Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

This article was written by a nurse from one of the US clinics that wished to stay anonymous.

She shares her knowledge about emotional symptoms during PMS and how to fight them. If you found the information useful, please leave your comments.

During PMS many women experience various emotional problems like mood swings, stresses, sudden willing to cry or argue with everyone around. The most frequent emotional symptom of PMS is anxiety that causes big discomfort in everyday life.

During a long time scientists didn’t connect emotional discomfort to premenstrual syndrome, but later they realized that psychological state is directly connected to cyclic hormonal changes in the female organism, and anxiety and stress are common PMS symptoms.

Such emotional changes have various origins, not only PMS. It can be related to various problems at home or at work, conflicts in relationships, mental health disorders, etc. The environment can affect your emotional stability, causing stresses that can be regarded as PMS symptoms. Combined with hormonal changes, problems around can worsen the situation, turning woman into a deep depression.

It was found that the main reason of anxiety and other emotional changes during PMS is estrogen level changes. Perhaps severe stress is an alarm of PMDD that has a lot in common with PMS but its symptoms are much stronger and sometimes unbearable. PMDD is the most difficult case of PMS that requires medical assistance.

Every tenth woman of childbearing age suffers from PMDD in the USA. Most of them experience the same emotional problems that are typical for manic depression. As a rule patients with PMDD experience rapid mood swings from happiness in the first minute to deep sadness in the second. Such swings lead to deep emotional instability and exhaustion. Also they admit extraordinary sensitivity to things that has no matter to them before.

It is natural for women to be sensitive to different things, but the natural sensitivity has nothing in common with unbearable symptoms of PMS or PMDD especially. Stresses and feel of anxiety are only a part of possible reactions to hormones during premenstrual period, and women struggle from them each month before periods begin. The only way to fight instability is to learn how to control emotions and stresses, helping yourself to manage with PMS and return your life into the normal state.

Many specialists will advise you to take vitamins of B-group, go in for sports like aerobics, use relaxation practices like meditation and balance your diet to avoid potential impact on hormones.

Also natural progesterone creams showed effective results in treating anxiety and mood swings during premenstrual period. The alternative supplement for stabilizing emotions before periods is Kava Kava.

There are a lot of medications available today, that is why it is better to consult a doctor who can select the best treatment for your individual set of symptoms.

Don’t wonder if he will prescribe something that was not listed in this article, it is fully possible.

Do your best to tune your lifestyle on the right way and follow doctor’s advices to feel good at any period of cycle!

Most women are looking for relief from the discomfort signs of premenstrual syndrome symptoms, but usual painkillers may not work every time, and as for the prescription drugs – they sometimes have not very good side effects. That’s why you might decide to think about some alternative remedies that can relieve your discomfort from PMS symptoms. Such natural remedies as herbs, vitamins and nutritional supplements are available to help you manage some usual PMS symptoms like bloating and cramps if combined with a proper diet. Besides, alternative remedies are usually able to keep you emotionally well as this side of your health might be disrupted at the time of menstruation, and it’s the one that can’t be easily restored by usual painkillers you can always get at a nearby drug store.

Keeping a diet which is rich in nutritional elements and vitamins, both of which are able to particularly lower PMS symptoms, can be considered an alternative remedy free of any unnatural means. In addition, you can try supplements combined with a diet, which include herbal and vitamin supplements that will target uncomfortable PMS symptoms.

Vitamins below are reported to particularly help ease PMS symptoms and discomfort caused by them:

1. Vitamin A has been reported to lower the effects of premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
2. Vitamin B6 is helpful to lower bloating, because it’s a natural diuretic. In addition, it may help you balance estrogen levels which are commonly imbalanced during a period.
3. Vitamin E is able to ease tender breasts and soreness. Besides, you may like it for regulating hormone levels and lowering depression and irritability.
4. Pantothenic acid being a natural nutrient, is often used to manage stress.
5. Since magnesium and calcium are naturally powerful substances, they can help you ease muscle tension and cramping. Moreover, they have also been reported to reduce stress.

