Premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome is a cluster of bodily and emotional symptoms tied to the menstrual cycle that appear in the weeks before a period. Any person with periods can be affected, and most women experience it at some point; a severe form, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is much less common. The exact cause is unknown, but changing hormone levels during the cycle may play a role, and some women are more sensitive to them than others. Typical symptoms include mood swings, irritability, low mood, anxiety, tiredness, poor sleep, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches and food cravings. No single test exists, so diagnosis rests on the symptom history and timing, with tests only to exclude other conditions. Management begins with exercise, sleep, diet and stress reduction; if needed, hormonal contraception, cognitive behavioural therapy, antidepressants, diuretics or anti-anxiety medicine may be used, while evidence for supplements is limited.

Seek urgent care for fever with flank pain, inability to pass urine, or blood in the urine. See a doctor for burning on urination that lasts more than two days, urinary symptoms that keep returning, or any change in urinary flow in men over 50. Call the local emergency number for any symptom that is sudden and severe. This page is a reference for healthcare professionals and does not replace an assessment.