Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Lots of women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before or during menstruation. However it is always difficult to define whether woman needs professional medical assistance for relieving PMS symptoms that become more and more severe.

Here are a few cases that definitely require doctor consultation:

- PMS regularly impacts your everyday life and make you unable to do your usual jobs and activities

- You feel like losing control under the situation with PMS symptoms.

- You already used some drugs or therapy to relief the symptoms, but it didn’t help

- Severe PMS symptoms like depression, head and muscle aches, irritability, etc. still present after menstruation started a couple of days ago.

When Is It Time?
Sometimes it is enough to use simple measures at home to relief PMS display. If you constantly experience PMS every month before periods, it is time to change your lifestyle a little to help your body to manage with unwanted symptoms.

If diet, healthy lifestyle doesn’t help or the symptoms become even worse, it is certainly the tile to visit a doctor. Most of physicians will ask you to keep a diary for at least two menstruation cycles before visit to clinic. So the earlier you start, the earlier he will be able to help you with correct treatment.

It is reasonable to keep a menstrual diary if you feel problems with PMS. As a rule, such diary includes the following information:

- The symptoms you experience and their display

- Dates when the symptoms start and finish

- The date of ovulation (if you can define this)

- The menstruation start and finish dates

Whom to Ask for Help
Your attending medical doctor can define the reason of symptoms you experience and make a diagnosis of PMS. Anyway you can consult your doctor, and if he or she is qualified in other area of medicine, you will be referred to one of other specialists.

The list of specialists you can go for help include:

- Nurses

- Physicians

- Therapeutists

- Family doctors

- Interns specialized at women’s health care

- Gynaecologists

If the situation with PMS is too difficult, it is better to consult direct specialist, gynecologist, who will prescribe you correct treatment therapy schedule. In case if symptoms have more emotional character or in case of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), you will need additional help of psychologist or psychiater, who will help to manage with stresses.

Breast cancer is practically unnoticeable during the early stages. When the tumor grows, on further stages, the following symptoms can be revealed:

- A protuberance in the breast or underarm that remains being perceptible after periods; it is the most common first sign of breast cancer. As a rule, breast tumors are painless on the first stages of development. However in some cases woman can experience prickly pains in breast. Mammogram can reveal tumors long before they become visible or can be found manually.

- Swelling in the underarm.

- In spite of lumps are mostly painless, sometimes breast cancer can display in breasts tenderness or aches.

- Sometimes tumor has such outer indicators like flattening or indention on the breast skin. These symptoms may can be a sign when tumor is not noticeable yet.

- Any noticeable changes in breast size, shape, contour or temperature; for example reddened flabby skin like on orange peel can be a symptom of cancer.

- Changes in the nipple, like indrawn or hollowed areolas, prurience or burning; scaly nipple skin is a symptom of Paget’s disease that is a localized form of cancer.

- Unusual nipple discharge, especially in bloody or other color form. As a rule it is a symptom of benignant tumors, but it also can be a sign of cancer.

- A marmoreal tissue under the skin.

- A specific zone of breast that clearly differs from the rest of it by texture, color, sensations.

Its effect
Alprazolam also known as Xanax is an effective drug of benzodiazepine class that is prescribed to improve the emotional state during PMS. This medication has sedative effect that easily manages with mood swings, the feel of anxiety and various stress symptoms.

When Is It Reasonable To Use Alprazolam?
In case of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) alprazolam is prescribed when the patient experiences anxiety as the main emotional symptom and other therapy proved to be useless.

As alprazolam is very short-acting drug, it is prescribed only for several days of premenstrual phase of cycle, when used longer it becomes ineffective.

Also it causes addiction when used for long-term, that is why it is highly recommended not to overdose or use longer than prescribed. It is effective against irritability and feel of anxiety only when used in full accordance with doctor’s advices. Otherwise it makes patients dull and dispirited.

By Effects
The following side effects can occur when taking alprazolam:

· Physical addiction that can be fatal, especially in case of abrupt withdrawal.

· Sleepiness.

· Low arterial pressure.

· Loss of interest to anything, apathetic mood.

· Vertigo.

· Oblivion.

· The increase of body weight.

When taking alprazolam, be careful when driving a car or doing something requiring increased concentration. Alprazolam may complicate such activities due to its sedative effect.

You Should Know This
Often the feel of anxiety is connected with other PMS symptoms. For instance, weight gain or emotional instability like mood swings can lead to anxiety feelings. That is why it is possible to get rid of anxiety by treating the symptoms it was caused by without any additional medications like alprazolam.

It is enough only a few weeks of taking alprazolam to become addictive to it. It should be taken only under doctor’s care to avoid life-threatening side effects.

Before taking antianxiety drugs compare their effect with possible by effects. And of course, consult a doctor.

More about Alprazolam – http://www.drugs.com/pdr/alprazolam.html

One of the most popular treatments of menopause symptoms is estrogen therapy. One of its side effects occurring in big number of cases is weight gain. As the reason of weight increase is estrogen that is required for relieving menopausal symptoms, it is impossible to stop taking it and reduce the weight fast. In this case the regulation of body weight requires much knowledge and time.

If the problem of excessive weight becomes urgent, the best way of its solution is consulting a doctor for prescription of non-estrogen therapy for menopause treatment. In such a way you will be able to fight hormone-related weight gain and come to norm with diet and lifestyle correction. According to modern variety of medications it is fully possible to select the treatment that suits your body with minimum side effects.

Scientists have different opinions
The controversial results of various studies do not lead to one certain conclusion of estrogen influence on body weight. Some of them say that there is definite connection between hormone concentration and the weight increase, while other connect weight gain to age changes. In the age around 40 human body gain weight more intensively. To prevent obesity or unwanted kilos it is better to reduce food intake and use physical exercises.

It is fully possible to control your body weight using the combination of diet + physical training + non-estrogen treatment. You can even improve your body shape during menopause paying more attention on your appearance. The reaction on hormones is very individual, but it is one common effect occurring during the course of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – most of women gain extra weight.

The effect of HRT
Hormone replacement therapy results in extra weight for most of women, but each case is very individual. Some women can manage with weight loss easily, using little physical exercises and limitations in diet, while other need strict long-term diet and everyday exhausting training. For better results it is necessary to study your own type of body, habits in lifestyle and diet to see what is preferable to change. Using correct changes it is possible to gain great results in fight again excess weight.

When using hormone replacement therapy the concentration of estrogen in the body is constantly increased that lead to intensification of weight gain. If it is impossible to refuse from HRT, the only solution is to reduce its dosing.

In addition to HRT limitation it is highly recommended to follow the balanced diet and select the type of physical exercises that will help to gain the best body shape. By the way, such changes of the lifestyle will help not only to control body shape but also to relieve other hormone-related symptoms of menopause and its therapy.

Don’t think that you are lonely with your body weight problem: millions of women worldwide experience the same impact to their shape from hormone replacement therapy. Obesity will never become your problem if you will do exercises, follow diet and pay more attention on this problem.

If you are afraid that your body weight became out of control, it is better to consult a physician to define whether it is the side effect of HRT and it is normal or it was caused by other disorders. Anyway there is a therapy that will help you to come to norm.