The lack of nutrition may easily cause shortages in your organism that can contribute to the factors of menstrual symptoms, like mood, fluid balance and inflammation control. But if you eat specific foods that are proved to provide most important nutrients and vitamins for reducing PMS symptoms, you automatically get a natural remedy. Below you can find a range of foods which are able to provide you with the key supplements and thus lower PMS symptoms:

1. A diet designed for PMS relief should be rich in animal fats, fresh vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein.
2. Vitamin A can be found in egg yolks, liver and butter.
3. For a good source of vitamins A and D and necessary fatty acids you are recommended to take cod liver oil.
4. Vitamin B6 can be found in peas, lentils, cabbage and alfalfa sprouts, alongside with whole rye, wheat and oats, also tuna, beef, cashew, turkey and bananas.
5. Oily fish like salmon or sardines are a strong source of fatty acids, vitamin D and calcium.
6. Milk and cheese can provide you with calcium, as well as broccoli, sesame seeds, watercress, almond and Brazil nuts, and leafy greens can.
7. Eating brown rice will provide you with pantothenic acid, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
8. Sunflower seeds and oats are a great source of magnesium, along with all nuts, bananas, beef, corn, leafy greens, and tuna.
9. You can get pantothenic acid in whole wheat and rye breads, brewer’s yeast, and sunflower seeds.
10. Vitamin E is contained in wheat germ and wheat germ oil, peanuts, olive oil, broccoli, and pecans.

In addition to eating all these foods, it is highly recommended that you avoid partially hydrogenated oils, junk food, and stimulants like alcohol and coffee, because they usually increase the discomfort of PMS symptoms.

Such nutrients as vitamin A should rather come from natural food, because synthetic one may be toxic. But while you focus on food as the main source of certain minerals and vitamins, you can still supplement you diet by taking vitamins from health stores.

A supplement which is particularly aimed at relieving PMS is recommended to be designed in such a way that it include vitamins A, C, D, and E, also B-complex vitamins, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, pantothenic acid, and zinc.

In case you already take daily multi-vitamins, make sure the combined supplement don’t exceed your daily dose limit. Also notice that taking vitamin B6 supplements is not possible at the same time with B-complex vitamins. If you don’t remember the limits, they are 100 to 200mg for pantothenic acid and vitamin B6; 800 mg for magnesium and 1,500 mg for calcium. You may even find that you don’t need any extra supplements because your daily multi-vitamins are enough to help you fight menstrual symptoms.

Also a good idea would be to talk to a nutrition expert, as he can choose the best supplement combinations depending on your individual concerns.

Different doctors classify various PMS symptoms in different ways. There are about 150 symptoms that can be reasonably divided into seven categories by the areas they affect.

Emotional: mood changes, irritation, uneasiness, the feel of panic, depression, crying too often

Behavior changes: apathetic or aggressive bearing, unwillingness to do usual activities, impulsive decisions without any substantiation

Autonomic: rapid pulse, sickness or constipation, increased perspiration, shiver, hot flushes, weak eyesight

Fluid accumulation: edemas, gain in weight, upper and lower extremities swelling

Skin Problems: rashes, herpes, hypersecretion of sebaceous glands, papules and increased allergic reactions

Cognitive: memory problems, absent-mindedness, low attentiveness, problems with intellectual activities.

Physical Pain: frequent headaches, severe muscle pains, neck and joint aches, breast discomfort and increased sensitivity

The aforementioned symptoms are the most frequent displays of PMS. All of them are caused by hormonal disbalance during the second part of menstrual cycle (the period after ovulation). They are experienced from two weeks to one day before periods, and after it begins, the symptoms are significantly relieved or totally disappear. The general picture of symptoms can change from time to time, or they can stay stable each month. As PMS depends on hormonal changes, there are some phases when it can be especially severe. These are pubertal period, post-pregnancy period, menopause, birth control pills intake, the period after surgical procedures like hysterectomy or tubal ligation. The hormonal balance of women’ organism can be affected by stresses or emotional shocks that also intensifies PMS syndrome.

