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Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) & PMDD

Related Topics:

• hot flashes / women's health / prolactin / menorrhagia / HRT

Popular Medications:

• HRT / Effexor (venlafaxine) / Prozac (fluoxetine)  / Zoloft (sertraline) / other SSRIs

Popular Supplements:

• St. John's wort / 5-HTP / chaste tree (agnus castus/vitex) / vitamin B6 / vitamin B12 / vitamin E / I3C / DIM / evening primrose oil / ginkgo / magnesium / calcium / omega-3 / chromium / black cohosh / valerian / milk thistle / theanine

Alternative News:

• Effect of Garlic ( Allium sativum) Supplementation on Premenstrual Disorders: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Nov 1 - "After identification of participants with moderate-to-severe PMS through the premenstrual symptoms screening tools questionnaire (PSST), they were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 64) or garlic (n = 65) groups. Each participant received one tablet daily for three consecutive cycles and logged the severity of their symptoms in the PSST questionnaire during the intervention period ... After treatment with garlic for three consecutive cycles, the total score of the severity of premenstrual symptoms significantly (P < 0.001) reduced from 34.09 ± 7.31 to 11.21 ± 7.17. In the placebo group, this score changed from 33.35 ± 7.96 to 24.28 ± 7.22. The difference between mean changes in the two groups was 13.78, with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of 11.23-16.33." - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Women's Iron Intake May Help to Protect Against PMS - Science Daily, 2/26/13 - "women who consumed the most non-heme iron, the form found primarily in plant foods and in supplements, had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of developing PMS than women who consumed the lowest amount of non-heme iron ... The level of iron intake at which we saw a lower risk of PMS, roughly greater than 20 mg per day, is higher than the current recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron for premenopausal women, which is 18 mg per day ... Iron may be related to PMS because it is involved in producing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood ... The level of zinc intake at which we saw suggestion of a lower risk of PMS, greater than 15 mg per day, was also higher than current recommendations of 8 mg per day"
• Impaired Melatonin Secretion May Play a Role in Premenstrual Syndrome - Science Daily, 12/20/12 - "PMDD sufferers can experience depression, tension, and irritability of sufficient intensity to interfere with daily activities and relationships. Disturbed sleep is also a common symptom of the disorder, with up to 70% of patients frequently reporting either poor sleep quality with increased awakenings or excessive sleepiness during the symptomatic phase ... compared to healthy controls, PMDD women had significantly decreased melatonin secretion levels during the night-time hours ... Clinical implications of reduced melatonin in PMDD The prevalence of insomnia and depression are both about twice as high in women than in me" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
• Can Vitamin D Treat Pain? - Medscape, 2/27/12 - "Dysmenorrhea affects almost one half of menstruating women. The pelvic pain is believed to be triggered by excessive uterine production of prostaglandins, synthesized from omega-6 fatty acids before menses, that control vasoconstriction and uterine contractions ... vitamin D may act as an anti-inflammatory and may regulate the expression of key genes involved in the prostaglandin pathway, causing decreased biological activity of prostaglandins ... The women were randomly assigned to receive a single oral dose of 300,000 IUs of vitamin D (cholecalciferol) or placebo 5 days before the time they expected to begin their next menstrual period ... After 2 months, baseline pain scores decreased 41% among women in the vitamin D group; there was no difference in scores among women taking placebo ... The 300,000 IU dose of vitamin D used in the study is probably harmless if taken every month or 2, and even perhaps every week, but it could cause hypercalcemia if taken daily" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Increased B vitamins may ease PMS symptoms: Study - Nutra USA, 3/3/11 - "women with the highest average intakes of riboflavin two to four years prior to diagnosis were associated with a 35 percent lower incidence of PMS than women with the lowest average intakes"
