Review, 2001
What are PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated?
PMS is a cluster of symptoms occurring 7 to 14 days before menstruation. PMDD is the most severe form. Both should be treated first with lifestyle changes like exercise and stress management, with medication added if needed.
What they did
The authors reviewed information about the diagnosis and treatment of PMS and PMDD in mental health nursing.
What they found
PMS occurs 7 to 14 days prior to menses and ends 1 to 2 days after. PMDD is the most severe point on the PMS spectrum. First-line treatment is lifestyle changes including stress management, healthy diet, regular aerobic exercise, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and better coping strategies. If these don't help enough, medications can include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, diuretics, GnRH agonists, and vitamin and mineral supplements.
What it means for you
PMS and PMDD can be diagnosed and managed. Lifestyle should be tried first before medication. The review doesn't specify which treatments work best for individual women or how much each helps.
7-14 days
Time before menstruation symptoms occur
1-2 days
Time after menstruation symptoms end
About the study
- Original title
- PMS and PMDD in the domain of mental health nursing
- Authors
- Stearns S
- Journal
- Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services
- Year
- 2001
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Educational review of treatment approaches
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3928/0279-3695-20010101-10
Topics
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