Is Lavender Tea Good for PMS?

Partly: lavender tea may provide comfort during PMS if you find a warm drink or its aroma relaxing, but it is not a proven PMS treatment. Research has not established whether drinking it reliably improves PMS symptoms. Use culinary-grade lavender, and check with a clinician if you have safety concerns.

Can lavender tea help with PMS?

lavender tea may be a pleasant part of a routine when PMS makes you feel uncomfortable or irritable. Its potential benefit is mainly the comfort of a relaxing break, not a demonstrated effect on the cause of PMS.

PMS can involve physical symptoms, such as bloating or breast tenderness, and emotional symptoms, such as irritability or mood changes. Symptoms generally occur before a period and improve after it starts, although the pattern varies from person to person.

If you enjoy lavender tea, it is reasonable to consider it an optional comfort measure rather than a treatment you need to take. For a broader look at options, see the best drinks for PMS.

How might lavender tea work during PMS?

A warm drink and a quiet break may help you feel more relaxed or make discomfort feel easier to manage. Some people may also enjoy lavender’s aroma, although finding a scent pleasant does not establish a medical effect.

Lavender contains aromatic compounds, but their presence in the plant does not show that an effective amount reaches the body through tea. The amount in a cup can vary with the flowers and how the tea is prepared. There is no established mechanism showing that lavender tea changes the hormonal processes involved in PMS.

Lavender tea can contribute to fluid intake, but hydration alone is not a proven PMS treatment. If the taste or aroma does not appeal to you, there is no established PMS benefit that makes drinking it necessary.

What evidence supports lavender tea for PMS?

Research has not established whether drinking lavender tea improves PMS. Its effectiveness, the best preparation and an effective amount for PMS are therefore unknown. A comforting experience with one cup does not establish that lavender tea will reliably relieve symptoms.

Evidence about another lavender preparation would not automatically apply to lavender tea. Essential oils, scents and capsules differ from tea in how they are used and in the amount of lavender compounds a person is exposed to. A benefit reported for one preparation would need to be tested in the tea itself before it could be assumed to apply.

You can notice whether lavender tea is enjoyable without expecting a predictable medical result. If symptoms regularly disrupt work, school, sleep or relationships, discuss them with a clinician rather than relying on tea alone.

How do you make and use lavender tea?

Choose dried lavender flowers sold for culinary use. Do not put lavender essential oil in the drink, and avoid flowers treated with pesticides or sold only for decoration.

For a simple cold-steeped lavender tea, you will need:

• Dried culinary lavender flowers, to taste; use the package directions as a guide
• About 4¼ cups (1 liter) drinking water

1. Place a small amount of lavender flowers in a clean, covered container.
2. Add the water and refrigerate for 2–4 hours.
3. Strain out the flowers and pour a serving. Warm it gently if you prefer a warm drink.
4. Keep the remaining lavender tea refrigerated and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor. Discard it after 2–3 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling.

Adjust the amount of flowers to suit your taste, following the product’s directions. This is a recipe for flavor, not a studied PMS dose. More lavender is not known to work better, and there is no established medicinal dose of lavender tea for PMS.

You can make a note of when symptoms occur in relation to your period and whether they affect your daily activities. That record may be useful if you decide to discuss PMS with a clinician; it cannot establish whether lavender tea caused a change.

Who should be careful with lavender tea?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a clinician before using lavender tea regularly for symptoms; safety information for medicinal use is limited. Check with a child’s clinician before giving lavender tea to a child for PMS or other symptoms.

If you take sleep medicines, sedatives or other medicines that can cause drowsiness, ask a clinician or pharmacist about lavender tea. Potential interactions are not well studied. Do not stop or change prescribed treatment without discussing it with your clinician.

Stop drinking lavender tea and seek medical advice if you develop a rash or another reaction. See a clinician if PMS symptoms are worsening, disrupt everyday activities or include marked mood changes; other causes may need consideration. Seek urgent help for sudden severe pelvic pain, fainting, very heavy bleeding or thoughts of self-harm.