PMS and PMDD and you Premenstrual symptoms don’t have to be a part of life. There are treatments that can help. By Nerissa Bentley
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or many women, the week before their period can be difficult. For some, it can be debilitating. But the good news is that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its close relative, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), can be treated.
What is PMS? PMS refers to a broad range of physical and emotional symptoms experienced by women in the days leading up to their period. Up to 90% of women experience at least one symptom most months, with 50% of women experiencing several symptoms each month. Symptoms can start anywhere between 4-10 days before menstruation, and often resolve once bleeding begins. Some of the most common symptoms include bloating, fluid retention, breast swelling and tenderness, headaches, skin problems, lethargy, constipation and/or diarrhoea, as well as mood changes. However, there are many other symptoms women may also experience. “There are over 200 different symptoms associated with PMS that have been reported,” says Jean Hailes naturopath, Ms Sandra Villella, “but women typically experience the same set of symptoms from one cycle to the next.”
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When symptoms are more severe Along with physical premenstrual symptoms, between 3-8% of women experience debilitating mood or psychological symptoms that interfere with their daily lives and even prevent some women from holding down a job. This is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Jean Hailes endocrinologist Dr Rosie Worsley says PMDD is a subset of PMS that refers specifically to very severe mood or psychological symptoms, particularly depressive symptoms and irritability. “Typically, the pattern is that women feel really unwell in the week before their period,” says Dr Worsley. “They may have very low moods and experience a lot of fatigue, but once they get their period, it’s like a switch has been flipped back to normal.” There are no tests for PMDD, so diagnosis is determined by the pattern of symptoms, usually over three cycles. The key difference between PMDD and depression is that symptoms get better once menstruation begins. “You can use an app or a journal to track symptoms,” says Ms Villella. “Tracking them under different categories will help you notice certain patterns. For example, you might ask
