Vitamins And Supplements To Treat PMS

As promised last week here are some commonly used remedies for PMS:

Calcium - Studies suggest that calcium levels are lower in women with PMS and that calcium supplementation may reduce the severity of symptoms. Recommended daily dosage of calcium citrate is 600mg.

Magnesium - This is found naturally in food and available in supplements. It has been shown to improve mood changes, reduce weight gain, swelling of the hands and feet, breast tenderness and abdominal bloating.
People with heart or kidney disease should not take magnesium supplements without consulting their doctor. Side effects of excess magnesium can include upset stomach and diarrhea. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, slowed heart rate, deficiencies of other minerals, confusion, coma, and even death.
Magnesium may interact with antibiotics, blood pressure medications, diabetic medications, digoxin, levothyroxine, and tiludronate (an osteoporosis medication) and should only be taken together under medical supervision.
Recommended daily dose of magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate is 400 to  600mg.


Evening Primrose oil -  This is a plant oil that contains gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 essential fatty acid. Gamma-linolenic acid is involved in the metabolism of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that regulate pain and inflammation in the body.
There doesn't seem to be any scientific evidence to support its use in PMS treatment but I am including it because it worked for me. I mean I went through a period in my life when I was an absolute nightmare to be around for about 2 weeks of every month, it nearly destroyed my marriage. I took myself to my doctor who offered me either the anti depressant Prozac or evening primrose oil. I opted for the latter and 3 months later I stopped acting so crazy.
Recommended daily dose is 1000mg capsules twice a day.

Vitamin B6 - A number of studies have shown the effectiveness of vitamin B6 on PMS. Vitamin B6 plays a vital part in making certain brain chemicals that control your mood and behaviour. In order for your body to convert B6 (as pyridoxine) into its active form (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) which your body can use, it needs other nutrients such as magnesium. So if you take B6 on its own but are deficient in other nutrients your body may not be able to use that B6 properly. It is also now possible to take vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxal-5-phosphate.
I recommend taking vitamin B complex which has all the different variants of vitamin B. 
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