I have always had difficult PMS — irritability, bloating, cramps, insomnia in the week before my period, and mood swings that strain my relationships. My OB-GYN mentioned that magnesium levels drop during the luteal phase and that many PMS symptoms overlap with magnesium deficiency symptoms. She suggested trying magnesium glycinate during the second half of my cycle.
I tracked symptoms across four complete cycles: two without supplementation (baseline) and two with 250mg elemental magnesium glycinate taken daily from ovulation through the first day of my period.
The results were not subtle.
Cramping: reduced from an average 7/10 severity to about 4/10. I went from needing ibuprofen every 6 hours on the first two days to needing it once, maybe twice. The cramps felt less sharp, more like dull pressure.
Sleep: the luteal-phase insomnia (which I now understand is partly caused by magnesium depletion increasing stress hormones) improved dramatically. I went from lying awake for 45+ minutes and waking 3-4 times per night to falling asleep within 20 minutes with 1-2 awakenings.
Mood: the irritability and emotional volatility — the PMS rage that had me snapping at my partner over nothing — softened noticeably. I still felt emotional but I could regulate it. The difference between being swept away by the emotion and being able to observe it and choose my response.
Bloating: modest improvement. Maybe 20-30% less. Still present but more manageable.
Headaches: the menstrual-related headaches I typically get on days 1-2 of my period were less severe in the supplemented cycles.
I now take 250mg glycinate daily through the full luteal phase and a lower dose (150mg) during the follicular phase. My OB-GYN approves and says the evidence for magnesium in PMS management is solid, even if understudied relative to more profitable pharmaceutical interventions.