Acupuncture is Helpful PMS Therapy?
Acupuncture is a natural therapy that doesn’t require any chemical medicines and has almost no side effects. The research results posted in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics journal in 2002 showed that the effectiveness of acupuncture procedures for treating PMS syndrome was 77.8%, while the same result in placebo control group was only 5.9%. These numbers show that acupuncture is an effective non-medicament way of treating PMS symptoms. Its action mechanism is stimulating various acupuncture points responsible for normalizing the endocrine system operation and producing hormones for required balance. In such a way the amount of progesterone and estrogen is increased, that neutralizes the affect of high estrogen concentration during the luteal phase – the main cause of PMS symptoms. Acupuncture therapy provides with stable hormone balance during each cycle.

How long is the course of treatment?
As a rule the human organism reacts on acupuncture very fast, especially when this therapy is combine with traditional Chinese herbal medicine. PMS symptoms are relieved after the first month of therapy, and the progress continues during the next cycles. It is recommended one session per week during the first menstrual cycle with further reducing the number of sessions in accordance with patient’s condition. A doctor can use herbal medicine treatment together with acupuncture for better effect if needed.

What else can I do to make my treatment maximally effective?
While acupuncture and herbal medicines can effectively relief PMS symptoms, it is very important to support the organism by proper changes in lifestyle and diet habits. Some food can increase the display of PMS symptoms due to the influence on endocrine system. These are alcohol drinks, the excess of sugar in ration, soya products. This doesn’t mean that women struggling from PMS should avoid the intake of these foods, the point is reasonable ration planning, oriented at healthy food and stop overeating. All body systems operation depends directly on what we eat. To provide your organism with all it needs for proper functioning, make sure you get enough vitamins of A, B, C groups and necessary minerals from food. Exercises also influence positively. Chinese medicine admits that physical exercises stimulate the qi energy moving. When its move is stuck, we feel various pains, depressions, discomfort and PMS of course. You should ask a doctor’s advice to make proper changes in your lifestyle to stimulate PMS relief.

If you are one of those who prefer the natural route to buying some over the counter medicines helping you with the PMS weight gain and bloating that many women experience in the week before the period, below are some tips how to do that. The advice is simple and practical, making sure you get rid of PMS weight gain without taking any artificial pills.

The first step you should take is to make an effort and continue your regular exercises. It is not easy, because in some cases the hormonal fluctuations your body experiences during premenstrual syndrome make you feel a little crummy. Not feeling well is usually the main reason for women to refuse continuing exercises. But you should know that it’s a great idea to motivate yourself to keep your normal routine for many reasons.

First of all, besides experiencing weight gain during PMS, women’s self esteem can suffer at this time too. But if you don’t break your usual schedule of making exercises, you will get more endorphins produced, which are also known as the “feel-good” hormones. As you probably know, premenstrual syndrome also makes women to feel anxious or depressed. At this point, exercising during this time of the month is able to not only keep you fit, but also keep your self-image and spirits lifted naturally.

So simply remember the fact that your effort to continue exercises during PMS will help you fight PMS weight gain and keep your mood up, and it will be much easier to understand that it’s the simplest way to win the fight against PMS symptoms.

You also should of course be particular about what you eat in order to avoid weight gain during PMS. At this time, many women can experience craving for all kinds of “naughty foods”, including salty and sweet things, which is not very good for the health. Salt and sugar are precisely the kinds of food that are able to lead to weight gain at any time, and especially during PMS. The reason for women to experience such unexplainable cravings is again the common hormonal fluctuations taking place in their body in this particular time of the month.

What you can do to resist the cravings for “junk foods”? First of all, make sure you consume enough calcium and fiber. Both of them have been scientifically proven to keep your hormone levels balanced and lower many other unpleasant symptoms of PMS simultaneously, which includes weight gain as well. Getting enough fiber like that found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will make you feel full faster, thus causing you to eat less. In addition, fiber can make you more “regular”, thus forcing you to “flush out” toxins from your organism in a more consistent way. This will lead you to feeling more fit and energized. Also it is highly recommended not to forget consuming the necessary dosage of all minerals and vitamins all the time, especially in time of undergoing PMS.

