| Supplement | Amount | Why |
|---|
Magnesium | 360 mg daily |  [3 stars] Supplementing with magnesium may help keep uterine muscles relaxed. |
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Fish Oil | Refer to label instructions
|  [2 stars] A fish oil supplement containing EPA and DHA may help prevent menstrual syndromes. |
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Ginger | 250 mg four times per day, beginning at the start of menstruation and continuing for three days
| [2 stars] In a double-blind trial, ginger powder was as effective as anti-inflammatory medication (mefenamic acid and ibuprofen) in relieving symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
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Krill Oil | 2 grams daily for one month; after that, 2 grams per day beginning eight days prior to menstruation and continuing for two days after the start | [2 stars] Women who took krill oil had improved abdominal pain and reported using fewer pain relievers for menstrual pain than those who took fish oil in one study.
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Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol) | 60 mg per day
| [2 stars] Preliminary research and double-blind research has reported that pycnogenol may reduce severe abdominal and back pain during menses.
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 200 mg daily throughout menstrual cycle; for cramps: 100 mg every two to three hours
| [2 stars] The niacin form of vitamin B3 has been reported to be effective in relieving menstrual cramps in 87% of a group of women supplementing with it throughout the menstrual cycle. |
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Vitamin B3, Vitamin C, and Rutin | 200 mg niacin daily, 300 mg vitamin C daily, and 60 mg rutin daily througout menstrual cycle; for cramps: 100 mg niacin every two to three hours | [2 stars] Supplementing with a combination of vitamin B3, vitamin C, and the flavonoid rutin resulted in a 90% effectiveness for relieving menstrual cramps in one study. |
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Vitamin E | 400 to 600 IU of vitamin E a day for five days, beginning two days before menstruation | [2 stars] Taking vitamin E beginning two days before menstruation may help prevent severe pain. |
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Açaí | Refer to label instructions
|  [1 star] Açaí is a traditional remedy for dysmenorrhea, and there is preliminary evidence that some anthocyanins found in açaí may help with dysmenorrhea symptoms. |
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Black Cohosh | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Black cohosh has a history as a folk medicine for relieving menstrual cramps. |
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Blue Cohosh | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Blue cohosh has been used traditionally for easing painful menstrual periods. Women of childbearing age using this herb should stop using it as soon as they become pregnant. |
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Calcium | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Muscles that are calcium-deficient tend to be hyperactive and therefore might be more likely to cramp. Calcium may help prevent menstrual cramps by maintaining normal muscle tone. |
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Corydalis | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] A constituent of corydalis called tetrahydropalmatine appears to heave pain-relieving and sedative effects. It has shown to be effective for painful menstruation. |
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Cramp Bark | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Cramp bark has been a favorite traditional herb for menstrual cramps. It may help ease severe cramps that are associated with nausea, vomiting, and sweaty chills. |
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Dong Quai | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Dong quai has been used either alone or in combination with other traditional Chinese medicine herbs to help relieve painful menstrual cramps. |
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False Unicorn | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] False unicorn was used in the Native American tradition for a large number of women’s health conditions, including painful menstruation. |
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Peony | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] An herbal formulation known as toki-shakuyaku-san combines peony root with other herbs and has been found to reduce cramping and pain associated with dysmenorrhea. |
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Progesterone | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Some practitioners report success using topical progesterone cream for dysmenorrhea. |
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Vervain | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Vervain is a traditional herb for dysmenorrhea. |
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Vitamin B1 | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Vitamin B1 appears to relieve dysmenorrheal in cases of vitamin B1 deficiency. It is not known whether supplementing would relieve the condition in women who are not deficient. |
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Vitamin D | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] In a double-blind trial, women with dysmenorrhea received a placebo or a single administration of a large amount of vitamin D, which appeared to significantly diminish menstrual pain. This should only be done under doctor supervision.
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Vitex | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Clinical reports from Germany have suggested that vitex may help relieve different menstrual abnormalities associated with premenstrual syndrome, including dysmenorrhea. |
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