The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
L-Theanine
Posted by Sukie (NZ)
★★★★★
I love L-Theanine for PMS. I start to take it as soon as I find myself becoming irritable. I find I also need a capsule or two on the third day of my period... my brain chemistry must be altering during this time. I feel very needy. Anyone else notice that too?
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Freda (Northeastern Wi) on 07/01/2016
★★★★☆
Unsulfered Molasses is somehow helping with PMS symptoms...
I'm 35 and have struggled with heavy menses well its been two days since I been taking a little less than a tsp. of the blackstrap molasses that I happen to have. I didn't really know what it was for and I googled it and read about good info on here.
Every month before I start my menstrual I feel very heavy and tired and also get anxiety very bad when it's that time :( ..well this morning I got my thing and I noticed that I feel pretty good and noticed also small air bubble noises coming from down there? Is this good? I feel so much at ease today ...good stuff but maybe like some other people on here were noting that you should check w the doc before taking with some other meds your taking > I think I will stick to a smaller amount it seems to make a big difference for me.
Evening Primrose Oil
Posted by Sue (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 03/11/2015
★★★★★
I have suffered greatly for over 30 years with pms cramping and severe pain and major mood issues. I just found evening primrose oil. I have been taking 2 to 3,1000mg vitamins per day for the past 3 weeks. I have had my period for 3 days now and have not had to take any pain killers at all. This stuff is truely a miracle cure. All the praise to God! Please try it if you suffer as I did. You won't regret it, it will change your life.
Chinese Herbs
Posted by Sam (Miami, FL) on 08/11/2014
★★★★★
Seaweed Bath
Posted by Briona (La, Ca) on 05/18/2013
★★★★★
PMS: Take a hot bath with seaweed (bought at a Japanese store or at the Asian section of your grocery store) to relieve painful PMS. A small handful of seaweed is sufficient. It's wonderful!!
B-Complex, D3, Magnesium
Posted by Anon (Anon) on 01/22/2013
Hi, thanks for your post - yes b vits control hormones and magnesium is needed to resolve cramping. So glad this has helped you and hope it will help others. Shame on the doctor for recommending Prozac!
Agnus Castus
Posted by L C Cameron (New Zealand) on 12/10/2017
Back in 1976 I felt the same as you and a study had just come out of the UK that showed that water retention was the cause and they had given it the name PMS according to the Dr I went to. When I told him that I didn't have a problem with swelling he told me it was water on the brain, gave me some pills and told me to come back in 3 days. Which I did and asked what were the pills as it felt like a miracle! I was sane again - I had felt suicidal. That was when he told me that the pills were for fluid retention. Have never heard of apple cider vinegar for it.
Holy Basil, Chasteberry
Posted by Juliette (Reston, Va) on 05/24/2012
★★★★★
I used to struggle really badly with mood swings and anxiety especially around my period I went to a holistic doctor and she recommanded I start drinking Tulsi(holy basil) tea (she actually gave me some pills but I found the tea and I drink tea all day so this works better! ) and get some Chaste tree berry (comes in drops just put some in your water directions on the bottle) and the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. I kinda just go with my gut as far as dosage goes but I'd say I drink about 2-4 cups of tulsi tea a day and do chaste tree berry in my water 2-3 times a day. When I forget to do it I can tell the difference and it works almost immediately... I HiGHLY recommend it :) peace and love.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Stephanie (Hilton Head, Sc, United States) on 12/06/2011
I just found your post, as well as the Earth Clinic Website, a little while ago. I am completely desperate for help with my PMS so I am going to give it a try. I just took 2 tbsp. Of apple cider vinegar with a little less than 1 tbsp of honey (the real stuff, not the stuff in the bear ;-) I would have tried the blackstrap molasses, but I don't have any so this will have to do for now I guess. I've read most of the posts and it seems like some of you had some results as early as 4 days after starting the ACV regimen. I'm hoping that will be the case for me as well. I am due to start my period around Friday and the cramps, bloating and fatigue are kicking my butt..... As usual. It seems the older I get the worse it gets!