• Dietary B vitamin intake and incident premenstrual syndrome - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb 23 - "Intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food sources were each inversely associated with incident PMS. For example, women in the highest quintile of riboflavin intake 2-4 y before the diagnosis year had a 35% lower risk of developing PMS than did those in the lowest quintile (relative risk: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.92; P for trend = 0.02)"
• Essential oil pill prevents PMS, study suggests - Science Daily, 1/16/11 - "Women who were given capsules containing 2 grams of a combination of gamma linolenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, other polyunsaturated acids and vitamin E reported significantly eased PMS symptoms at both 3 and 6 months after they began the treatment" - See borage oil at Amazon.com (GLA) and Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.  Oleic acid is omega-9 in which olive oil is a good source.  Linoleic acid is omega-6.  Most Americans get about 10 to 20 times too much omega-6 to begin with.  I don't know why they included it.  It makes me wonder about some of the researchers.  If they are showing a benefit, I would guess it's from the other ingredients and not the omega-6.  Gamma linolenic acid is an omega-6 also but it's a form that most don't get enough of.
• Pine bark extract may ease menstrual pains: study - Nutra USA, 6/20/08 - "Pycnogenol, 60 mg per day ... At the end of the study, Suzuki and co-workers found that, while women in the low pain group showed no benefits from pine bark supplementation, women with dysmenorrhea did significantly benefit. In addition to a reduction in the use of NSAIDs, a reduction in the number of painful days due to dysmenorrhea from 2.1 days before supplementation to 1.3 days during the third and fourth menstrual cycle" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com or grape seed extract at Amazon.com (some say the grape seed extract is the same without the patent markup).
• Prone to PMS? - Dr. Weil, 3/7/06
• Calcium, Vitamin D in Diet May Prevent PMS - WebMD, 6/13/05 - "Those who ate about four servings a day of low-fat dairy or yogurt or fortified orange juice had a 40% lower risk of PMS than those who did not. That is about 1,200 milligrams of calcium or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day"
• Monthly Migraine Misery? - Dr. Weil, 5/19/05
• Calcium Supplements Are Worth Considering for PMS - Clinical Psychiatry News, 5/04 - "Calcium supplementation is the most promising and best-supported alternative therapy to date for premenstrual syndrome"
• Preventing PMS - Nutrition Science News, 11/01
• A New Natural Relaxant - Life Extension Magazine, 10/01 - "Japanese researchers have discovered that theanine works for PMS. Using a distress questionnaire, they tracked the reactions of 20 women taking the new supplement for two months. Theanine caused documented reductions in mental, social and physical symptoms. Women who benefitted took 100 mg of theanine twice a day during the questionable days"
• St. John's Wort Vs. Drugs - Nutrition Science News, 6/01
• Effective Simple Therapy For Premenstrual Symptoms In Some Women - Doctor's Guide, 1/22/01 - "Women who received agnus castus reported a significant improvement in irritability, mood alteration, anger, headache and breast fullness. However, other symptoms, including bloating, did not respond."
• Chaste Tree Bears Fruit for PMS Relief, Dried Fruit Extract Improves Symptoms in Half of Women Tested - WebMD, 1/19/01 - "A little more than half of the women who received the real Vitex reported improvements in five of six symptoms, including irritability, mood alteration, anger, headache, and breast fullness."
• Herb [St. John's wort] May Curb PMS - WebMD, 8/7/00
• Fish Oil, Vitamin B-12 May Offer Relief During That Time of the Month - WebMD, 6/20/00
• Vitamin B6 Helps PMS - Nutrition Science News, 11/99
• Clinically-Tested Dietary Supplement Helps Manage PMS - Doctor's Guide, 10/15/01
• Stretch It Out: Exercise Eases Painful Periods - Doctor's Guide, 3/27/97

Other News:

