---
title: How do doctors tell PMS and PMDD apart from other conditions?
description: This review explains that diagnosing PMS and PMDD requires at least 2 months of tracking symptoms day by day, plus a full medical check to rule out other caus
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/diagnosis-of-premenstrual-disorders-2006/
---

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- How do doctors tell PMS and PMDD apart from other conditions?

Review, 2006

# How do doctors tell PMS and PMDD apart from other conditions?

This review explains that diagnosing PMS and PMDD requires at least 2 months of tracking symptoms day by day, plus a full medical check to rule out other causes. There is no single quick test for either condition.

 Early or limited evidence

General review; not based on a specific group of patients.

## What they did

This is a review article, not a new study. It summarises published diagnostic criteria for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) from the American Psychiatric Association, and discusses how clinicians should diagnose them.

## What they found

Both PMS and PMDD involve mood, physical and behavioural symptoms that appear in the late luteal phase (time before a period) and go away soon after bleeding starts. Official diagnosis needs 2 months of prospective symptom ratings, using either a clinician's own form or a validated questionnaire. Clinicians also need a full personal and family history of mental and physical illness, a physical exam, and basic lab tests to rule out other causes. The review notes many women with real, debilitating symptoms are never diagnosed, either because they don't mention symptoms to a doctor or because doctors find these conditions hard to diagnose.

## What it means for you

If you think you have PMS or PMDD, tracking your symptoms daily for two cycles before seeing a doctor can help get an accurate diagnosis, since there is no blood test for it. The main limit is that this is a summary of existing guidelines from 2006, not new research, so it reflects older diagnostic standards and no data on how many women it applies to.

2

months of symptom tracking required for diagnosis

2006

year published

## About the study

Original title Diagnosis of premenstrual disorders Authors Futterman LA, Rapkin AJ Journal The Journal of reproductive medicine Year 2006 Study design Review What was tested None (diagnostic review, no treatment tested). Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16734318/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16734318/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)

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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.

## Related studies

Cohort study, 2026

What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

Study, 2026

How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

Systematic review, 2025

Do people with PMDD and severe PMS have difficulties with emotion regulation?

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