Evening Primrose Oil is one of the most commonly prescribed and recommended remedies for PMS, even by traditional doctors. Check out its many wonderful benefits.
When looking to alleviate your PMS symptoms, you will find a plethora of pharmaceutical and natural remedies that promise to help ease the discomfort.
From hormone pills to acupuncture, from natural herb and plant supplements to yoga and meditation, experts and laypeople alike, have been searching for a PMS cure for years, looking into every possible health modality.
In the process they have come up with some very interesting results, including truly effective remedies, some not so effective, and some that are completely ridiculous by today’s standards.
Nature vs. Chemistry
Most of us when confronted with the need to take medication find ourselves in the face of a modern-day dilemma: Should we go for a chemical pharmaceutical solution or should we try something natural?
What we seem to forget is that even chemical solutions come from natural ingredients or from chemicals mimicking the properties of particular natural ingredients like plants and herbs.
Therefore, we should base our choice on effectiveness and on what remedy has less side-effects.
For the purposes of this article we are going to start with the presentation of a very common natural remedy.
Evening Primrose Oil
Anyone who has looked into natural remedies for PMS has probably stumbled on this one. Evening Primrose Oil is one of the most commonly prescribed and recommended remedies, even by traditional doctors.
The oil comes from the seed of the flower, and it is among other things a mild sedative. Evening Primrose is a yellow wildflower that comes from the Onagraceae family, (more commonly known as the Willow herb family), and not the Primrose family of flowers, as its name suggests.
The Benefits of Evening Primrose Oil
Regulate Menstrual Cycles
Evening Primrose Oil is used to regulate menstruation in cases where bleeding doesn’t always happen every month, or when the cycle is not stable. (Vitex is another effective remedy for regulating menstrual cycles.)
Promote Emotional Balance
It adjusts the hormonal fluctuations during the cycle providing a steadier emotional balance and a more relaxed mood.
Alleviate PMS Symptoms
It also diminishes the symptoms of PMS and dysmenorrhea (painful periods). Specifically, Evening Primrose Oil can be used during the whole month in order to help with the following PMS symptoms:
- Headaches and Migraines
- Emotional Sensitivity
- Bloating
- Insomnia
- Abdominal Pain
- Breast Tenderness
- Cravings
Beautify the Skin
Though not a PMS related benefit, it’s worth mentioning that Evening Primrose Oil can give radiant skin and increased skin elasticity!
Ways to Use Evening Primrose Oil
You can find the oil in the form of liquid softgels online or at any drugstore.
Evening Primrose Oil is available in bottles as well, which can be used in massages and in homemade cosmetics.
You can also eat the unprocessed Evening Primrose plant, though the oil is concentrated in the seeds and not the leafy parts, so it is harder to consume the required amount in this way.
Other than taking the softgels orally you can also opt for taking the oil in liquid form. The liquid form works great as massage oil, although its high cost can deter people from using it in that way.
An excellent way of cutting down the cost, but still getting all the benefits, is mixing one tablespoon of Evening Primrose Oil with the massage oil of your choice and giving yourself a full body massage.
This can work great during PMS, and it takes full advantage of the sedative properties of the oil.
Massaging yourself with the oil helps you get its benefits much faster than taking the capsules, because of the rapid absorption of the nutrients by your skin.
It will not only calm you down and fight insomnia, but you will almost immediately notice relief from headache and abdominal pain.
If you don’t have the time needed for a full body massage, you can still massage the oil straight on the abdominal and hip area to relieve cramping, and on the chest to help relax you.
Precautions
Remember to always consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new supplements in order to take into account your individual needs and requirements.
If your doctor gives the OK to use supplements, but you notice side effects, make sure you stop taking them immediately. Pregnant women or women who take hormonal supplements, should not take Evening Primrose Oil.
Hello! I had my implanon implant removed about five months ago and since I have not had a menses. I am beginning to get extremely concerned because before I got pregnant with my son I had a regular period every month. I got the implant put in about six weeks after he was born and had it in for about eighteen months. While on it I had extremely heavy and irregular periods, and as I mentioned I am no longer having any kind of cycle at all. I am looking very heavily good something natural that may help me. Would EPO be worth trying?
Nicole, as you see in the message board, EPO seems to have different effects on different women. You can give it a try and see if it helps you. You may also look into Dang Dui, a Chinese herb that helps nourish and invigorate blood – a wonderful tonic for healthy menstrual cycles. Check out my post here: https://cycleharmony.com/vaginal-infections/8-leading-causes-of-yeast-infection-and-how-to-prevent-it?view=article
Nicole, as you see in the message board, EPO seems to have different effects on different women. You can give it a try and see if it helps you. You may also look into Dang Dui, a Chinese herb that helps nourish and invigorate blood – a wonderful tonic for healthy menstrual cycles.
I’ve been taking 1000mg of EPO daily for the past few months, it has been working wonders so far, no cramping once so ever and has mae my skin look and feel so smooth and amazing! I am on my period right now and it is very light which is unusual for me. Could the EPO have effects on how heavy your periods are?
Kat, several ladies from our community seem to also experience lighter periods after taking EPO. It could mean that your body is adjusting to it. Since you’ve had mostly positive effects so far, you may give it a try for another one to two menstrual cycles and see how it affects your periods. If you’re taking medication or have any underlining health issues, then it’s definitely a good idea to consult your doctor. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi
I just started taking EPO 3 weeks back and I am having my menses now.I was wondering should I continue taking the EPO or should I take after my menses end?
Will taking EPO make my menses regular(as in I get my menses every month on the same day because for me it is usually late by 3days to a 1week)?
Nikitha, as you can see in the comments for the evening primrose oil, EPO seems to have a different effect on each person. For some ladies, EPO helps regulate their periods. Yet for other ladies, EPO seems to interrupt their menstrual cycles. Like many other supplements, you’ll have to experiment and see if it works for you. Give it a try for a few cycles and monitor how it affects you. Let us know because we can all learn from each other.
Does this help with anxiety and depression ? I just started taking it today and Iam on blood pressure medicine but my doc said it shouldn’t effect me with that what are your thoughts . From Tracy
Tracy, EPO seems to have different effects on different people. You may want to give it a try for a couple of menstrual cycles and see if it helps you. Please share your experience so other ladies can learn from it. Thank you!
Hi there.ive been taking EPO daily from Sept and went from heavy periods to none at all within a day.i have pcos an am takin metformin also.should i go to drs an could i be pregnant?
I wander if EPO interacts with your medication. You should definitely talk to your doctor about this. Take care.