Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common disorders of premenopausal women.

Premenstrual syndrome is defined as a recurrent, cyclical set of physical and behavioral symptoms that occur 7 to 14 days before the menstrual cycle and are troublesome enough to interfere with some aspect of a woman's life. A severe form of PMS is called PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

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Symptoms of PMS
Headache, mood changes, anxiety, irritability, overeating and food cravings, insomnia or hypersomnia (oversleeping), breast tenderness, bloating.

PMS Treatment
Reduce simple carbohydrates
Reduce caffeine intake
Exercise frequently
Try yoga
Consider eating more cold water fish or take fish oil capsules
Take a little extra B12, B6 or pyridoxal-5-phosphate
Vit E may be helpful
Calcium carbonate is promising (reduces cramping and moodiness) -- some patients with PMS have difficulty with balancing calcium levels.
Magnesium oxide (may help with headache, fluid retention and mood).
5-HTP stabilizes serotonin levels
St. john’s wort may improve mood
Vitex agnus castus extract (Chaste Berry) has been shown to improve mood while reducing anger, headache, and breast fullness. Bloating remained unchanged.
Evening primrose oil has not been shown to be effective.        

Standard Medical options
Pharmaceutical drugs that may help women with PMS symptoms include naproxen for cramps, and spironolactone, perhaps SSRIs.
Progesterone has not been found to be effective for PMS.

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