Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Symptoms of PMS can affect almost all women of child-bearing age, and can seriously impact upon your quality of life in a negative way.

In this article:

What is PMS?

Causes

How Chemist Online can help

Symptoms

Treatment

Advice & Support

What is PMS?
PMS (also known as PMT – Premenstrual Tension) happens in the 14 days preceding a woman’s monthly period. As well as having a physical impact upon the body, PMS can have an emotional one, too.

Severity of PMS symptoms can vary from one person to the next (and from one month to another), but most women agree that PMS can be difficult to cope with. It can also impact upon your relationship with your partner as well as your interpersonal relationships with friends and work colleagues, etc. The list of PMS symptoms in the next section will help to explain why.

Symptoms
Symptoms of PMS include:

A bloated feeling which is often accompanied by cramps, abdominal pain and pelvic pain

Breast tenderness

Increased heart rate

Muscle and joint pain

Lower back pain

Headache (and sometimes migraine)

Weight gain

Swollen ankles

Fatigue

Nausea

Diarrhoea

Disturbed sleep

Diminished libido (lack of interest in sex)

A feeling of irritability and tension

Sudden mood swings

An inability to concentrate as well as you normally would

Anxiety, anger, and intense emotional upset

Blackouts

Also, due to PMS, many women develop depressive illness, as well as the aforementioned mood disorders. Please see contact details for the Depression Alliance at the Advice & Support section at the foot of this article.

Causes
Although the precise cause of PMS is as yet unknown (despite considerable worldwide research), it is suggested that there may be a number of possible causes. These include:

Hormonal changes – the onset of PMS generally occurs as a result of hormone level fluctuation at particular times each month

Neurochemical changes – the mood controlling chemicals in the brain (e.g., Serotonin) interact negatively with your hormonal changes and therefore impact upon your emotional state(s) during this time

Diet ¬– a poor diet which does not include sufficient quantities of certain vitamins and minerals can exacerbate symptoms

Treatment
Treatments for PMS, which are intended to ease symptoms, include:

Hormone treatments – these can include the contraceptive pill or progestogen

Anti-depressants – to help boost Serotonin levels so that feelings of depression and anxiety may be significantly reduced

Self-help measures – things you can do to help you cope better with PMS each month can include: exercising (to boost ‘feel good’ endorphins and reduce aggressive mood swings); maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables; and supplementing your diet with vitamins.

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help ease back or lower abdomen pain, and also headaches, such as: Anadin Paracetamol Tablets which provide fast, effective relief, and Nurofen Caplets which contain a powerful amount of ibuprofen to treat various different types of pain and bring you comforting relief when you need it most.

Also, to help you sleep we can also offer you a selection of sleeping aids, such as Kalms Sleep Tablets and Natrasleep Tablets.

Low levels of vitamins and minerals may also worsen your PMS symptoms, therefore we can offer you Calcium Centrum Select Multivitamins which are rich in calcium and vitamins B1, B2 and B6, and have been specifically developed for people who are 50+.

Through this website we also have a range of treatments for diarrhoea available to buy, including Imodium, the world's leading anti-diarrhoeal which provides fast and effective relief (often in just one dose) from diarrhoea and associated abdominal discomfort, including bloating, pressure and cramps commonly referred to as gas.

We also have available rehydration treatments such as Electrolade Sachets (Multiflavour) which is an oral rehydration treatment that replaces fluids and minerals lost in acute diarrhoea.


www.chemistonline.co.uk


Advice & Support
National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome
41 Old Road
East Peckham
Kent
TN12 5AP
Tel: 0870 777 2178 (Helpline)
Website: www.pms.org.uk , contact form , e-mail direct: contact@pms.org.uk

Premenstrual Society
PO Box 429
Addlestone
Surrey
KT15 1DZ
Tel: 01932 872 560

Depression Alliance
212 Spitfire Studios
63–71 Collier Street
London
N1 9BE
Tel: 0845 123 23 20
Website: www.depressionalliance.org
E-mail: information@depressionalliance.org


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.


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