okay so what is pms premenstrual syndrome or pms is the name given to a group of symptoms some women experience in the weeks before their period commonly women experience cyclical distressing physical or behavioral
symptoms which resolve with the onset of the period most ladies will experience pms at some point in their lives and symptoms may cause detrimental effect on everyday's life . why pms occurs is not fully understood however a link exists with the natural hormonal changes that occur during your menstrual cycle how sensitive a woman's body is to the cyclical hormonal changes may also play a role with ovulation being the triggering event the degree to which ladies are affected
varies fastly many experience little to no symptoms with
no perceived impact on personal social or professional life however one in five
ladies experience clinically significant bms symptoms which would benefit from
intervention a much smaller number around one in 20 would suffer severe
symptoms which at its worst is considered as premenstrual dysphoric disorder or
bmdd
how can pms be diagnosed most ladies self-diagnose pms
before presenting to their medical professionals to assist with your diagnosis
we would recommend giving a symptom diary linked with the dates of your
menstrual cycle this record facilitates your regular doctor's assessment if
you're looking for a symptom diary to help you accurately record your symptoms plus
the link to your menstrual cycle I will include a link to the one we would recommend
in the description below the diagnosis of the more severe
premenstrual dysphoric disorder or pmdd is somewhat more
complex whilst the symptoms are like those discussed for pms they are typically
more intense to meet the criteria for pmdd patients must meet strict criterias
as per the dsm 5 criteria symptoms of pmdd must present in the final week
before your period starts and improve within a few days after the start of your
period one or more of the following symptoms must be present for at least two
menstrual cycles marked effective lability example mood swings so feeling
suddenly sad or tearful or increased sensitivity to rejection
marked irritability or anger or increased in
interpersonal conflicts marked depressed mood feelings of hopelessness or
self-deprecating thoughts marked anxiety tension and or feeling of being keyed
up or on edge plus any of the flowing to reach a total of five symptoms decreased interest in usual
activities example work school friends or hobbies subjective difficulty in
concentration lethargy easy fatigability or marked lack of energy marked change
in appetite overeating or specific food cravings
hypersomnia or insomnia a sense of being overwhelmed or
out of control physical symptoms such as breast tenderness or swelling joint or
muscle pain a sensation of bloating or weight gain in addition symptoms must be
associated with significant distress or interference with work school usual
social activities or relationships they should also be present for most of the
menstrual cycle in the previous year.
how can i manage my pms at home there are several
self-help techniques that may improve your symptoms of pms as with all
lifestyle changes they require dedication and are guided by you they may or may
not work for you but there's no harm in giving them a try first let's look at
dietary changes you may experience an improvement in your pms symptoms through
small dietary
changes. it's recommended to take regular frequent two to
three hourly small balanced meal
rich in complex carbohydrates you should aim to reduce
your sugar fat and salt intake and increase.the amount of healthy fruit and
vegetables you eat it is also advisable to limit your nicotine alcohol and
caffeine intake some dietary supplements can also be trialled however evidence
is limited many ladies have tried evening primrose oil for their pms
however research suggests that this supplement is only
beneficial for breast tenderness
calcium and magnesium supplements have also demonstrated improvement
in pms symptoms
magnesium supplements appear to have a positive effect in
improving pms anxiety vitamin b6 supplements may improve low
mood associated with your pms and vitamin e may also
provide some benefit so exercise and wellness taking regular exercise is known
to be beneficial in improving pms symptoms
having a good method of stress relief is also very
important such as regular
meditation or yoga having regular good quality sleep is
also very important you're struggling to get a grasp of
your pms symptoms seeking advice from your
doctor is very important where your main symptoms are
pain your
doctor will likely recommend a trial of non-steroidal
anti-inflammatories such as regular ibuprofen.
hormonal treatments are also useful these are usually
centered around new generation of the oral contraceptives these aim to suppress
ovulation therefore suppressing the hormonal cycle
there is good support for the use of the combined pill
called yasmin
ladies can also take this medication continuously without
a break if your symptoms are more severe or the combined contraceptives are not
appropriate for you
your doctor may consider an alternative
non-hormonal treatment in most cases you would be offered
an ssri which is a selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor these medications are used also to effectively
manage depression so are
commonly known as antidepressants whilst you take this
medication continuously an alternative is also to take them during the neutral
phase of your cycle which is day 15 to day 28.
however it is important to stop taking this medication if
you're trying to get
pregnant as although unproven they may have an
association
with birth defects you may also gain benefit from
psychotherapy this usually takes the form of cognitive behavioral
therapy also known as cbt and
is routinely offered by your gp or the primary care
physician therapy is important to help address the
very important psychological element of your pms cbt
alone has shown to provide a
significant improvement in psychological mdistress and
social interference calls by pms.
here you will work closely with your therapist to help
regain control of your
psychological symptoms by changing the way you think and
feel about your pms
if despite the trial of ssri the combined oral
contraceptive pill and or psychotherapy your symptoms of pms remain troublesome
it's likely your doctor will organize a referral to a specialist.
your specialist can try other hormonal medications such
as dinosaur dinosaur is useful in improving pms symptoms and breast tenderness estrogen
therapy this can be trialled as a patched or the
implant gnrh analogues gnrh analytics blocks your
hormones centrally within your brain suppressing
the pms symptoms this treatment is usually limited to a six
month period as there is a risk of
weakening your bones this may be used as a trial for
ladies with severe symptoms who have completed their family and finally
surgical oophorectomy which is the removal of the ovaries and
therefore the ovarian trigger for your pms and should
only be used in ladies withsevere pms.
so let's talk about the prognosis the symptoms of your
pms are likely to fluctuate throughout your life for those who require medical
support for their symptoms of pms or pmdd the
vast majority experience a significant improvement in
their symptoms remember you're not alone all of us ladies with experienced pms
at some point in our lives some more than others
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