Cause: Usually caused by an imbalance of hormones related to menstruation, can also be exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies or stress.

Useful Supplements: Calcium, Evening Primrose Oil, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E.

Useful Herbs: Dong Quai, False Unicorn, Vitex.

Further information: Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) is the term used to describe a collection of symptoms that occur starting about six to ten days before the onset of menses, continuing until the end of a menstrual cycle. PMS is estimated to affect almost 90% of all women at some time during their childbearing years. In most cases, PMS is not severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life, however.
Women who are most likely to experience PMS include those between ages 20 and 40, those with at least one child, and those with a personal or family history of depression.
Symptoms of PMS include bloating, backache, breast tenderness, nausea, temporary weight gain, acne, food cravings, fatigue, depression, and irritability. Some women also experience Fibrocystic Breast Condition, temporary non-cancerous lumps in the breasts.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent PMS, some lifestyle changes help to ease its symptoms. Regular exercise and a healthy diet, along with adequate rest, may help.¹
Some specific foods are known to worsen PMS. These include alcohol,² sugar,³ and caffeine, especially in the form of coffee⁴ or tea.⁵

The following supplements and herbs may be helpful in the treatment of PMS:

Women who ingest adequate amounts of calcium usually have less severe PMS symptoms.⁶ Supplementing with 1000 mg daily relieves most PMS symptoms.⁷

Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) is often used to treat PMS symptoms.⁸ It both helps the body to process fatty acids more easily⁹ and eases tenderness associated with Fibrocystic Breast Condition.¹⁰

Magnesium is often deficient in women who suffer from PMS.¹¹ Supplementation of up to 400 mg daily may help relieve some symptoms.¹²

Vitamin A increases Progesterone levels,¹³ and, taken in high doses, can reduce PMS symptoms.¹⁴ High doses of Vitamin A are dangerous during pregnancy, however, so women who might potentially become pregnant should not use Vitamin A supplements without consulting a health care provider.

Vitamin B6 taken daily can help relieve the symptoms of PMS.^15,16 This is due to B6’s effectiveness in treating depression and as an anti-inflammatory.

In some cases, a complete B-Complex vitamin may be recommended instead of just Vitamin B6.¹⁷

Regular Vitamin E supplements can help ease PMS symptoms, especially those relating to breast tenderness.¹⁸

Dong Quai helps to promote hormonal balance and is especially effective in treating premenstrual cramping.¹⁹

False Unicorn can help regulate menstrual cycles and ease pain associated with PMS.²⁰

The herb Vitex can help the body establish a proper balance between estrogen and Progesterone by encouraging the production of progesterone.²¹ If taken regularly for several months, it helps to restore hormonal balance and alleviate PMS symptoms.²²

References:

¹Prior JC, Vigna Y, Sciarretta D, et al. Conditioning exercise decreases premenstrual symptoms: a prospective, controlled 6-month trial. Fert Steril 1987;47(3):402–8.
²Halliday A, Bush B, Cleary P, et al. Alcohol abuse in women seeking gynecologic care. Obstet Gynecol 1986;68;322.
³Rossignol AM, Bonnlander H. Prevalence and severity of the premenstrual syndrome. Effects of foods and beverages that are sweet or high in sugar content. J Reprod Med 1991;36:131–6.
⁴Rossignol AM, Bonnlander H. Caffeine-containing beverages, total fluid consumption, and premenstrual syndrome. Am J Public Health 1990;80:1106–10.
⁵Rossignol AM, Zhang J, Chen Y, Xiang Z. Tea and premenstrual syndrome in the People’s Republic of China. Am J Public Health 1989;79:67–9.
⁶Rossignol AM, Bonnlander H. Premenstrual symptoms and beverage consumption. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1993;168:1640 [letter].
⁷Penland JG, Johnson PE. Dietary calcium and manganese effects on menstrual cycle symptoms. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1993;168:1417–23.
⁸Puolakka J, Makarainen L, Viinikka L, Ylikorkola O. Biochemical and clinical effects of treating the premenstrual syndrome with prostaglandin synthesis precursors. J Reprod Med 1985;30:149–53
⁹Horrobin DF, Manku MS, Brush M, et al. Abnormalities in plasma essential fatty acid levels in women with premenstrual syndrome and with nonmalignant breast disease. J Nutr Med 1991;2:259–64.
¹⁰McFayden IJ, Forest AP, et al. Cyclical breast pain-some observations and the difficulties in treatment. Brit J Clinical Practice 1992; 46:161–4.
¹¹Sherwood RA, Rocks BF, Stewart A, Saxton RS. Magnesium and the premenstrual syndrome. Ann Clin Biochem 1986;23:667–70.
¹²Facchinetti F, Borella P, Sances G, et al. Oral magnesium successfully relieves premenstrual mood changes. Obstet Gynecol 1991;78:177–81.
¹³Panth M, Raman L, Ravinder P, Sivakumar B. Effect of vitamin A supplementation on plasma progesterone and estradiol levels during pregnancy. Internat J Vit Nutr Res 1991;61:17–9.
¹⁴Argonz J, Abinzano C. Premenstrual tension treated with vitamin A. J Clin Endocrinol 1950;10:1579–89.
¹⁵Brush MG, Perry M. Pyridoxine and the premenstrual syndrome. Lancet 1985;i:1399 [letter].
¹⁶Williams MJ, Harris RI, Deand BC. Controlled trial of pyridoxine in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. J Int Med Res 1985;13:174–9.
¹⁷Piesse JW. Nutritional factors in the premenstrual syndrome. Intl Clin Nutr Rev 1984;4(2):54–80 [review].
¹⁸London RS, Sundaram GS, Murphy L, Goldstein PJ. The effect of alpha-tocopherol on premenstrual symptomatology: a double blind study. J Am Coll Nutr 1983;2(2):115–22.
¹⁹Qi-bing M, Jing-yi T, Bo C. Advance in the pharmacological studies of radix Angelica sisnensis (oliv) diels (Chinese danggui). Chin Med J 1991; 104:776–81.
²⁰Mills SY. Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. Middlesex, UK: Viking Arkana, 1991, 520–22.
²¹Böhnert KJ, Hahn G. Phytotherapy in gynecology and obstetrics—Vitex agnus castus. Erfahrungsheilkunde 1990; 39:494–502.
²²Dittmar FW, Böhnert KJ, et al. Premenstrual syndrome: Treatment with a phytopharmaceutical. Therapiwoche Gynäkol 1992; 5:60–68.