Taking a magnesium supplement may help ease and prevent painful period cramps, which occur when the muscles of your uterus contract to help shed its lining. Magnesium is a mineral involved in many bodily processes, including muscle and nerve function.
Getting the most relief may depend on choosing the right type of magnesium for you, taking an optimal dosage, and using it at the right time.
What Forms May Be Helpful?
Magnesium supplements come in several types. Options that may be most helpful for managing period cramps include:
- Magnesium citrate: This type, which combines magnesium with citric acid, may increase your pain threshold. It’s also a laxative, so it can help ease constipation you may experience during your periods. If you don’t experience constipation, though, it may not be a good choice for you.
- Magnesium glycinate: This form combines magnesium with glycine, an amino acid with anti-inflammatory properties. It’s gentle on the stomach and effective for muscle pain and mood support.
- Magnesium malate: Combining magnesium with malic acid, this type may help reduce muscle cramps, pain, and fatigue by supporting energy production.
- Magnesium with vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may help lower levels of prostaglandins, the chemicals that trigger uterine contractions and period pain. Studies suggest that taking both vitamin B6 and magnesium offers greater relief than taking magnesium alone.
How Much Should You Take?
Overall, the recommended dietary allowance of magnesium for adults is about 310–320 milligrams per day.
That said, you may not need to take that much in a supplement. Research studying the effect of magnesium on period pain has found that doses as low as 150 milligrams taken daily can help reduce symptom severity.
Be sure to consult with a doctor and read your supplement label to know how much magnesium you’re taking.
When Should You Take It?
You can take magnesium daily to maintain steady levels or start supplementing a few days before your period and continue through your cycle to help prevent or reduce cramps. It may take at least two months of daily use to notice an improvement in your cramp pain levels.
Supplementing with magnesium may help relieve period cramps in several ways:
- Relaxes muscles: Magnesium helps relax smooth muscles, including those responsible for uterine contractions that cause period cramps. By promoting muscle relaxation, magnesium helps reduce the intensity of uterine contractions, easing cramp pain.
- Improves blood flow: Magnesium helps relax blood vessels, which can improve circulation to the uterus. Improved blood flow may enhance the oxygen supply to your uterine tissues, helping alleviate pain.
- Blocks pain signals: Magnesium helps block N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in your nervous system. These receptors help you perceive and process pain. By blocking them, magnesium may make you less sensitive to period pain.
- Controls inflammation: Magnesium helps reduce systemic (body-wide) inflammation that may boost pain signals and increase your sensitivity to cramping. By reducing inflammation, magnesium may help relieve pain and other period symptoms.
- Promotes hormonal balance: Magnesium may also help stabilize estrogen and progesterone levels, which fluctuate during your menstrual cycle. More balanced hormone levels are associated with fewer and less severe period symptoms like cramping.
Magnesium may offer other benefits during your period. These may include:
- Better sleep: Many people experience sleep problems during their period. Magnesium promotes relaxation and helps regulate melatonin, a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. Better sleep can improve pain tolerance and support overall well-being during your period.
- Less tension and stress: Magnesium helps regulate the release of stress hormones and supports the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and calmness.
- Decreased bloating: Magnesium helps balance electrolyte levels and regulate fluids in your body, which may help reduce symptoms like bloating and water retention.
Magnesium is generally considered safe, but it can cause side effects if you take too much. These may include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Stomach cramps
Starting with a smaller dosage and gradually increasing it as needed may help reduce these effects. Your kidneys usually help flush out extra magnesium, too, but very high doses can lead to magnesium toxicity. This may cause more serious symptoms, such as:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
Magnesium can also interact with certain medications. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a magnesium supplement if you take any of the following types of medications:
- Antibiotics
- Bisphosphonates
- Diuretics
- Proton pump inhibitors
Period cramps can range from mild to debilitating. And while some cramping is normal, sometimes severe or lasting cramping may be a sign of an underlying condition. See a doctor if:
- Your cramps are so severe that you can’t engage in your daily activities
- Home treatments don’t improve the pain
- You have cramping even without your period
- You are 25 or older and experience cramps for the first time
- You develop additional symptoms, such as a fever
- Your cramps suddenly become more severe
- You have bleeding between your periods
Some conditions that require medical attention—such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease—can cause intense period pain. A healthcare provider can evaluate your symptoms and their cause and recommend a personalized treatment plan.
Magnesium may help ease period cramps by supporting muscle relaxation, regulating nerve function, and blocking pain signals. Consistent use may improve cramp symptoms over time. Some people find more relief from combining magnesium with vitamin B6.
While magnesium is generally safe for most people, it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider before adding magnesium to your routine to help avoid interactions and side effects.
