If you’re like most people with ovaries on earth, you have a hate-hate relationship with PMS. Seriously, what’s to like about premenstrual syndrome, with its ugly calling cards: mood swings, bloating, uncontrollable food cravings and irrational crying fits? The worst part? We’ve mostly been taught that PMS symptom treatments start with hot water bottles and chocolate and end with a heavy dose of painkillers. No longer! We’ve scoured the science, and as it turns out, we can do so many things to make those PMS symptoms so much less painful.
What are PMS symptoms?
All told, the condition describes a collection of more than 150 symptoms that can strike the week before your period due to an imbalance of oestrogen and progesterone levels. Factors such as stress, insufficient sleep and unhealthy eating compound the hormonal plunge, says hormone researcher Lorraine Pintus, author of .
The most common PMS symptoms include:
- Mood swings
- Feelings of depression or irritation and anxiety
- Tiredness or trouble sleeping or feeling extra fatigued
- Bloating or cramping – or both
- Tender breasts
- Headaches or migraines
- Acne
- Changes in appetite
The good news? PMS symptom treatments exist that don’t involve a raid of the medicine cabinet. No matter your symptoms, you may be able to find a fix with these alternative therapies.
READ MORE: PCOS Diet Plan: The Best Foods To Eat (And Limit) When You Have PCOS, According To Experts
PMS symptom treatments
The right vitamins
BEST FOR: mood swings, sore breasts, cramps, headaches, acne
Introducing the new premenstrual superstars: vitamin E and essential fatty acids, according to a study in . Women who swallowed the two every day for six months saw major PMS improvements, possibly because both nutrients interact with prostaglandin receptors (prostaglandins are the hormones believed to cause fierce cramps).
What to look for:
A daily multivitamin should supply you with the 15mg of vitamin E you need and you can pop a daily fish oil capsule to get your fatty acids. Vitamin B6, magnesium and calcium – the mineral you get from a diet full of leafy greens, almonds and yoghurt – may help prevent several PMS symptoms, according to Dr Erika Coertzen, a Limpopo-based integrative medical doctor and homoeopath. Aim for about 1 300mg of calcium a day.
READ MORE: Your Most Urgent ‘Down There’ Questions Answered By Experts
Acupuncture
BEST FOR: cramps, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, nausea
Finally, a prick you can love. Research shows acupuncture is a brilliant PMS symptom treatment. One study found that acupuncture quelled symptoms in 78 percent of women.
Though Western doctors still don’t quite understand how it works, they believe acupuncture may increase circulation and elevate endorphins, which enhance mood and alleviate pain. A 2018 study remarks that it works on a variety of inflammatory markers, which may ease pain. Most women experience PMS relief within 24 hours after a session, so depending on your reaction, you could get treated once a month in the week before your period.
Progesterone Cream
BEST FOR: mood swings, cramps, anxiety, insomnia
Because researchers believe most premenstrual troubles stem from out-of-balance oestrogen and progesterone levels, many treatments aim to restore that equilibrium (one reason birth control pills are often prescribed for PMS).
Using a natural progesterone cream – applied daily to your inner thighs or lower abdomen before your period – can have a similar effect, says integrative and functional medical practitioner Dr Frank Lipman. Although a few forms – such as Solal – are available OTC at pharmacies, you should consult your doctor before using them. advisor Dr Tamlyn McKeag recommends a combination of evening primrose oil, vitamins and minerals, or the herbal pill Agnucaston instead.
Herbs
BEST FOR: mood swings, sore breasts, cramps, bloating
Science suggests the leafy stuff might lighten your PMS load. The chaste tree berry has been the go-to plant for easing women’s gynaecological complaints for more than 2000 years. It may help stimulate and regulate different hormones. Added to that, it can increase natural progesterone in the second half of your cycle, says Coertzen. This may seriously improve your bloating, irritability and achy-boob symptoms. Evening primrose oil, high in the essential fatty acid GLA, is also often used to soothe breast tenderness.
Dong quai, liquorice and wild yam may help alleviate migraines, cramps and bloating. And, valerian root and St John’s wort may calm your moods. (Be sure to check with your GP before beginning any regimen.) These hormone-balancing supps, when taken regularly, could work to ease your PMS symptoms, since they contain these herbs:
This supp, with chaste berry, magnesium and ashwagandha, is used for irregular periods, PMS and even PCOS.
Carefully constructed by experts, this supplement eases your flow with chase berry, L-Theanine and artemisia herb to regulate periods.
Formulated specifically for PMS, this blend, with St John’s Wort and other herbal extracts, works to alleviate PMS and regulate hormonal function.
Sweating and stretching
BEST FOR: mood swings, cramps, anxiety, headaches, back pain
Don’t snigger. Mild forms of exercise can be a potent PMS symptom treatment, says Tegan Burger, owner of Joburg-based Ubuntu Yoga. Working out releases painkilling endorphins and triggers dopamine (the pleasure hormone) and serotonin (a depression and anxiety fighter).
Yoga’s breathing exercises also help eliminate moodiness, says Burger, who recommends regular practice (starting twice a week) for long-term benefits. When PMS strikes, try poses like triangle and reclining goddess to open the hips. Do twisting postures like half spinal twist to ease lower back pain. Gland-stimulating poses such as cobra, bow, boat and bridge will also help. Avoid inversions during the heaviest part of your period.
READ MORE: Soothe Your PMS Symptoms With This 15-Minute Yoga Workout
Natural diuretics
BEST FOR: bloating
Fluid retention, a particularly unsightly PMS signature symptom (“Um, these pants fitted last week!”), builds up as a result of fluctuating hormones. It can make you feel like overstuffed wors. Eastern doctors have believed for centuries that nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins B and C act as natural diuretics, relieving big-time bloat.
Western docs have recently caught on, advising patients to snack on bananas, fennel, tomatoes, celery, watercress and citrus fruits pre-period. And think twice before you reach for your morning latte or a diet cool drink to get things, um, moving. Research shows that while caffeine might be able to slash fluid retention to potentially bring down bloating, it can also heighten anxiety.
DIY massage
BEST FOR: cramps, headaches, bloating
Self-massage can lessen your pre-period woes, as any kind of rubdown increases blood flow and eases muscle and mental tension. Some of the essential oils used in massage also make a difference, including lavender (a muscle relaxer) and geranium (an oestrogen balancer) but it’s important to dilute them before applying to your skin.
Use several drops of one type of oil in a handful of massage lotion and start on your right side above your groin, massaging up to your waist in a clockwise motion. “Always massage in a clockwise direction around the abdominal area as digestion takes place from left to right,” says Cape Town massage therapist Lisa Roese, who also recommends massaging your lower back. Do it for five minutes twice a day during peak PMS time.
Magnetic therapy
BEST FOR: sore breasts, cramps, bloating, acne
Doctors have used pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) to relieve depression and chronic pain, and now it seems magnets can also do wonders as a PMS symptom treatment. In a study, women who wore magnetic devices attached to the sides of their underwear two days before and during their periods saw their symptoms improve significantly. In fact, a subsequent survey found that when some women used the magnets for a year or more, they continued to experience pain relief.