• New Clues for Cause of PMS Symptoms - WebMD, 12/20/07
• Bad PMS May Mean A Depressed Nervous System - Science Daily, 12/19/07
• Differences in Free Estradiol and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin in Women with and without Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Oct 23 - "Overall means for LH, progesterone, E2, peak E2, and free E2 were not different between groups. Across the menstrual cycle, overall %free E2 was significantly lower and SHBG significantly greater in the PMDD group compared to controls (1.39+/- 0.26 vs. 1.50+/- 0.28 vs. p= 0.03; 61.4+/- 25.1 vs. 52.4 +/- 21.3 nmol/L, p=0.046, respectively). During the luteal phase, free E2 was significantly lower in the PMDD group compared to controls (PMDD 7.6 +/- 7.0 vs. controls 8.9 +/- 8.4 pmol/L, p=0.032). For both follicular and luteal phases, SHBG was significantly higher in the PMDD group (follicular phase 60.5+/- 31.7 vs. 51.4+/- 38.2 nmol/L, p= 0.047; luteal phase 65.1 +/- 32.3 vs. 55.1+/- 38.9 nmol/L, p=0.03). In both groups, SHBG significantly increased from the follicular to luteal phase"
• Low Doses of Anti-Depressant May Help PMS - Doctor's Guide, 10/13/06
• Yaz Approved for Severe PMS - WebMD, 10/6/06 - "Yaz improved both physical and emotional symptoms of PMDD, including interpersonal relationships, work productivity, and enjoyment of hobbies and social activities"
• FDA Approves New Indication for YAZ(R) (3 mg drospirenone/20 mcg ethinyl estradiol) to Treat Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/06
• Women With Severe PMS Perceive Their Sleep Quality To Be Poor - Science Daily, 10/1/07
• PMS -- A Fact Of Life Or All In The Mind? - Science Daily, 5/4/06
• Relief for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? - Physician's Weekly, 12/19/05 - "The pill—a low dose of ethinyl estradol and drospirenon—was shown to decrease daily premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptom scores by half in 48%"
• PMS a Concern? It Might Not Just Be Hormones - WebMD, 10/25/05
• Oral Contraceptive Effective in Controlling Premenstrual Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 8/31/05
• Birth Control Pill May Relieve PMS Depression - WebMD, 5/25/05
• Menstrual Cycle May Change Women's Brains - WebMD, 5/16/05
• Luteal-Phase Treatment May Be Best for PMDD - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/04
• PMS Predicts Problem Menopause - WebMD, 5/5/04
• Intermittent and Continuous Sertraline Equally Effective for PMS - Medscape, 3/3/04
• FDA Approves Intermittent Dosing of Paxil CR (Paroxetine) for Treatment Of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 2/24/04
• FDA Approves Paxil CR (Paroxetine) for Treatment of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/03
• PMS a Pain for Employers, Society, Too - WebMD, 7/25/03
• Venlafaxine Works as Intermittent Therapy for Premenstrual Distress - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/03
• Controlled-Released Paroxetine Effective for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/03
• Treating PMS With the Pill - WebMD, 2/27/03 - "The two-year-old pill, known by the trade name Yasmin, is the first to use the progestin drospirenone, which is believed to have diuretic properties because it is similar in structure to a water pill called spironolactone ... Prior to taking the contraceptive 30% of the women reported that PMS affected their daily activities, but that figure dropped to 16% for those on the pill. The number of women reporting that PMS affected their general well-being also dropped, from 35% prior to taking the birth control pill to 21% while on it"
• Yasmin (Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol) Oral Contraceptive May Be Effective in Treating, Reducing Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 2/24/03
• Luteal Phase Sertraline Curbs Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 12/23/02
• Sertraline Helpful in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Medscape, 12/9/02
• Menstrual Migraine Responds to Oral Zolmitriptan - Clinical Psychiatry News, 11/02
• Imitrex Relieves Menstrual Migraines - WebMD, 9/30/02
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Syndrome Cut By Daily Fluoxetine - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/02
• Fluoxetine Effective in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Medscape, 9/6/02
• Citalopram Curbs Severe Premenstrual Syndrome in Patients Failing SSRIs - Doctor's Guide, 8/20/02
• COX-2 Specific Inhibitor Bextra (Valdecoxib) Effective And Well-Tolerated Treatment For Painful Menstrual Cramping - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/02
