Managing premenstrual syndrome

Panay, Nick

doi:10.1383/wohm.2.3.1.67176

Next »Women's Health Medicine
Volume 2, Issue 3 , Pages 1-4, May 2005

Managing premenstrual syndrome

Nick Panay is Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College, London. He is also Director of the West London Menopause and PMS Centre. He qualified from University College London and did the majority of his training under Professor John Studd at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. His research interests in the area of PMS include the study of evidence-based alternative treatments (e.g. red clover, magnotherapy) and the avoidance of progestogenic side effects in conventional treatments using tissue selective agents.

Abstract

Premenstrual syndrome has been defined as distressing physical, behavioural and psychological symptoms not due to organic disease, which regularly recur during the same phase of each menstrual (ovarian cycle) and which disappear or significantly regress during the remainder of the cycle.

Many women will experience minor physical and emotional changes premenstrually. However, in a few women (approximately 5%), these symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal activities, and can even lead to a breakdown in interpersonal relationships. Fortunately, various treatments are available. These include lifestyle changes, herbal and other complementary therapies, ovulation suppression, use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Keywords: menorrhagia and other menstrual problems , premenstrual syndrome (PMS) , lifestyle , cognitive behavioural therapy , complementary therapies , danazol , estradiol , gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues , hysterectomy , ovulation , progestogens , selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)