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for Premenstrual Syndrome
It's "the period before the period," or "that time of the month." Whatever it's called, it's enough to put a kink in the lives of up to 5% of menstruating women in the US for one to two weeks every month.
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, causes a range of mood changes and physical symptoms that can begin mid-cycle, when a woman ovulates, and last until the onset of menstruation. During that time a PMS sufferer may experience irritability, tension, depression, moodiness, fatigue, and breast tenderness, just to name a few symptoms. For some women, the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with functioning at work or at school, or with social activities or relationships. This intense form of PMS has earned its own psychiatric designation: premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Although the exact cause of PMS is unknown, it is thought to be caused by chemical changes in the brain, most likely attributable to fluctuating hormones. Non-drug treatments that help some women include dietary modification, exercise, and stress reduction techniques. Nutritional supplements such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E have also been shown to be of some benefit in reducing symptoms, as have oral contraceptives and NSAIDs.
In July the FDA approved the first prescription medicine for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Sarafem (fluoxetine). Marketed for years as the drug Prozac for depression, obsessive/compulsive disorder, and bulimia, Sarafem is specially formulated and packaged for use by women whose PMS symptoms are severe enough to interfere with their everyday functioning. You can read more about Sarafem in this month's issue of DRUG Infoline (see Sarafem: The First Drug Approved for PMS).
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