What Helps Period Pain? Supplements, Heat and the Evidence

The two things with the strongest evidence for period pain are anti-inflammatory painkillers from a pharmacist and heat: across 80 trials of 5,820 women, 45 to 53% taking an anti-inflammatory got good relief against 18% on placebo, and heat pads beat painkillers in two trials of 274 women.^{1, 2} Regular exercise cut pain by about 25 mm on a 100 mm scale in nine trials.³ Among supplements, ginger matched anti-inflammatory painkillers across 12 trials, vitamin B1 at 100 mg a day relieved pain in 87% of 556 girls, and zinc (does zinc help period pain), vitamin D, omega-3 and magnesium each have smaller, lower-quality trials; raspberry leaf has none.^{5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14} Pain that worsens with age, arrives days before bleeding or comes with pain during sex is not ordinary period pain and needs a GP.^{17, 18}

Sources checked on 29 October 2026.

What actually helps period pain first?

Period pain comes from prostaglandins, released by the womb lining as it sheds; they make the muscle contract hard and briefly cut its blood supply. Anti-inflammatory painkillers block prostaglandin production, which is why they beat paracetamol (odds ratio 1.89 in three trials) and work best taken as the pain starts.¹ A pharmacist can say which suits you; anyone with asthma, stomach ulcers or kidney problems asks first. Heat is the other proven tool: a hot-water bottle or heat patch on the lower abdomen outperformed painkillers in two trials and no treatment in a third, a 4-point fall on a 10-point scale.² High-frequency TENS beat sham TENS in small trials.⁴ Exercise, 45 to 60 minutes three times a week through the month, gave the 25 mm reduction above.³ If those fail, a GP can prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory or hormonal contraception.¹⁶

Why do periods hurt, and how much pain is normal?

Pain that starts with or just before bleeding, peaks on the first day or two, eases within three days and responds to painkillers and heat is primary dysmenorrhoea: no underlying disease, just a prostaglandin-rich lining. Discharge changes with the same cycle: how discharge changes across the cycle. Up to 90% of menstruating women report some cramping, and the trials recruited women with moderate or severe pain; pain that stops you working or sleeping despite painkillers is common but not something to put up with, and the NHS says to see a GP when pain is severe or changes.^{8, 12, 16} One-sided cramps, or cramps after bleeding has finished, belong in the "not normal" list below.

Which supplements have trials for period pain?

The 2016 Cochrane review of 27 trials in 3,101 women rated every supplement trial low or very low quality, mostly because they were small and single.¹² Within that, the numbers:

So "what vitamin stops menstrual cramps" has an answer, vitamin B1, resting on one old trial, and "what deficiency causes period cramps" has none. The magnesium questions, the most asked, come down to three small trials and no comparison of forms.¹¹ Ginger and chamomile are the drinks with evidence; we found no trial showing any other fruit, tea or food stops period pain, and none for cloves. We found no trial comparing sleeping or resting positions, and acupuncture has one small trial.⁴

Do PMS supplements work: B6, magnesium, calcium, agnus castus, evening primrose?

Vitamin B6 at up to 100 mg a day roughly doubled the odds of improvement across nine trials of 940 women, all low quality; the NHS says 200 mg or more a day can cause nerve damage and that adults should not take more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 a day in supplements unless advised to by a doctor.^{15, 19} Magnesium has the three small trials above. Calcium, agnus castus and evening primrose oil have small, mixed trials, so we leave them ungraded; PMDD, severe premenstrual mood symptoms, is a GP diagnosis. Heavy periods are the commonest route to iron deficiency: iron supplements for heavy periods.

When is period pain not normal?

See a GP if pain starts several days before bleeding, lasts beyond it, worsens year on year, wakes you or is one-sided. The NHS lists the symptoms of endometriosis, where lining-like tissue grows outside the womb, as period pain severe enough to stop your normal activities, heavy periods, pain in the lower tummy or back at any time, pain when you poo or pee, pain during or after sex and extreme tiredness; a GP can examine and refer you, and a laparoscopy confirms it.¹⁷ Adenomyosis, where the womb lining grows into the muscle wall, causes heavy, painful periods, pelvic pain and a feeling of fullness, usually affects women over 35 and shows on ultrasound or MRI.¹⁸ Fibroids, pelvic infection and a copper coil also cause secondary period pain.¹⁶

Call 999 or go to A&E for sudden, sharp, intense tummy pain with dizziness, fainting, feeling sick or looking very pale, above all if you could be pregnant, as an ectopic pregnancy presents this way.²⁰ Call 111 if the pain is severe or worse than usual and painkillers have not helped.¹⁶

How do you read a period supplement label?