Finally, you can always lower your stress level considerably by using natural techniques of stress reduction. There are countless relaxation techniques you may try, for example special breathing techniques, Yoga practice and meditation, which are specifically designed to calm down, relax and feel better. Statistics say that many people like to use these methods in the early mornings, as it helps them to set a positive mood for the whole day, or in the evening before going to sleep, as it helps them to relax and sleep better. As an ultimate result, relaxation and good sleep will be your best friends to counteract the weight gain, depression and anxiety caused by premenstrual syndrome.

Feeling totally exhausted during PMS is too uncomfortable for modern women who has to do a lot of daily work and duties. If you are one of those who struggle from total tiredness during premenstrual period, don’t give up! You are not alone in this problem and there are some proven methods of relieving the PMS impact.

As a big part of PMS symptoms fatigue is a result of hormonal imbalance, as well as changes of neurotransmitters levels that occur in premenstrual cycle phase. It is not general for all women who experience PMS, but those who do may feel both physical and mental discomfort caused by total tiredness, constant willing to sleep and do nothing. The best thing is that it usually lasts a few days and can be significantly relieved if to listen to your organism and really get some rest! It is a good reason to remember that you should have time for yourself and take some day-offs. Fatigue is normal reaction of female body to hormonal changes. Try not to panic or get angry because of the lack of energy, and if something from your duties can wait, put it off for the time you will feel better. A few days in a month can be “fasting days”, when you just lie on a sofa and do nothing difficult. This is the best and the safest way of treating PMS fatigue.

There are a lot of methods that may help to reduce the period of PMS tiredness. You can drink much fluid, correct your dietary regime by increased intake of complex carbohydrates and reducing fatty food. Physical exercises also may help to relieve PMS symptoms, choose the best type of activity suitable for you. Coffee and caffeinated drinks can only worsen the situation, so try not to drink them during PMS period. Coffee can cause other symptoms like insomnia and anxiety.

Q: How does migraine display?
A: Migraine is a prolonged severe headache that lasts 4 – 72 hours. The headaches can be recurrent, common or disabling. There are several common symptoms typical for migraine disorder. They include pains in one or both throbbing sides of the head, the character of these pains can vary from moderate to severe, they can be stable or periodical, repeating during long period of time. As a rule the pain worsens during usual physical activities like walking or going upstairs. Light and sounds are also irritants that can cause symptoms worsening.

Sometimes migraines are accompanied with visual effect known as aura. As for menstrual migraine it is usually occurs without aura that includes such fortification figures as light spots, sparkling, lines appearing before the eyes. Sometimes aura worsens to the loss of sight. Most patients with migraine prefer to stay in the dark room during the painful attack, it is better for eyes. Migraine is not a fatal disease, but it affects everyday life, disabling a person from doing usual activities.

Q: What is the reason of migraine?
A: Migraines are the result of chemical imbalance inside the brain that influence on blood vessels. The migraine pain is not connected with blood pressure drop, it is caused by vessels expanding. Some matters can stimulate migraine pains, they are alcohol, caffeine, nuts, chocolate, onions, nitrates and MSG in food, etc. The emotional triggers are stress, depressions. The increased eye strain also can cause migraine attack, as well as weather changes, bright light or magnetic storms. Women can struggle from migraine due to the hormonal changes in their organisms during periods.

Q: Menstrual Migraine: what is it?
A: There are two types of Menstrual Migraines also known as hormonal migraines – Pure Menstrual Migraine (PMM) and Menstrually Related Migraine (MRM). PMM is a migraine attack happened during menstruation period and a short time before and after it. MRM is another type of migraines that occur during the periods and other phases of women’s cycle like ovulation. They occur several times per cycle.

Q: What is the reason of Menstrual Migraine?
A: The causes of Menstrual Migraines are still not studied properly. There is an obvious connection between hormone changes due to menstrual cycle and migraine attacks. The studies admitted that migraine is certainly caused by hormonal level change that precedes periods. Women suffering from Menstrual Migraine pains react on hormonal trigger in such a way. It is an individual characteristic of their organism.

