The cognitive symptoms and severity of PMS or premenstrual syndrome are different for every woman. However, in general, many experience issues with focusing, mood swings, brain fog, low energy, irritability, sleep trouble and anxiety. Nootropics for PMS may help reduce the severity of these cognitive symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome. Let's take a closer look at the best research-backed nootropics for PMS.
Key Takeaways
- Women with PMS often experience cognitive symptoms like difficulty focusing, memory problems, mood swings, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. These symptoms are linked to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.
- Nootropics like phosphatidylserine, citicoline, and Rhodiola Rosea have shown potential in improving focus, memory, and concentration, especially for women dealing with cognitive impairments related to PMS.
- Nootropics that regulate brain chemicals like serotonin and GABA may help reduce anxiety and balance mood, which are common struggles during PMS. Phosphatidylserine has been specifically shown to reduce cortisol levels and improve productivity during PMS.
- Nootropics like tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin, can help improve sleep quality during PMS, reducing fatigue and its negative effects on mood and energy levels.
- Other supplements for PMS include magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium, turmeric, omega-3 fatty acids, and L-theanine, which help alleviate symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, cramps, inflammation, and anxiety.
- While PMS affects many women, some experience a more severe form known as PMDD. Though research is still developing, nootropics may offer relief from the intense symptoms of PMDD, such as depression and extreme irritability.
Best Supplements for PMS in 2025
Mind Lab Pro® (MLP®) - The Universal Nootropic. If you are seeking support for mood, motivation and cognitive concerns related to PMS, MLP is one 11-in-1 stack that supplies all of the best nootropics for PMS. It's clean, vegan-friendly and backed by two clinical trials (for memory and information processing) too. Buy MLP® Now
Performance Lab® Omega-3: Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the best-researched nutrients for supporting a healthy mood and have shown promise in research for alleviating PMS symptoms. This clean, top-quality product supplies Omega-3s sourced from eco-friendly marine algae, and not fish oil. Shop Performance Lab Omega-3
Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a medical condition that varies in severity and may require professional management. If you are experiencing premenstrual symptoms, it is important to consult with a doctor provider before starting any new supplements. If your physical and emotional symptoms are severe, your doctor may opt for other therapies for premenstrual disorders, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) for mood. The supplements mentioned in this article should only be taken under the guidance of your doctor.
Hormone Fluctuations During The Menstrual Cycle
Mental symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are likely caused by hormone and brain chemical fluctuations during the female menstrual cycle.
For starters, vital hormone and chemical levels tend to rise and drop during the week(s) before menstruation, as pictured below. This may cause imbalances in the female brain, which can lead to various negative symptoms.
Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons Cognitive and Physical PMS Symptoms
The menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days. Women begin menstruation around day 28. However, ovulation and therefore symptoms of PMS tend to occur starting around day 14. Symptoms can reside quickly or linger until after the cycle is over depending on your body.
As we mentioned above, the common menstrual symptoms of PMS include problems with:
Physical symptoms: menstrual cramps, PMS-related anxiety symptoms, breast pain and tenderness, abdominal discomfort, fluid retention, weight gain
Cognitive symptoms: brain fog, trouble focusing, mood swings, issues with sleeping, mental fatigue, memory problems, low motivation
PMDD is a menstrual disorder characterized by severe irritability, depression, and/or anxiety in the weeks before menstruation. Basically, it's a more severe form of PMS in which mental symptoms are much worse.
Just like with PMS, nootropic supplements may help women dealing with PMDD. However, more research should be done to confirm their efficacy for such severe symptoms.
How Can Nootropics Help Relieve Symptoms of PMS?
Moving forward, we'll explain the research on nootropics for each cognitive symptom of PMS. Ultimately, we're looking to find out whether brain boosters really work for PMS and how they do, if so.
Nootropics for PMS Fight the Following Cognitive Symptoms:
Problems Focusing
Focus, attention, concentration: no matter what you want to call it, brain boosters have been helping us concentrate better for centuries. But what does the research say about nootropics for focus, specifically for issues with concentration linked to PMS? Well, it looks pretty promising to us.
Nootropics may improve attention and productivity during PMS in several different ways.
For example, some nootropics may help with concentration during PMS by mediating stress hormones in the brain. In other words, nootropics that regulate hormones like cortisol can mediate our reactions to stress and reduce anxiety.<1> This may help women focus and sleep better during premenstrual syndrome.
