How B Vitamins Can Transform Your PMDD Symptoms
When I first started working with women struggling with PMDD, I noticed a pattern that kept showing up — exhaustion, overwhelm, and that feeling of being completely "switched off" from oneself just before bleeding. It wasn’t just about mood swings or irritability; it was as if their nervous systems couldn’t keep up. And time after time, when we looked deeper, we found that their B vitamins were running on empty.
As a naturopath and trauma-informed practitioner, I often describe B vitamins as your body’s “stress resilience team.” They’re crucial for hormone metabolism, neurotransmitter balance, and energy production — all of which are under enormous demand in PMDD. When stress is high, B vitamins are used up even faster, leaving you more vulnerable to the emotional rollercoaster that arrives each month.
Why B Vitamins Matter So Much in PMDD
Let’s start with a few basics.
Your body needs vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to make serotonin and GABA — two neurotransmitters that help you feel calm, centred, and emotionally steady. When B6 is low, women often report tearfulness, irritability, and intrusive thoughts during the luteal phase. In fact, some research has shown that supplementing B6 (in the form of P5P, its active version) can significantly reduce premenstrual mood symptoms.
Then there’s vitamin B12 and folate (B9) — both essential for methylation, the biochemical process that helps detoxify hormones and maintain healthy mood regulation. Without enough methylation support, oestrogen can become poorly balanced and inflammation rises — two key drivers of PMDD symptoms.
And we can’t forget B1, B2, and B3, which support mitochondrial function (your energy factories), and B5, which nourishes your adrenal glands, helping you cope with stress more effectively. When these are depleted, that familiar sense of “running on fumes” before your period becomes all too real.
When I First Realised How Profound This Was
I remember one of my early clients, a gentle and intelligent woman who felt “possessed” for two weeks of every month. Her mood would plummet, she’d cry uncontrollably, and her self-esteem vanished like clockwork. She’d tried antidepressants, dietary changes, meditation — all with minimal effect.
When we tested her nutrients, her B6 and folate were both extremely low. We began a targeted B-complex — one that included activated methylated forms — alongside dietary shifts like sprouted legumes, quinoa, and leafy greens. Within two cycles, she messaged me saying, “I don’t recognise myself — in a good way.” The mood crashes were softer. Her sleep improved. Her partner even noticed she was laughing again before her period.
That’s the thing about B vitamins — they don’t just support hormones, they support you.
How Stress and Trauma Deplete B Vitamins
Something I often share with my clients is this: chronic stress burns through B vitamins like kindling in a fire. If you’ve experienced trauma or your nervous system is in a near-constant state of high alert (which many women with PMDD experience), your demand for B vitamins skyrockets.
Emotional triggers, perfectionism, people-pleasing — all signs of an overactivated stress response — create a higher metabolic need for nutrients involved in neurotransmitter and adrenal support. I’ve seen many women who eat well, even take multivitamins, yet remain deficient because their body is channelling those nutrients straight into stress recovery rather than hormonal balance.
This is why I combine nutritional care with trauma-informed emotional healing in my PMDD work. When we regulate the nervous system through techniques like Family Constellations or Rapid Core Healing, your body no longer “burns through” nutrients at the same rate. It can finally absorb and utilise what it’s been missing.
Clinical Insight: The Case of “The Endless Crash”
Another client I’ll call Rachel came to me after years of cycling between high productivity and complete shutdown. Every month, she described the same pattern: a few good days mid-cycle, followed by a deep emotional crash before bleeding — anger, tears, hopelessness. She was vegan and thought her diet was perfect, yet her bloodwork showed critically low B12 and borderline folate.
We addressed this with sublingual methylcobalamin (B12) and activated folate, supported by nervous-system repair work through breath and trauma release practices. Over three months, Rachel went from missing workdays every cycle to describing her premenstrual phase as “a little wobbly, but manageable.”
Her words still stay with me. She said, “I finally feel like myself before my period — not like someone else took over my body.”
That’s the difference nourishing your biochemistry can make.
Practical Guidance: Supporting Your B Vitamins Naturally
Here’s how I often guide clients:
Eat a variety of B-rich foods daily. Whole grains, lentils, chickpeas, leafy greens, asparagus, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, and avocado are all beautiful plant-based sources.
Use an activated B-complex. Look for forms like methylfolate (5-MTHF), methylcobalamin (B12), and P5P (B6). These are easier for your body to use, especially if you have genetic variations like MTHFR.
Pair with magnesium and vitamin C. Both nutrients enhance B-vitamin function and help buffer the effects of stress.
Address trauma and nervous system dysregulation. If your body’s still in “fight or flight,” no supplement will fill an endlessly leaking bucket. Combine nutrition with modalities that help you feel safe again in your body.
Final Thoughts
There’s no single supplement that can “fix” PMDD — but there are nutrients, like the B vitamins, that can restore balance to a system under strain. In my experience, once a woman’s nervous system begins to feel resourced and her body’s nutrient stores are replenished, something shifts. The storms quiet. The self-criticism softens. And a sense of steadiness returns.
If you’ve been battling that familiar monthly descent and suspect your energy and resilience are lower than they should be, it might be time to look at your B-vitamin status. Sometimes, healing begins not with doing more — but by giving your body what it’s quietly been asking for all along.
About the Author
Camilla Brinkworth is the founder of Camilla Clare Holistic Health and a leading PMDD naturopath, nutritionist, and trauma-informed emotional healing practitioner. Drawing on her expertise in Family Constellations, Rapid Core Healing, and evidence-based naturopathic medicine, Camilla helps women navigate PMDD through an integrative, compassionate approach that supports both hormonal balance and emotional wellbeing.
Having personally experienced PMDD, Camilla understands how isolating and overwhelming the condition can feel. Her work combines scientific insight with trauma-informed care to address the root causes of PMDD — from inflammation and hormonal sensitivity to unresolved emotional patterns.
Through one-to-one consultations, online programmes, and retreats, Camilla guides women toward nervous system repair, stable mood, and a renewed sense of calm and self-connection throughout the menstrual cycle.