everyone.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). This vitamin affects the endocrine system and helps the body use magnesium. Vitamin B6 might help improve PMS depression and physical symptoms. Take no more than 100 mg daily to avoid toxic effects on the nervous system.
- Vitamin E. Some women take vitamin E supplements to help with breast tenderness related to PMS. But these supplements might not help everyone.
Other mineral or herbal therapies sometimes used for PMS
- Zinc. Zinc may help improve PMS-related acne.
- Vitex (agnus-castus, or chasteberry). Although vitex's action on the body isn't well understood, it does seem to change hormone levels that affect ovulation and estrogen production. Vitex might help relieve irritability, anger, breast tenderness, bloating, cramping, and headaches. But possible side effects include nausea, gastrointestinal upset, and malaise.
- Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo may reduce breast tenderness, bloating, and weight gain. But it is not known if ginkgo helps relieve PMS symptoms.
- Black cohosh. Black cohosh is sometimes used to relieve menopause symptoms and it might help relieve symptoms of PMS. But this therapy might not work for everyone. If you plan to take black cohosh, talk to your doctor about how to take it safely.
- Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). The oil of evening primrose is a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid, and may offer mild relief of breast tenderness. But it is not known if evening primrose can relieve PMS symptoms.
What to think about
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
