---
title: Which PMS treatments have good scientific evidence? | Niyora
description: Calcium at 1200 mg daily and certain antidepressants have good evidence of working. Many popular treatments like vitamin B6, evening primrose oil, and birth c
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-evidence-based-treatment-in-family-practice-2002/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Which PMS treatments have good scientific evidence?

Study, 2002

# Which PMS treatments have good scientific evidence?

Calcium at 1200 mg daily and certain antidepressants have good evidence of working. Many popular treatments like vitamin B6, evening primrose oil, and birth control pills lack strong evidence. Some treatments like progesterone do not work.

 Strong study design

Not applicable - this was a review of studies, not original research

## What they did

Doctors searched medical databases from 1990 to 2001 for studies of PMS treatments. They reviewed the Cochrane Library and consulted with experts. They rated how strong the scientific evidence was for each treatment.

## What they found

Calcium at 1200 mg daily and certain antidepressants had good evidence of being effective. Many other treatments had unclear or weak evidence including vitamin B6, evening primrose oil, birth control pills, exercise, stress reduction, therapy, spironolactone, magnesium, anti-inflammatory pain medicines, hormone treatments, and carbohydrate-rich diets. Progesterone and bromocriptine do not work.

## What it means for you

Calcium is the most proven treatment for mild to moderate PMS and is a reasonable first choice. Certain antidepressants work well for severe mood symptoms or if other treatments fail. Many popular treatments lack strong evidence but might be worth trying for their other health benefits. This review covered studies through 2001, so newer evidence may exist.

1200

mg daily of calcium carbonate

1990-2001

years of studies reviewed

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual syndrome. Evidence-based treatment in family practice Authors Douglas S Journal Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien Year 2002 Study design Study What was tested Multiple treatments reviewed including calcium, antidepressants, vitamins, supplements, exercise, and hormonal approaches Open access Yes Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12489244/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12489244/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Cognitive behavioral therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-cbt/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Calcium](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-calcium/)[Magnesium](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-magnesium/)[Vitamin B6](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitamin-b6/)[Evening primrose oil](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-evening-primrose/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)

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, 2007

What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome?

Review, 2023

Can herbs and supplements help with PMS symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2003

What treatments work for PMS and PMDD?

Non-randomised trial, 2020

What treatments help premenstrual syndrome?

Randomised trial, 2000

What non-antidepressant treatments might help PMS?

Review, 1998

What treatments actually help with PMS?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