I also have fibromyalgia so PMS really takes a toll on my body and my mental outlook. I'm really hoping this works. If so, I will be the biggest advocate for Earth Clinic the world has ever seen!! Thanks for all of your posts and advice. Good luck to you all!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Carly (Seattle, Wa - Usa) on 08/30/2011
Hi Jennifer -
To help make the ACV taste better I take 1 oz of ACV, and then I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda to it. When it stops fizzing (bubbling up) I add about 10 oz of (non chlorinated) water and 2 oz of orange juice. It tastes GREAT this way. Some people add apple juice instead of OJ - so if you prefer it, maybe try that.
ACV is great stuff. Keep at it, and you will start to actually like the taste of it, I promise!
Carly :-)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by S.a (Savannah, Ga) on 03/05/2011
★★★★★
Took two tablespoons in a glass of water for 2 weeks straight before menstruation and LO AND BEHOLD no menstrual cramps pms or headaches!!! This is a miracle cure and I will continue to take it to see what else happens ;)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jennifer (Baltimore, Md) on 08/30/2011
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Hi, I came across this site in hopes of relieving my PMS symptoms. I've noticed since my Tubal last August that my headaches have increased as well as my anger a couple of days before my period starts. I'm not a pill taking kind of person so the ACV may be just the thing for me. I started today with a 2Tbsp shot but it was horrible. Is there something I can mix it with to help reduce the flavor?
Apple Cider Vinegar, Molasses
Posted by Womaninlondon (London, United Kingdom) on 08/11/2011
★★★★★
AKA as evian123. I'm updating to YEA!!!! This is an amazing combination, and I am so happy to report that after 1 month, my period came without a hitch, not a single headache, not a cramp, ZERO PMS, my usual hormonal breakout didn't happen either. As part of my PMS, I used to get REALLY moody - in the sad sense. Teary, tense, woeful and automatic running thoughts. Not this month! I'm stunned and amazed. On top of everything else, my energy is wonderful and steady, I'm clear headed generally and my sleep is solid. My husband is so impressed, he started taking it for himself too. My recipe is this: first thing in the morning 2 tblsp ACV mixed with 1/4 tsp of baking soda as a shot, then I chase it with water. Then, slowly I make a decaf coffee with 1 tsp molasses, and sip that for my morning hot drink. 3 days prior to my period, I sipped 2 tblsp of ACV mixed with 1/4 tsp of baking soda in a large bottle of water and sip it throughout the day to give myself additional suport. Thank you so much earthclinic for sharing this info!!
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Stephanie (Orlando, Fl) on 05/15/2010
★★★★★
I started to take acv and baking soda about a month ago. My reasoning is for my pms, it has been progressively been getting worse over the past year. I really didn't want to go back on birth control since it made me gain weight. I am happy to say that I have had no cramps, bloating, chest swelling and it came a week early. Plus another bonus is that I have lost some weight. My emotional levels were so up and down I felt like I was going crazy during my period. And for the first time ever! i feel normal during my period. Thank you so much I would have not known about this cure without this site!
my recipe is-
2 table spoons of acv and 1 tsp of baking soda with 10 oz of cold water once a day :)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kristy (Los Angeles, CA) on 05/26/2009
★★★★★
After reading about it on this website, I decided to try ACV to cure my PMS. It was terrible before--drastic mood swings, depression, heavy bleeding--a real nightmare. So in a state of desperation I mixed two tablespoons ACV and one tablespoon blackstrap molasses in a large glass of water, and continued every day this month. I'm happy to report that my period came almost without warning--my mood has been stable and positive, my bleeding is lighter... I'm a normal person again! This has been a real godsend. In addition, my skin tone is now even, and I'm back to jogging because my knees feel great.
I've also been oil-pulling this month, using sunflower oil, and taking more calcium. In the coming month, I plan to switch to sesame oil and also to drinking the acv twice per day. Will post any differences I observe. Thanks to all who posted about ACV!!!!