Q: How often does Menstrual Migraine occur?
A: There are about 21 million of US women experiencing migraines. 60% of them struggle from MRM or PMM.

Q: How does Menstrual Migraines differ from usual migraine?
A: As a rule Menstrual Migraine is characterized by more severe headaches that take longer. Menstrual Migraine attacks can occur more often than usual migraines among men.

Women all over the world have one common problem connected with our special nature. It is almost impossible to find one that doesn’t feel discomfort, abdominal pains, emotional tension and other unwanted symptoms before and during periods. Most of us do not pay attention to premenstrual syndrome thinking that it is natural process that inevitably precedes menstruation. Spending years on studying the problem of PMS, I can definitely say that it is more natural not to bear pains, not to struggle because of bad feeling and depression during premenstrual phase. It is more natural to find the source of a problem and try to solve it by medical therapy, changes in life style, nourishment and your attitude to your health.

Not all women struggling from PMS find it reasonable to see a doctor, and even those who do know almost nothing about female organism and PMS nature. If you really want to overcome PMS and remove it from your life, first of all you need to start from studying information about this disorder to understand its action mechanism, find out about ways to relieve its symptoms. This knowledge will help you to control medical treatment and enrich it by non-medical therapies that in complex will be maximally helpful.

Relying upon my own experience, I can ensure you that it is fully possible to get rid of harmful PMS influence on your life, to make it controllable and less stern. Here are some books that led on my way to the life without PMS. Hope you will find here something helpful for yourself.

The first book I read was “PMS: Solving the Puzzle – Sixteen Causes of Premenstrual Syndrome and What to Do About It” by Linaya Hahn. My mother gave it to me when found that I experience problems with the cycle. Linaya Hahn is definitely person who came through long years of PMS by herself, and everything described in her book is very close to life and clearly explained. She wrote about main reasons of PMS and tips of eliminating or relieving the symptoms in every single case. Here I found that even good sleep can be a treatment. Also there is a questionnaire that helps to define your own causes and required therapy.

I am an unlucky woman, as experience PMDD – an aggressive form of PMS that displays in harmful symptoms disturbing me every month. An anti-PMDD bible book – “The PMDD Phenomenon : Breakthrough Treatments for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Extreme Premenstrual Syndrome” showed me dozens of tips of how to overcome this problem. Here I have found the full description of all medicines known and used today, as well as alternative therapies. The case studies of women that have overcome PMDD inspired me very much, as I truly realized that PMDD is not a lifelong sentence.

If you experience PMS disorder, get ready to revise your nourishment and diet rules. The book “Internal Cleansing : Rid Your Body of Toxins to Naturally and Effectively Fight Heart Disease, Chronic Pain, Fatigue, PMS and Menopause Symptoms, and More“ by Linda Berry is a good guide to your body system and principles of healthy dieting oriented on internal cleansing. It is focused on removing harmful toxins and other matters that cause various diseases, including PMS. This book is rather large, but it worth reading, as here you can find advices regarding PMS and lots of other problems that probably make you worry. By the way, by reading it you will find out lot of interesting facts of how the body actually works.

“From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well: Discover Human-Identical Hormones as a Safe & Effective Treatment for PMS, Perimenopause, Menopause or Hysterectomy“, written by C.W. Randolph Jr. and Genie James tells about aspects of hormonal treatment of various female disorders, including premenstrual syndrome, menopause, perimenopause, etc. The authors are an experienced gynecologist and a businessman in the sphere of health systems with 20 years experience. In this book you will find the explanation of hormonal medicine therapy in simple phrase. The author offers saliva test as a way to define hormonal misbalance and future treatment by natural hormones. Awesome work!

Another hormone-oriented book is “What You Must Know About Women’s Hormones: Your Guide to Natural Hormone Treatents for PMS, Menopause, Osteoporosis, PCOS, and More“ is a one more view on hormonal treating. After reading it, I have structured by knowledge of hormones’ role in female organism, of how they can be used in anti-PMS therapy. Some of the facts described here were entirely new for me. Much information is dedicated to menopause, but it is also very interesting and informative for those who faced with PMS problem.

