Magnesium for Menstrual Cramp Relief
Magnesium reduced dysmenorrhea pain and analgesic need in RCTs, with pre-menstrual dosing showing the strongest effects.
Overview
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- 300–400 mg/day glycinate or citrate, continuous or starting 2 days pre-menses.
- Expected timeframe
- 1-3 cycles
Protocol
- form
- Magnesium citrate or glycinate. Some trials combined magnesium with vitamin B6 at 40-50 mg/day, which appeared to improve results for premenstrual symptoms
- duration
- Three consecutive cycles before judging
- co factor
- Take with food. Evidence is moderate. Randomised trials of magnesium at 250-360 mg/day show reduced menstrual pain and reduced need for analgesia in primary dysmenorrhoea, and a Cochrane review of herbal and dietary approaches judged magnesium among the more promising options while noting small trial sizes and variable quality. The mechanism is plausible: magnesium reduces prostaglandin F2-alpha, which drives the uterine contractions causing cramping, and acts as a calcium channel antagonist relaxing uterine smooth muscle. Continuous rather than as-needed dosing across the cycle appears more effective, since the prostaglandin effect builds over time.
- titration
- Up to 360 mg/day in divided doses; reduce if stools loosen
- starting dose
- 250 mg elemental magnesium daily, beginning around day 15 of the cycle or a few days before symptoms usually start
Evidence
What the studies say
Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea
Pattanittum P, et al.
There is no high quality evidence to support the effectiveness of any dietary supplement for dysmenorrhoea, and evidence of safety is lacking.
Safety
Caveats
Loose stools at higher doses; caution in renal impairment.
Less likely to help if
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