Evening Primrose Oil
Posted by Stacia (Port Orange, FL) on 04/12/2009
★★★★★
Evening Primrose Oil cured my PMS, cramps and my scaly-dry-itchy skin within a few days-weeks. My skin saw relief withing a few days. I started taking it for the first time a few weeks before my period and it was actually a shock when my period started because I had NO warning as usual. My PMS was bad enough that I knew to the hour when my period would start. Not anymore! That is the only downside, but I'll take it! :) I've used two brands..both 1300 and 1350 mg work. I take one a day religiously, but two a day if I think about it. The bottles say you can take 1-2 softgels a day. My skin is normally very oily, but sometimes I get combination skin where it gets very scaly, dry, itchy and UGLY! The evening primrose oil has COMPLETELY solved this issue. I was on birth control pills as a child of 14 for debilitating cramps and what a nightmare that was. I will never play around with my hormones again. I gained a lot of weight, got heart palpitations, grew excess hair everywhere...I don't recommend birth control pills to anyone. As a 31 year old and still dealing with terrible periods, this is a lifesaver! No more cramps, no more crazy PMS symptoms (and I had them all...sore breasts, moodiness, depression, lethargy..etc). Thank you Earthclinic! I tell everyone about this site, use it all the time and everything that I've tried here is fantastic!
Dong Quai Tea
Posted by Briona (Los Angeles, CA) on 02/27/2009
★★★★★
For a few decades, I had the most painful cramps and horrible PMS. A few months ago, I started drinking a large cup of Dong Quai tea every afternoon - except during my period, and since then, no more cramps, no more PMS. My husband loves it - and me too.
Lugol's Iodine
Posted by Jess (San Fran) on 10/20/2008
★★★★☆
I started to take a few drops of Lugol's in water early last week. On the 3rd day, I got my period. I think the Lugol's made it come earlier than usual, but I will have to mark it on a calendar for the next few months to know exactly how much earlier it arrived. What was unusual is that I had NO PMS! No wild hormonal swings, no irritation, no breast tenderness. My period just arrived without fanfare ha ha. The next unusual thing that happened is that I got PMS symptoms (irritablity) on the 1st day of my period, instead of 4 days before... It lasted for a few hours and then all was well in the universe once again. I stopped taking it after 5 days, but will start up again in about 2 weeks. I'd say its a MAYBE remedy for PMS.
Lugol's Iodine
Posted by Justme (Abroad, Non-us) on 06/07/2011
★★★★★
I started taking Lugol's (5% solution, 5 drops in a cup of water) as soon as my period ended, and I was PMS-free till my next period started! Prior to this, my PMS with nasty mood swings would last more than 2 weeks at times. Having a clear mind thru PMS was amazing! This was my 1st time taking Lugol's, and I'll definitely continue taking it as long as needed.
Turmeric
Posted by Liana (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) on 07/10/2008
★★★★★
Turmeric reduced my PMS symptoms substantially. I was born and raised in Central Java, Indonesia. In addition to the fact that turmeric has been used in cooking for many centuries, it is one of the common home-made herbal remedies for menstrual cramps.
This is the version that I used effectively on myself while living in Western countries where fresh turmeric root was not available:
1.Boil 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in 1 to 2 cups of water.
2.Add lemon/lime juice.
3.Add honey (or sugar) to taste.
4. Drink this once a day.
Whenever I remembered to take this about 5 days before my menses, I had absolutely no discomfort whatsoever. And ... as a bonus, my complexion that turned itchy, bumpy and/or pimply before and during menstruation usually stayed smooth.
Now come to think of it, even though I am now post-menopausal, I probably will still benefit from this concoction. Thank you to all of those who write how turmeric root/powder cures other ailments such as colds.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anna (Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago) on 03/06/2008
★★★★★
I tried Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tablespoon in the morning and in the evening.No cramps, No bloating, normally before my periods my stomach would get huge, but thanks to acv this month no stomach, no pain nothing, and my cycle is ligter than it has ever been, thank God i found this remedy, and thank you earth clinic, for this very informative website