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Clinical Psychiatry News, 8/02
• Intermittent Dosing Okayed for PMDD Regimens - Clinical Psychiatry News, 7/02
• Sertraline May Be Safe and Effective for Moderate to Severe PMS - Doctor's Guide, 6/26/02
• Zoloft (Sertraline HCl) Receives FDA Approval For Treatment Of Premenstrual Dysphoric Mood Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02
• Primary-Care Treatment Choices Outlined For Non-Major Depression - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/02 - "They add that individual trials suggest significantly greater improvements in symptom scores with venlafaxine [Effexor]"
• Women's Upper Body Fat Tied To Menstrual Disorders - Doctor's Guide, 4/24/02
• Target Symptoms, Not Diagnosis, Should Guide PDD Drug Therapy - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/02
• When PMS Becomes Debilitating, It Could Be PMDD - WebMD, 5/22/02
• Women and Psychopharmacology - Medscape, 3/7/02 - "Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)[21,22] and venlafaxine[23] have been found to be effective in treating PMDD. One should begin by giving the drug for the duration of a menstrual cycle. It may take several cycles to assess the benefit of a particular dosage of medication. Once an effective dosage is found, the individual may try taking the drug only in the second part of the cycle beginning approximately around ovulation time and continuing until a few days after the onset of menses"
• Popular Hormone Doesn't Help Women With PMS, But Progesterone Still Widely Prescribed - WebMD, 10/5/01
• PMS: Fact or Fiction - WebMD, 9/10/01
• No Periods, No Pain? - WebMD, 8/22/01
• Yasmin (Drosperinone/Ethinyl Estradiol) Found to Relieve Pre-Menstrual Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 8/22/01
• FDA Approves New Birth Control Pill, Yasmin May Also Work for Severe PMS - WebMD, 5/15/01 - "the women "had marked changes in their responses to the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire." After six months, the women said they felt better and had less water retention than before they took the pill, she said"
• So, Just How Common Is the Severe Form of PMS? Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Is Real and Disruptive, Doctors Say - WebMD, 5/9/01 - "suggest that the estimates of the yearly occurrence of PMDD of 3%-5% are roughly correct"
• Severe Form of PMS May Have Roots in Stress, Sufferers Seem to Have Abnormal Hormonal Response to Stress - WebMD, 5/4/01 - "PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is characterized by severe, abrupt monthly changes in mood with increased anxiety and anger as well as physical symptoms that interfere with everyday life, including a woman's relationships with her family and friends. PMDD typically occurs the week before, and disappears a few days after, the onset of menstruation ... Unlike healthy women, who respond to stressful situations by increasing their body's production of a hormone called allopregnanolone, women with PMDD produce less, not more, of the hormone when stressed ... women with PMDD actually have more of the hormone present in their bodies most of the time than women without PMDD, but it doesn't increase at times when it should ... One thing that does work in some women is antidepressant therapy"
• New Birth Control Pill Smoothes Away PMS, Investigational Pill May Also Be Effective for Treating PMDD - WebMD, 5/1/01 - "an investigational birth control that uses a new type of the hormone, a progestin called drospirenone, is demonstrating impressive -- but unproven -- benefits for women with premenstrual syndrome"
• New Tylenol (Acetaminophen/Pamabrom), For Menstrual Pain And Bloating, Available In US - Doctor's Guide, 10/18/00
• FDA Approves Prozac To Treat Severe Premenstrual Syndrome - Intelihealth, 7/7/00
• Treating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/00
• FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Prozac For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/99
• Osteoarthritis Drug, Vioxx, Relieves Menstrual Pain - Doctor's Guide, 10/19/99
• Severe PMS Can Be Treated With SSRIs - Doctor's Guide, 9/23/99
• FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Prozac For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/99
• Severe PMS Can Be Treated With SSRIs - Doctor's Guide, 923/99
• Hormones Trigger PMS Symptoms -- But Susceptibility Still A Mystery - Doctor's Guide, 1/23/98
• Anti-Depressant May Help Alleviate Severe PMS - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/97
• PMS Management Prevents Osteoporosis - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/97