Double Nn Today is a good day, but why do I feel so down? My children are behaving, but I feel so irritated and snappy. I love to sleep on my stomach, but goodness, my breast hurt so much! I normally love to go on my morning jogs or do a little exercise to start off my day, but I just want to stay inside all day and do nothing. Why do I feel this way?
When was the last time you looked at your calendar? Did you notice anything? Could it be that your menstrual cycle or period is about to start in a few days? Premenstrual symptoms (PMS) is a normal part of your cycle. It is caused by the fluctuation of your hormones. It does not make you any less of a person because your body is doing its natural purpose. Your menstrual cycle is very important to the regulation of hormones in your body, and to ensure that you are functioning optimally, sometimes you have to take a moment to accept what your body is doing. However, this does not mean that there are not ways to better thrive with PMS so that you are able to get through the day in one piece. Here are a few herbs that can help manage your symptoms.
3 Herbs For PMS (Premenstrual Symptoms)
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
This adaptogenic plant increases the body’s stress response, relieves anxiety, and leads to an overall replenishing feel. Ashwagandha is a major herb in Ayurveda medicine and has been employed as a sedative and fertility booster for generations (Edwards et al., 2015).
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
Chaste tree traditionally has been given to treat various gynecological issues such as menstrual irregularities and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome such as breast tenderness, irritability, depressed mood, anger, mood changes, headache, and constipation (Braun & Cohen, 2015). In addition, it increases fertility in those with progesterone deficiency or luteal-phase defects.
Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus)
This herb relieves menstrual spasms, increases blood flow to the uterus, and prevents miscarriage (Cuneo, 2017; Edwards et al., 2015). Moreover, it strengthens uterine muscle contractions during birth (Romm, 2009). Some have claimed that raspberry leaf is the safest herb for labor preparation.
3 Herbs To Avoid If Trying To Get Pregnant
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
Black cohosh is another herb that treats premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea, pain during menstruation (Braun & Cohen, 2015). Additionally, it reduces menstrual migraines and reduces primary and secondary infertility. Even so, there have been cases of fetal tachycardia, increased meconium in amniotic fluid, profound neonatal congestive heart failure, and perinatal stroke from people ingesting the herb during their pregnancies (Romm, 2009).
Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Chamomile is a common herb for reducing anxiety (Sarecka-Hujar & Szulc-Musioł, 2022). However, ingesting this herb during pregnancy has demonstrated to increase the possibility of a miscarriage and shorten gestational age. Moreover, there are reports of children being born with cardiac malformation and enlarged kidneys in a study in north-east Italy. However, in a similar study during the last two trimesters of pregnancy, there was not an increased rate of premature birth. As a result of this conflicting information, it is best to avoid chamomile until more studies have been conducted.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Passionflower has numerous beneficial abilities such as reducing anxiety, functioning as a sedative, and raising sexual desire (Braun & Cohen, 2015). However, it can increase uterine contractions during pregnancy, which can lead to miscarriage or preterm labor.
Herbal Preparations To Avoid If Trying To Get Pregnant
I would advise against tinctures or other alcohol based herbal medicines because alcohol increases the risk of miscarriage (Sundermann et al., 2019). Though in low forms it may not seem risky, especially if one is only taking a few drops of a tincture a day. However, there is no way to gauge how long conception will take. Therefore, there is a possibility that a you could be taking alcohol-based preparations for a long period of time, thus increasing the likelihood of complications. In addition, many people do not realize they are pregnant for weeks. As a result, there is a possibility that the you could be consuming these formulas during the early stages of their pregnancy and have a miscarriage.
Safety Recommendations
Stay within the recommended dosage of each herb. Many of the adverse reactions that occur from using these herbs happen because they were employed beyond their dosage range. If you feel that the herbs are not powerful enough and want to increase the amount, you must seek professional supervision. In addition, avoid concomitant herbs-drug or herb-herb use because of possible negative effects from their interactions. For example, ashwagandha can increase the sedative power of drugs (Edwards et al., 2015). Also, be mindful of potential bodily interactions, especially if you have an underlying condition. For instance, chaste tree should not be used if you have tumors sensitive to estrogen or progesterone (Braun & Cohen, 2015). Before taking these herbs, consult your doctor for an evaluation to ensure that you are in a healthy condition.
Do you have other herbs that have helped you relieve your symptoms? Share them in the comments!
References
Braun, L., & Cohen, M. (2015). Black Cohosh. In Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 103-111). essay, Churchill Livingstone.
Braun, L., & Cohen, M. (2015). Chaste Tree. In Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence- Based Guide (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 159-165). essay, Churchill Livingstone.
Braun, L., & Cohen, M. (2015). Passionflower. In Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 729-733). essay, Churchill Livingstone.
Cuneo, J. (2017). Women’s Health: Pregnancy and Conception. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 44(2), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2017.02.011
Edwards, S., Rocha, I., Williamson, E., & Heinrich, M. (2015). Ashwagandha. In
Phytopharmacy : An Evidence-Based Guide to Herbal Medicinal Products (pp. 32). essay, Wiley Blackwell.
Edwards, S., Rocha, I., Williamson, E., & Heinrich, M. (2015). Raspberry Leaf. In
Phytopharmacy : An Evidence-Based Guide to Herbal Medicinal Products (pp. 308-310).
essay, Wiley Blackwell.
Romm, A. (2009). Labor and Birth. Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health, 398–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-07277-2.00018-0
Sarecka-Hujar, B., & Szulc-Musioł, B. (2022). Herbal Medicines-Are They Effective and Safe during Pregnancy?. Pharmaceutics, 14(1), 171.
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14010171
Sundermann, A. C., Zhao, S., Young, C. L., Lam, L., Jones, S. H., Velez Edwards, D. R., & Hartmann, K. E. (2019). Alcohol Use in Pregnancy and Miscarriage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 43(8), 1606–1616. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14124
