---
title: Does 200 mg magnesium daily help premenstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: Yes, but only for fluid retention symptoms like bloating and breast swelling, and only during the second month of treatment.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/magnesium-supplementation-alleviates-premenstrual-symptoms-of-fluid-retention-1998/
---

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- Does 200 mg magnesium daily help premenstrual symptoms?

Randomised trial, 1998

# Does 200 mg magnesium daily help premenstrual symptoms?

Yes, but only for fluid retention symptoms like bloating and breast swelling, and only during the second month of treatment.

 Moderate study design

38 women with PMS

## What they did

Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study with 38 women. Each woman took either 200 mg magnesium or placebo daily for 2 menstrual cycles, then switched. They tracked 22 symptoms daily on a 4-point scale, including anxiety, cravings, depression, fluid retention, and other symptoms.

## What they found

In the first month, magnesium made no difference compared with placebo. In the second month, magnesium significantly reduced fluid retention symptoms (weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, and abdominal bloating) compared with placebo (p=0.009). Urine testing confirmed women were taking the magnesium.

## What it means for you

Magnesium 200 mg may help specifically with fluid retention symptoms of PMS, but requires 2 cycles of treatment to work. It did not help other PMS symptoms like mood or cravings. This was a small study.

38

women

200 mg

daily magnesium dose

p=0.009

statistical significance for fluid retention in month 2

## About the study

Original title Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention Authors Walker AF, De Souza MC, Vickers MF et al. Journal Journal of women's health Year 1998 Study design Randomised trial Participants 38 What was tested 200 mg magnesium (as MgO) daily vs placebo for 2 menstrual cycles Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1089/jwh.1998.7.1157](https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.1998.7.1157)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Magnesium](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-magnesium/)

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