Fennel & PMS

Premenstrual syndrome hits in the latter half of your menstrual cycle and can show up two to 12 days before your period actually begins. It can bring weight gain, abdominal bloat, irritability and a host of other symptoms. You can use fennel to alleviate some of the annoying issues that arrive with PMS. You need to consult a doctor first, however, to ensure it won’t interact with any drugs you take or worsen any existing health conditions.

Function

Many women who suffer PMS have uncomfortable bloating. You can use fennel to reduce fluid retention associated with PMS, advises Margaret F. Alexander, lead author for “Nursing Practice: Hospital and Home.” Fennel works for this purpose because it has diuretic properties, advises Sarah Merson in “The Top 100 Remedies.” This property also makes it useful for urinary infections, Merson notes.

Expert Insight

Gastrointestinal issues come along with PMS for some women, says Alexander. Fennel is approved by Germany’s Commission E, that country’s regulatory body for herbs, to treat dyspeptic complaints such as heartburn and bloating, advise George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox, authors of “The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide.” It’s commonly used as a carminative agent, meaning it can alleviate gas that is sometimes associated with PMS, advises Drugs.com.

Time Frame

If you take fennel to treat PMS, it’s best to take it following your meals. The typical dose ranges from 0.1 to 0.6 milliliters of fennel oil three times daily, say Grossberg and Fox. You also can drink fennel tea, advises Michael Castleman in the article “Monthly Moves,” featured in Yoga Journal. Fennel tea is made from the plant’s seed, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, which notes that this tea also is a traditional colic remedy.

Considerations

Taking fennel for PMS can cause side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to sunlight and appetite loss, advise Grossberg and Fox. Using fennel along with certain drugs including amitriptyline and tramadol can lower your threshold for seizures. You also should avoid taking fennel with moxifloxacin, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin because it can reduce levels of these in your blood.

Warning

If you suffer PMS and also have a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, you need to avoid fennel. Fennel can have estrogen-like effects in your body, according to Grossberg and Fox. You may have PMS symptoms due to excessive estrogen in your body, one of which is breast pain, advises Linda Woolven in “The Smart Woman’s Guide to PMS and Pain-Free Periods.”