Period-comfort sachets and capsules usually combine several of the nutrients above, often near reference-intake levels, with botanicals such as saffron, chamomile, raspberry leaf and green tea. Set each dose against the trial doses in the table: the trial figures are evidence for the ingredients, not any product, and the authorised wording belongs to the nutrient, so vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth and to normal muscle function whatever the pack (the Wellgard vitamin D guide). Green tea extract carries caffeine; anyone pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication asks a GP first.

The Wellgard women's health guide begins with what causes BV and why it comes back.

What we don't know

Every supplement trial for period pain was rated low or very low quality, most were single trials, 22 of 27 from one country, and none compared forms or doses.¹² Vitamin B1 rests on one 1996 trial, never repeated.⁷ No supplement has been shown to help secondary period pain; the one melatonin trial in endometriosis showed no clear benefit.¹²

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't ibuprofen helping my period cramps?

They do not work for everyone: in the Cochrane review, 45 to 53% of women taking one got moderate or excellent relief, against 18% on placebo.¹ Take the first dose as the first ache begins, add heat, and if that fails on two cycles, see a GP: a different anti-inflammatory, hormonal contraception or a check for endometriosis are the next steps.¹⁶

Does period pain get worse with age?

Primary period pain usually eases with age. Pain that worsens through your twenties, thirties or forties points to a secondary cause such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids, and is a reason to see a GP.^{17, 18}

What is the best drink for period cramps?

Ginger tea or ginger powder has the most trials; chamomile tea has one.^{6, 12}

Can magnesium stop or delay your period?

No trial has tested it for that; its three small trials looked only at cramp pain.¹¹

Sources

1. Marjoribanks J, et al. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015. Cochrane review, 80 randomised trials, 5,820 women; 59% of trials commercially funded. PubMed 26224322.
2. Jo J, Lee SH. Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 2018. Meta-analysis, 6 randomised trials. PubMed 30389956.
3. Armour M, et al. Exercise for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019. Cochrane review, 12 randomised trials, 854 women. PubMed 31538328.
4. Proctor ML, et al. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2002. Cochrane review, 9 randomised trials. PubMed 11869624.
5. Daily JW, et al. Ginger for primary dysmenorrhea: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Medicine, 2015. Meta-analysis, 7 randomised trials; first author at a supplement manufacturer. PubMed 26177393.
6. Moshfeghinia R, et al. Ginger for pain in primary dysmenorrhea: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2024. Meta-analysis, 12 randomised trials. PubMed 38770631.
7. Gokhale LB. Curative treatment of primary (spasmodic) dysmenorrhoea. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 1996. Randomised trial, 556 girls, 90 days. PubMed 8935744.
8. Hsu TJ, et al. Zinc supplementation in primary dysmenorrhea: systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2024. Meta-analysis, 6 randomised trials, 739 women. PubMed 39683510.
9. Lin KC, et al. Vitamin D supplementation for patients with dysmenorrhoea: a meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2024. Meta-analysis, 11 randomised trials, 687 women. PubMed 38613122.
10. Snipe RMJ, et al. Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for reducing dysmenorrhoea pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition and Dietetics, 2024. Meta-analysis, 12 studies, 881 women. PubMed 37545015.
11. Proctor ML, Murphy PA. Herbal and dietary therapies for primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2001. Cochrane review, 7 randomised trials. PubMed 11687013.
12. Pattanittum P, et al. Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016. Cochrane review, 27 randomised trials, 3,101 women. PubMed 27000311.
13. Mohammadi MM, Karimi Z. Effect of saffron on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 2026. Meta-analysis of randomised trials. PubMed 41151539.
14. Bowman R, et al. Raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2021. Integrative review, 13 studies. PubMed 33563275.
15. Wyatt KM, et al. Vitamin B-6 in premenstrual syndrome: systematic review. BMJ, 1999. Systematic review, 9 randomised trials, 940 women. PubMed 10334745.
16. NHS. Period pain, reviewed 18 March 2026. nhs.uk/conditions/period-pain.
17. NHS. Endometriosis, reviewed 27 August 2024. nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis.
18. NHS. Adenomyosis, reviewed 14 October 2026. nhs.uk/conditions/adenomyosis.
19. NHS. B vitamins and folic acid, reviewed 3 August 2020. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b.
20. NHS. Ectopic pregnancy, reviewed 23 August 2022. nhs.uk/conditions/ectopic-pregnancy.

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