--- title: Does vitamin B6 reduce PMS mood symptoms? | Niyora description: Yes, vitamin B6 at 50 mg per day significantly improved mood-related symptoms like depression, irritability, and tiredness. It did not help other PMS symptoms url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/pyridoxine-vitamin-b6-and-the-premenstrual-syndrome-a-randomized-crossover-trial-1989/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does vitamin B6 reduce PMS mood symptoms? Randomised trial, 1989 # Does vitamin B6 reduce PMS mood symptoms? Yes, vitamin B6 at 50 mg per day significantly improved mood-related symptoms like depression, irritability, and tiredness. It did not help other PMS symptoms. Only about half the women finished the study. Moderate study design 63 women aged 18-49 with moderate to severe PMS; 32 completed ## What they did 63 women aged 18-49 with moderate to severe PMS received vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) or placebo in a double-blind crossover design. They kept a daily symptom diary for a baseline month, then took either drug or placebo for 3 months, then switched treatments for 3 more months. They tracked 9 symptoms daily on a scale of 0 to 3. Only 32 women completed all 7 months. ## What they found Vitamin B6 significantly improved emotional symptoms (depression, irritability, and tiredness) compared to placebo. It did not improve other types of premenstrual symptoms. ## What it means for you Vitamin B6 may help with mood symptoms of PMS specifically. However, only about half the women completed the study, and we need more research to be sure the dose and benefits are real. 32/63 completed Study completion 50 mg daily Vitamin B6 dose 9 symptoms Tracked daily on 0-3 scale ## About the study Original title Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and the premenstrual syndrome: a randomized crossover trial Authors Doll H, Brown S, Thurston A et al. Journal The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners Year 1989 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) 50 mg per day Open access Yes Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2558186/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2558186/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[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 Survey study, 2016 Do hormonal contraceptives reduce PMS symptoms? Survey study, 1982 How common are premenstrual symptoms in American women, and what factors affect them? Non-randomised trial, 1983 Do drugs that block prostaglandins help PMS? Survey study, 2026 What are the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for PMS and PMDD? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Survey study, 2025 How do personality traits like neuroticism affect PMS severity and sexual satisfaction? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