Study, 2005
When do menstrual symptoms peak in women without PMS or PMDD?
All tracked symptoms peaked on the first day of menstruation, reaching much higher severity than each woman's typical average.
What they did
900 women from the community kept daily logs of 50 symptoms (physical, social, and psychological) for two menstrual cycles. 25 symptoms came from PMDD diagnostic criteria, 13 from PMS research, and 12 were positive-worded versions of symptoms. Women were told the study was about general women's health, not specifically menstruation.
What they found
All 50 symptoms peaked on the first day of menstruation, with severity much higher than each woman's typical level for each symptom. Women more frequently reported distress when symptoms were phrased positively than when phrased negatively, showing that wording affects symptom reporting.
What it means for you
In women without menstrual disorders, symptoms peak at menstruation onset, not the premenstrual phase required for PMDD. This establishes what is typical in the general population. Survey wording affected reporting: positive versions led to more distress reports than negative wording. There is a delay between luteal hormone changes and when symptom peaks occur.
900
women studied
50
symptoms tracked daily
2
menstrual cycles per woman
About the study
- Original title
- Timing and severity of symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle in a community-based sample in the Midwestern United States
- Authors
- Meaden PM, Hartlage SA, Cook-Karr J
- Journal
- Psychiatry research
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 900
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2005.01.003
Topics
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