Specifically, one study showed the nootropic phosphatidylserine lowered cortisol levels during menstruation and ultimately increased productivity. Thus, nootropics may be especially helpful for women who tend to multitask throughout the day.
Mood Imbalance and Anxiety
Mood imbalance and anxiety are some of the most common symptoms of PMS in women. Not to mention, stress and genetic predisposition for anxiety can heighten these sometimes crippling symptoms.
Moreover, mood imbalance from PMS is intimately linked to stress and stress reactions. For example, one study suggests that measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain is the best way to gauge mood issues during the menstrual cycle.<2>
So, we can speculate that moderating cortisol and thus, stress reactions may help relieve symptoms of mood imbalance linked to PMS.
Incidentally, there is a ton of evidence supporting the efficacy of nootropics for mood regulation and anxiety relief. Certain nootropics have proven to regulate the mood in a couple of different ways.
For example, some nootropics can help balance the mood by initiating the production of relaxing neurotransmitters. These include serotonin and GABA, which can decline with estrogen during PMS.
So, consuming nootropics that elicit these inhibitory chemicals may counteract the release of hormones like cortisol in response to stressors. Ultimately, this may relieve anxiety and balance the mood during premenstrual syndrome.
Trouble Sleeping
Sleep deprivation is another common, pesky symptom of PMS. But it can also exacerbate other symptoms. Here's how it works.
Hormonal and chemical imbalances tend to occur during PMS. These imbalances can cause stress and anxiety, which can negatively affect our sleep cycle.
As a result, treating chemical imbalances that cause stress and anxiety may help women sleep better during PMS.
Specifically, certain brain supplements can counteract stress hormones like cortisol in reaction to stress by increasing inhibitory chemicals like GABA and serotonin. Not to mention, serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, which induces sleep.
On the other hand, some studies show it the other way around.<3> They suggest a drop in melatonin production occurs during PMS, which causes sleep deprivation, which ultimately leads to stress and anxiety during PMS.
Which is it?
So, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Well, it could be either one depending on your unique brain and body.
But despite which comes first, nootropics for sleep deprivation can balance brain chemicals and hormones linked to both sleep and anxiety. Thus, the right nootropic stack may help reduce anxiety and sleep deprivation simultaneously.
If you really can't get to sleep during PMS, you may need a sleep aid to balance your brain.
Tryptophan, specifically, is a precursor to melatonin, the natural sleep chemical. And research shows a lack of tryptophan during menstruation can significantly intensify PMS symptoms like irritability.
However, tryptophan is not produced in the body, so it must be ingested in the diet. Thus, you may want to try a natural sleep aid containing tart cherry and tryptophan to increase melatonin and initiate sleep.
Feeling Tired
Oppositely, fatigue is another symptom of PMS.<4> Many women report feeling extra tired in the weeks before their period.
Why? Well, again, it may be due to hormone and chemical fluctuations during PMS. Not to mention, mood imbalance and sleep deprivation can lead to exhaustion and vice versa. However, researchers aren't exactly sure what causes fatigue during premenstrual syndrome.
Regardless, though, certain nootropics can reduce fatigue without caffeine or stimulants. They do so by supplying brain chemicals like dopamine that work to counteract energy loss.
Memory Problems
Last but not least, many women also experience memory problems during PMS.<5><6> We can speculate these problems may be caused by a combination of other cognitive declines and brain chemical fluctuations during PMS.
To be more clear, we think memory loss during PMS might be caused by stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation and energy loss, which are all linked to fluctuations in the brain during PMS. However, more research should be done to explain exactly how it works.
The best multivitamins for women are formulated with calcium and iron to combat the loss of these vital nutrients during menstruation.
Essential nutrients found in multivitamins are good starting supplements for PMS.
Taking a clean, high-quality multivitamin (we recommend Performance Lab® NutriGenesis® Multi for Women) is a good nutritional starting point for addressing any PMS symptoms related to suboptimal or deficient nutrient status.
Supplements & Nootropics for PMS
After reviewing the research, we can speculate that optimizing cognition with nootropic pills and brain booster compounds may be a smart way for women counteract symptoms of PMS.
Below, we've put together a short list of brain boosters available to buy individually or in brain stacks that appear to be linked to cognitive PMS symptom relief. We've also outlined some of the research behind these ingredients for PMS.
Vitamin B6
One study on Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6 for PMS in women confirmed it can help relieve symptoms of PMS in women. The study examined sixty-three women ages 18-49. They were given 50 mg of vitamin B6 per day for a term of seven months.
