Home Remedies and Cures for PMS and Irregular Periods

Believe it or not, there are natural home remedies and cures that either cure PMS or at least greatly relieve the symptoms. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms begin one to two weeks before a woman’s menstrual flow. The following list are symptoms women may experience:
Headache
Poor concentration
Fatigue
Water retention & weight gain
Depression
Bloating, constipation, diarrhea
Mood swings,(irritability or anger, crying spells)
Food cravings & change in appetite
Breast tenderness
Insomnia
Joint or muscle pain
Social withdrawal
Acne

A severe form of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD, interferes with a woman’s ability to carry out daily activities and functions. Root causes of PMS and PMDD are:
Hormonal imbalances
Hypoglycemia
Poor diet
Thyroid problems
Food allergies
Environmental toxins (e.g., pesticides)
Poor liver function
Seasonal affective disorder
Nutritional deficiencies
Stress
Depression

As with most health problems, diet has a lot to do with symptoms. A diet that is mostly focused on plant foods leads to less circulating estrogen, thus decreasing one’s susceptibility to PMS. Avoid saturated fat (red meat and dairy products), trans-fatty acids, like margarine and hydrogenated oils. Also avoid sugar, sodium and processed foods, caffeine and alcohol.

Besides a change in your diet, you can try these other home remedies and cures. I found at least two more pages of home remedies and cures in all of my research, but will only list some of the better ones here.

Vitex, (Chasteberry) has proven to be very helpful for PMS and PMDD. Take daily for at least 3 months, 180 to 240 mg. in capsule form. Do not take in combination with birth control pills.

Taking 1000-1200 mg. of calcium (carbonate) daily has also proven to reduce PMS symptoms.

Dong quai is helpful for menopause, irregular menstruation and PMS. It also seems to give women more energy. You should notice a difference in a month or two. Take 300-500 mg. capsules twice a day.

Magnesium has shown to help a variety of PMS symptoms such as mood changes, fluid retention and migraine headaches. Take 500-750 mg. daily, especially during the two weeks before menstrual flow.

Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) has been noted to make a significant improvement in several mood and physical symptoms of PMS. Take 400 IU daily.

Here is one more group of home remedies and cures to try. To eliminate most PMS symptoms for most women, take 1500 mg. of L-tryptophan (twice daily between meals with a small amount of orange juice) along with 50-100 mg. of vitamin B6, 100-150 mg. magnesium and for some, 2 grams of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) daily. L-tryptophan competes with other amino acids for absorption so you must take it at least one hour before or one hour after a meal. You do have to get a doctor’s prescription for L-tryptophan even though it is a natural substance.

This amino acid is essential to the body, but in the early 1990s the FDA banned it for over-the-counter sales due to contamination caused by a mistake in genetic engineering.

Irregular Periods

There are natural home remedies and cures you can take to help those irregular periods. Some women will have a period one month and skip the next or just not knowing what day to expect it. Vitex can help regulate your cycle by affecting the part of the brain that controls the release of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of Vitex daily. If this doesn’t regulate your cycle, see your doctor for tests.

Aromatherapy treatments with marjoram massage oil may help. The oil, which you can purchase at an herb shop, is massaged onto the lower abdomen at regular intervals. Some women notice a mild sedative effect as well.

Losing weight for most women that are overweight seems to help regulate periods. Drink lots of water, 6 to 8 glasses a day, exercise and try taking 50 mg. a day of vitamin B6.

As I said before, these are only a few but the better home remedies and cures that I found for PMS and irregular periods. But there are many more.

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