As you probably heard, herbal therapy is widely used nowadays as a treatment of female disorders, as it helps to adjust metabolism and improve hormonal state in the body. It can be used separately or together with other methods. You may find detailed explanations of what herbals exactly may help you to cope with PMS or menopause syndrome in a book written by Mary Bove and Linda Costarella – “Herbs for Women’s Health: Herbal Help for the Female Cycle from PMS to Menopause (Good Herb Guide Series)”. It personally helped me to find out more about natural treatment, as it is the safest type of therapy. It is one of “must read” book list for women, because herbs is a cheap but effective natural medicines for curing infertility, PMS, various tumors, cysts, etc. We just need to know what species and in what way to use. Here are all the answers to such questions. It is written by professional naturopathic physicians, so it is not the amateur point of view.

“You can beat PMS” by Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung contains 12 week PMS plan that promises excellent results – major PMS symptoms will not disturb you after you follow this program. I have used it in conjunction with medicines my doctor prescribed and the result was really awesome. Medicines can help with pains, but not with insomnia, mood swings and depression. The book contains lots of nutrition information that will be very helpful even for those who has no problems like PMS.

Hope this short guide through PMS-killing books will help you to become more experienced and educated patients. Everything is in your hands, and if you really want to overcome PMS or some other disorder, start from your own today – find out more about your organism, medical therapies and diagnostic methods. Together with medical assistance you will gain impressive results in beating any health problem. Read books and become healthy!

PMS symptoms

-mood swings
-irritability
-depression
-anxiety
-angry outbursts
-confusion or fuzzy thinking
-tearfulness
-fatigue
-insomnia
-changes in libido
-overeating
-cravings, especially for salty or sweet foods
-alcohol intolerance
-acne
-hives
-abdominal and pelvic cramps
-bloating
-weight gain
-headaches
-menstrual migraines
-nausea
-fainting
-urinary problems
-breast swelling and pain
-edema (visible swelling, particularly in the hands, feet and legs)
-asthma
-sinus problems
-sore throat
-worsening of chronic conditions like arthritis and ulcers
-difficulty with coordination, being more prone to accidents
-dizziness, decreased balance
-heart pounding (palpitation)

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome can debilitate some women, but there is clear evidence that calcium may help naturally relieving PMS.

Every woman knows that PMS symptoms are no laughing matter – bloating, food cravings, joint aches and mood changes can make the time prior to onset of menstruation a real challenge. The symptoms of PMS are surprisingly common, as more than 3/4 of women experience a few symptoms as a minimum within the week before a menstrual period. Of course, nonprescription painkillers like Advil will relieve some generalized aches, but it can’t treat mood swings or the irritability. Sometimes the signs can be so strong that women may be prescribed anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs, but they usually cause more side effects than relief.

Way to relieve PMS naturally
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a great study, describing the ability of the calcium to help naturally relieving PMS. According to the results of a study, more than a thousand women took 1,200 milligrams of calcium for three month, and it helped them ease PMS symptoms, significantly decreasing them by half. According to some other researches, women suffering from heavy PMS symptoms usually have problems with calcium metabolism, and that is the main source of their symptoms. When it comes to the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, calcium appears to be an essential mineral.

Forms of calcium
There are lots of calcium compounds available. The abovementioned study used calcium carbonate. It can be found at most health food stores and drugstores. Another way is to take Tums Extra Strength pills containing 750mg of calcium carbonate. If you take 2 of them every day, it’ll be enough for necessary benefits.

Other ways to relieve PMS naturally
Taking calcium in order to relieve symptoms is just a part of a big plan targeted at relieving discomfort in women. For example, avoiding high carbohydrate meals and salt can help relieve the weight gain, bloating and cravings that most women experience within the week before menstruation period. Regular exercises are able to help eliminate mood swings. Other methods to relieve PMS symptoms include avoiding caffeine and nicotine, which tend to increase anxiety and tension and alter mood. It’s very important to sleep enough as well.

Despite it might not eliminate all of the PMS symptoms, calcium appears to help lots of women. A good tip is to keep your symptom diary, as it would help focus on the factors making the symptoms worse and consequently correct them.