- These women had all experienced moderate to severe symptoms of PMS throughout the previous year.
Each woman kept a daily menstrual diary where they wrote down their symptoms and severity each day. However, about half of the women ended up only carrying out the diary for six months. In the end, the study concluded there was a "significant beneficial effect" on cognitive symptoms of PMS including mood imbalance, irritability and fatigue.
More on Mind Lab Pro® Vitamin B6
Citicoline
There is no current research on the effects of citicoline for women during PMS specifically. However, this supplement has shown big potential for improving focus in healthy adult women. So, we can speculate it may have positive effects during PMS.
- One study suggests citicoline can "improve attentional performance in middle-aged women and ameliorate attentional deficits associated with central nervous system disorders."<7>
In other words, it can boost focus in women, thereby assisting with a troublesome PMS symptom.
Additionally, general studies on patients including women and men confirm it has promise for mild memory impairment. Thus, we think citicoline may also help enhance memory during PMS.
This may be because it's a rich source of choline, which is a vital nutrient for brain health, memory and focus.<8> However, we need more research on women during PMS, specifically, to determine the true efficacy of citicoline.
More on Mind Lab Pro® Citicoline
L-Theanine
L-theanine has been used by Monks for centuries to induce a state of mindful relaxation for meditation. But can it help with cognitive symptoms of PMS? Well, possibly.
To be clear, there are no studies on Theanine for PMS specifically, similar to citicoline. However, L-theanine's powers seem like they might be very beneficial for women experiencing problems with anxiety and focus during PMS.
- For example, one study shows L-theanine can increase Alpha wave activity in the brain, ultimately influencing arousal and alertness.<9>
In other words, it may increase energy and focus by influencing Alpha waves during PMS. However, we need more research to determine if this is true.
More on Mind Lab Pro® L-Theanine
Rhodiola Rosea
Another calming nootropic, Rhodiola rosea may also help relieve cognitive PMS symptoms. While there are no formal studies on it for PMS, we can speculate it helps soothe anxiety and mood issues during the menstrual cycle. Here's why.
Rhodiola rosea can help women without PMS, so we think it may help those with it as well. This natural nootropic has shown to reduce stress and balance the mood by manipulating brain chemicals.
- Specifically, one study shows Rhodiola rosea can reduce anxiety, stress, anger, confusion depression and overall mood.
However, more research should be done to determine the effects of Rhodiola rosea during the menstrual cycle.
More on Mind Lab Pro® Rhodiola Rosea
Best Single Nootropic for PMS: Phosphatidylserine (PS)
Research confirms phosphatidylserine can reduce PMS symptoms in women. Specifically, one study examined forty women ages 18-45 who were told to take either a phosphatidylserine complex or a placebo on each day of four menstrual cycles.
- The complex included 400 mg of phosphatidylserine and 400 mg of phosphatidic acid.
Results concluded that the group who took the phosphatidylserine complex experienced a consistent reduction in cognitive PMS symptoms including mood imbalance, sleep problems and fatigue.
Specifically, it showed that cortisol levels decreased throughout the study with the consumption of phosphatidylserine. It also increased productivity during PMS. As such, we can classify PS as a safe, effective nootropic for PMS.
More on Mind Lab Pro® Phosphatidylserine
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Best Supplements for PMS Mood Swings
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, are essential fats found in fish oil, algae, and certain plant sources like flaxseeds and walnuts. These healthy fats have been shown to offer numerous benefits for managing PMS symptoms.
Omega-3s help modulate inflammation in the body, which can alleviate physical discomfort, such as muscle pain, cramps, and joint pain, commonly associated with PMS. Moreover, omega-3s play a crucial role in brain health by supporting the production of serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that regulate mood.
Essential fatty acids' mood-enhancing effects can be particularly beneficial for women who experience irritability, mood swings, and anxiety as part of their PMS symptoms. Omega-3s can also improve cognitive function, promoting PMS relief by helping with brain fog and concentration issues.
Research suggests that omega-3 supplementation may help reduce the severity of PMS symptoms, including fatigue, and improve overall emotional well-being.
For women struggling with PMS-related depression or anxiety, omega-3s can be a natural and effective addition to their wellness regimen, helping to promote a more balanced mood and improve quality of life during the menstrual cycle.
