Symptoms and Complications
If you suffer from PMS, you may experience different types of symptoms than your mother, your sister, or a female friend. Even if your symptoms are the same as someone else's, you may experience them more or less intensely. Your symptoms may vary from menstrual period to menstrual period and may change over the years. In some women, symptoms are intense but short-lived. Other women have to interrupt their normal routines because of the symptoms they experience.
Symptoms can last anywhere from a few hours to two weeks before the start of a menstrual period. They usually start to go away when your period begins. In women close to menopause, symptoms may continue through and after a menstrual period. Some women go on to have painful periods after experiencing PMS. Teenage girls, for example, often have very painful periods after PMS, but this trend usually disappears as they get older.
PMS symptoms can be grouped into three categories:
Physical changes
- backaches
- bloating due to fluid retention
- breast tenderness, fullness, and pain
- changes in appetite (includes cravings for certain foods like chocolate)
- constipation
- dizziness
- headaches or migraines
- feeling of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis
- hot flashes
- difficulty falling asleep
- joint pain and swelling
- lack of energy
- nausea and vomiting
- severe fatigue
- skin problems such as acne
or itching
- temporary weight gain
- worsening of existing allergies
Mood changes
- agitation
- anger
- depression
- irritability
- mood swings
- nervousness
Mental changes
- confusion
- difficulty concentrating
- memory loss or forgetfulness
Complications usually involve existing medical conditions that are made worse by PMS. Allergies or eye problems may be more severe, and women who have epilepsy may have more seizures than usual. Women who have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis may experience flare-ups during this time.