Survey study, 1996
What symptoms do women experience before their period, and do they stay the same over time?
Women experience five main types of symptoms in the week before their period: mood symptoms, hot flashes, body aches, muscle and nerve symptoms, and sleep problems. Mood symptoms are most consistent over time.
What they did
A community sample of 301 women ages 35 to 55 kept daily symptom diaries for at least one menstrual cycle each year for 3 consecutive years. They rated 28 common symptoms from zero to four. Researchers focused on the 5 days before menstruation.
What they found
25 of the 28 symptoms grouped into five types: mood symptoms, hot flashes, body aches, muscle and nerve symptoms, and sleep problems. Mood symptoms were the most reliable and stable over the 3 years. Body aches changed the most. Muscle and nerve symptoms and sleep problems were also stable.
What it means for you
Different premenstrual symptoms likely have different causes because they change at different rates. Mood symptoms may be related to stress or other life events rather than just hormones. The main limits are that the study focused only on the 5 days before menstruation and was conducted in one community.
301
women studied
25 of 28
symptoms that grouped into five types
3
years of daily tracking
About the study
- Original title
- Symptom experiences of midlife women: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study
- Authors
- Mitchell ES, Woods NF
- Journal
- Maturitas
- Year
- 1996
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 301
- What was tested
- Daily symptom tracking over three years, with focus on premenstrual days
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0378-5122(96)01047-x
Topics
Related studies
Randomised trial, 2025
Can nutrients help PMS by regulating multiple body systems?
Cohort study, 2004
Do women with PMS have worse menopausal symptoms?
Survey study, 2026
What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women?
Survey study, 2026
Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health?
Survey study, 2026
Does fear of childbirth explain why women with PMS are more likely to develop postpartum depression?
Survey study, 2025
Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls?