Does evening primrose oil help with night sweats during perimenopause?

Evening primrose oil may help reduce the frequency and intensity of night sweats during perimenopause, though the evidence is modest. It is not the most powerful tool available, but some women find meaningful relief, particularly when combined with other lifestyle strategies.

Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. GLA converts in the body to DGLA and then to prostaglandin E1, which has anti-inflammatory properties and influences blood vessel tone. Night sweats are driven by the same mechanism as hot flashes: estrogen fluctuations disrupt the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. The hypothalamus becomes hypersensitive, triggering sweating and vasodilation in response to small temperature changes that it would normally ignore. Prostaglandins are involved in that hypothalamic thermoregulation signaling. The theory is that shifting the prostaglandin balance toward the anti-inflammatory E1 type may help quiet that hypersensitivity, reducing how frequently and severely the thermostat misfires at night.

Estrogen decline in perimenopause does not happen in a smooth, predictable way. Levels spike and crash erratically, sometimes for years before the final menstrual period. These wild fluctuations are actually harder on the hypothalamic thermostat than the steadily low estrogen of full menopause. Night sweats during perimenopause can therefore be more intense and more unpredictable than in postmenopause. GLA's effect on prostaglandin balance may offer some modulation of that thermoregulatory instability, even though it does not address estrogen directly.

The best clinical evidence for evening primrose oil on vasomotor symptoms comes from a 1994 study by Chenoy and colleagues, which found that evening primrose oil reduced the severity of hot flashes and included night sweats among its outcome measures. The results were modest compared to hormone therapy but statistically meaningful compared to placebo. A 2014 study by Kazemi-Bajestani also found reductions in hot flash intensity. These studies used doses in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day. Evening primrose oil is not a first-line option, but the evidence is enough to make it a reasonable consideration for women who prefer non-hormonal approaches. It is worth noting that even modest reductions in night sweat severity can have an outsized impact on sleep quality, since waking fully soaked forces you through a full arousal cycle that makes it hard to return to deep sleep. A smaller or less frequent episode may be enough to let you stay in restorative sleep stages longer.

Studies have used 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day, providing roughly 1,000 to 2,000 mg of GLA. Always take evening primrose oil with food to improve absorption and reduce stomach discomfort. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right dose for your situation.

Before starting evening primrose oil, consider these important safety points. If you have or have had a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids, discuss evening primrose oil with your healthcare provider before using it. Evening primrose oil may interact with blood thinners and anticoagulants. It may also lower the seizure threshold, so discuss with your provider if you take any seizure medications. If you take any prescription medications, check with your provider before adding this supplement.

Most women who notice benefit from evening primrose oil for night sweats report improvement after 4 to 8 weeks of consistent use. This is not a fast-acting remedy. Give it a fair window before deciding. During that time, also try keeping your bedroom cool, limiting alcohol in the evening, and wearing breathable fabrics, as these lifestyle adjustments work through different mechanisms and can stack with the supplement's effect. Some women also find that reducing spicy food and caffeine, particularly in the hours before bed, lowers the frequency of overnight sweats. None of these changes alone will eliminate night sweats, but combining several modest interventions often produces a more noticeable improvement than any single change would.

See your healthcare provider if your night sweats are severe enough to soak your bedding or significantly disrupt sleep on most nights, if they are accompanied by fever, unexplained weight loss, or swollen lymph nodes, or if they persist beyond what you expect from perimenopause. Night sweats can occasionally reflect thyroid dysfunction, infection, or other medical conditions that need assessment.

Logging your night sweats with timing and intensity each morning gives you objective data on whether anything you try is actually working. The PeriPlan app (https://apps.apple.com/app/periplan/id6740066498) lets you log night sweats daily so you can spot whether patterns shift over time. This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.