Survey study, 2014
What causes PMS and what helps treat it?
PMS is complex with multiple causes, mostly related to how the brain's chemical messengers work. Treatment options include medications, hormones, and lifestyle approaches.
What they did
This is an educational overview summarizing current medical understanding of PMS for doctors. It reviews proposed causes, clinical patterns, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options.
What they found
PMS involves physical, emotional, metabolic, and hormone-related changes. The strongest current theory is that problems with brain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) cause symptoms. PMS presents in four main clinical patterns depending on which symptoms dominate. Severity ranges from mild to severe, with three stages: compensated, subcompensated, and decompensated. Diagnosis depends on symptoms cycling with the menstrual cycle. Treatment options include medications, hormone therapy, and non-drug approaches.
What it means for you
Doctors have multiple options for treating PMS, and treatment can be tailored to each woman's main symptoms. However, the root causes of PMS are still not fully understood.
4
Main clinical patterns based on symptom types
3
Stages of severity
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome. as a help for physician
- Authors
- Э. Б. Яковлева, O.M. Babenko, O.N. Pilipenko
- Journal
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Survey study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18370/2309-4117.2014.18.30-34
Original abstract
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) – complex of cyclic symptoms occurring in some women in premenstrual days and is characterized by psychoemotional, vegetovascular, metabolic and endocrine impairments. Today etiopathogenic mechanisms of syndrome are poorly understood. There are many theories to explain the appearance of symptoms of PMS. The most modern theory of the genesis of the PMS is the theory of «disturbances of neurotransmitters metabolism in the CNS». Depending on the prevalence of certain symptoms are evolved four main clinical forms of the disease. Depending on the number, duration, and intensity of symptoms of PMS distinguish the mild and heavy forms of the disease. Also, there are three stages of the syndrome: compensated, subcompensated and decompensated.Due to the huge amount of PMS symptoms there are some difficulties in the diagnosis of disease. The basis for the diagnosis is cyclicity of pathological symptoms, occurring a few days before menstruation. The main therapy methods of premenstrual syndrome are pharmacotherapy, hormone therapy and non-pharmacological treatment. If the effect of the therapy is positive is recommended preventive maintenance treatment, including vitamin pills and tranquilizers.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
Related studies
Systematic review, 2023
What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy?
Survey study, 2022
What causes PMS and PMDD and what new treatments are being studied?
Systematic review, 2015
What are the effects of continuous hormonal treatments for premenstrual syndrome?
Review, 2012
How should premenstrual disorders be diagnosed and organized?
Review, 2012
How is PMS diagnosed and treated, especially in women approaching menopause?
Randomised trial, 2012
Do hysterectomy or hormonal IUDs reduce premenstrual symptoms in women with heavy periods?