Best Supplements for PMS in 2025
Mind Lab Pro®
Mind Lab Pro® is an 11-in-1 dietary supplement featuring all research-backed nootropic, including some of the best nootropics for premenstrual syndrome mood and cognitive issues.
MLP Ingredients: Citicoline, 250 mg; Phosphatidylserine (PS), 100 mg; Bacopa monnieri, 150 mg (full-spectrum extract, 24% bacosides with 9 bioactives); Organic Lion's Mane Mushroom, 500 mg (fruit and mycelium); Maritime Pine Bark Extract, 75 mg: (Standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins); N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, 175 mg; L-Theanine, 100 mg; Rhodiola rosea, 50 mg (Standardized extract: 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides); NutriGenesis® B-Vitamins: Vitamin B6 (2.5 mg), Vitamin B9 (100 mcg), Vitamin B12 (7.5 mcg)
Mind Lab Pro helps to promote a brighter outlook while also enhancing cognitive functions that help women perform better through PMS. MLP also promotes stress resistance and relaxation, so you can feel better, too.
Ultimately, as a "Universal Nootropic" MLP boosts the whole brain, thereby promoting a range of cognitive benefits. Memory, focus, attention, clarity... wherever you may need support MLP can help support pre menstrual syndrome relief via the brain.
Mind Lab Pro®: A Research-Backed Supplement.
Two clinical studies have shown how Mind Lab Pro® can enhance cognitive performance across key mental functions. Further research is needed, but early results are promising:
- Subjects who took Mind Lab Pro® for 30 days showed significant improvements compared to placebo for tasks measuring simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT), and anticipation.(11)
- Subjects who took MLP in a separate study exhibited significant improvements across several different types of memory, including auditory, visual, and visual working memory, as well as both immediate and delayed recall.(12)
Performance Lab® Omega-3 is the cleanest Omega-3 supplement on the market today for mood support.
Mind Lab Pro® supplies the most effective natural nootropics for PMS in one clean, vegan-friendly stack supplement.
Our all-natural Universal Nootropic™ contains 11 clean and research-backed ingredients combined to implement 100% Brainpower. These nootropics address all aspects of cognitive PMS symptoms, including focus, mood, energy, memory and sleep.
- Nootropic ingredients may help women soothe symptoms of PMS by addressing specific some cognitive symptoms associated with PMS.
Not to mention, Mind Lab Pro®'s nootropic stack comes packed in synthetic-free, vegan-friendly NutriCaps® containing absolutely no caffeine or stimulants. So, you don't have to worry about negative side effects.
**Head over to our ingredients page for more information on each ingredient present in our quality brain booster. And be sure to check out our guide on nootropics for women to learn more about how nootropics can help women enhance cognition and improve productivity in 2025 and beyond.
Summary
Nootropics provide a promising natural solution for alleviating cognitive and mood-related symptoms of PMS, such as brain fog, mood swings, and fatigue. Ingredients like phosphatidylserine, citicoline, Rhodiola Rosea, and L-theanine have been shown to help women's health by enhancing focus, improve memory, reduce anxiety, and support better sleep during the menstrual cycle.
By balancing brain chemicals and hormones, nootropics may help ease the mental strain caused by PMS, helping women maintain cognitive function and emotional stability.
While more research is needed for some ingredients, nootropic supplements like Mind Lab Pro® and Performance Lab® Omega-3 offer a safe and potentially effective way to address the cognitive challenges and physical symptoms of PMS and improve quality of life during this time.
References
- Pistollato F et al. Associations between Sleep, Cortisol Regulation, and Diet: Possible Implications for the Risk of Alzheimer Disease1,2. Adv Nutr. 2016 Jul; 7(4): 679–689.
- Huang Y et al. Premenstrual syndrome is associated with blunted cortisol reactivity to the TSST. Stress. 2015;18(2):160-8.
- Shazia, J et al. Sleep and Premenstrual Syndrome. J Sleep Med Disord. 2016; 3(5): 1061.
- Reid RL. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Formerly Premenstrual Syndrome). Endotext. 2017.
- Souza EG et al. Neuropsychological performance and menstrual cycle: a literature review. Trends Psychiatry Psychother. 2012;34(1):5-12.
- Slyepchenko A et al. Subtle persistent working memory and selective attention deficits in women with premenstrual syndrome. Psychiatry Res. 2017 Mar;249:354-362.
- Erin McGlade et al. Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2012;3(6).
- Choline. National Institutes of Health.
- Nobre AC et al. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:167-8.
