---
title: What are the different patterns of premenstrual symptoms women experience?
description: Women have different combinations of premenstrual symptoms. The group with breast tenderness, bloating, irritability, tension and depression together was most
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndromes-defined-by-symptom-sets-1990/
---

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- What are the different patterns of premenstrual symptoms women experience?

Lab study, 1990

# What are the different patterns of premenstrual symptoms women experience?

Women have different combinations of premenstrual symptoms. The group with breast tenderness, bloating, irritability, tension and depression together was most likely to rate their symptoms as severe.

 Early or limited evidence

1456 women aged 16-54 in Wellington, New Zealand from general practice who had menstruated recently

## What they did

Researchers asked 1456 women aged 16-54 in New Zealand who had recently menstruated about their premenstrual symptoms during their last menstrual cycle. They grouped women based on which symptoms they reported.

## What they found

Women fell into seven groups: three with a single main symptom (breast tenderness, bloating, or irritability), three with mixed symptoms, and one with miscellaneous symptoms. The largest mixed group had women with breast tenderness, bloating, irritability, tension and depression together. These women were most likely to rate their symptoms as severe.

## What it means for you

Different women experience different premenstrual symptom patterns, which can help doctors give more targeted treatment. The study looked at women from one region in New Zealand in general practice, so results may differ elsewhere.

1456

women studied

7

symptom groups identified

16-54

age range

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual syndromes defined by symptom-sets Authors Reinken JA, Pullon SR, Sparrow MJ Journal Family practice Year 1990 Study design Lab study Participants 1,456 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/fampra/7.3.201](https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/7.3.201)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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