---
title: Does vitamin B-6 help treat premenstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: Possibly yes. Nine trials show vitamin B-6 was 2.32 times more likely than placebo to improve overall symptoms and 1.69 times more likely to help depressive s
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/efficacy-of-vitamin-b-6-in-the-treatment-of-premenstrual-syndrome-systematic-1999/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does vitamin B-6 help treat premenstrual symptoms?

Systematic review, 1999

# Does vitamin B-6 help treat premenstrual symptoms?

Possibly yes. Nine trials show vitamin B-6 was 2.32 times more likely than placebo to improve overall symptoms and 1.69 times more likely to help depressive symptoms, but most trials were low quality.

 Moderate study design

940 patients with PMS across 9 randomized trials

## What they did

Systematic review of 9 randomized placebo-controlled trials (940 patients) testing vitamin B-6 for PMS. Four trials (541 patients) separately measured depressive symptoms.

## What they found

Odds ratio 2.32 (95% CI 1.95-2.54) for improvement in overall premenstrual symptoms versus placebo. Odds ratio 1.69 (95% CI 1.39-2.06) for depressive symptoms from four trials.

## What it means for you

Vitamin B-6 up to 100 mg per day may help PMS and premenstrual depression. The effect is modest and most included trials were low quality, so higher-quality evidence is needed.

940

Patients total

2.32

Odds ratio for overall symptom improvement

1.69

Odds ratio for depression improvement

## About the study

Original title Efficacy of vitamin B-6 in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: systematic review Authors Wyatt KM, Dimmock PW, Jones PW et al. Journal BMJ (Clinical research ed.) Year 1999 Study design Systematic review What was tested Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), doses up to 100 mg per day Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7195.1375](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7195.1375)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Vitamin B6](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-b6/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Systematic review, 2013

Does Vitex (chaste tree) help PMS and PMDD symptoms?

Review, 2011

What are PMS and PMDD, and how common are they?

Survey study, 2026

What are the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for PMS and PMDD?

Randomised trial, 2025

Does vitamin B6 reduce PMS symptoms in teenagers?

Randomised trial, 2020

Do micronutrient supplements work better than vitamin B6 for PMS?

Randomised trial, 1989

Does vitamin B6 reduce PMS mood symptoms?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