PMS

Many women experience difficult emotional and physical changes prior to and during menstruation. When symptoms are severe, the medical term for these changes is “premenstrual syndrome,” commonly called PMS. More than 150 symptoms are associated with PMS, ranging from breast tenderness to nausea to anger and irritability.

Several physical issues can worsen PMS symptoms, including adrenal issues, thyroid dysfunction, nutritional issues and hormone imbalances. If you experience severe symptoms please consider key lab tests to guide treatment. Click on the “Lab testing” tab above for more information.

Natural treatments are available that will help with menstrual symptoms. They offer much safer treatment than prescription drugs and with many to offer significant relief. Western Naturopathy, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine have been used for generations for symptom control.

Unsure what to order? Please call us, we can help! Call a CHS healthcare Professional at 714-886-9026 for guidance.

Natural Treatment Approaches

Conventional medicine uses variety of medications to treat the different symptoms of PMS. Medications include diuretics, pain killers, oral contraceptive pills, drugs that suppress ovarian function, and antidepressants. The many adverse effects of these chemicals are well known.

The Western Naturopathic approach calls for correcting hormonal balance and nutritional deficiencies as an important first step to reducing PMS symptoms. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports this approach and suggests that several nutrition supplements are worth trying. Certain vitamins, minerals and herbal preparations are supported by positive but limited evidence. Naturopaths use natural formulas to support healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production rather than harmful drugs.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, groups of symptoms, or syndromes, are typically classified into patterns that involve the internal organs and/or energy pathways (meridians) of the body. Three organ systems are principally involved in the PMS pathology analysis: Liver, Heart, and Spleen.

Liver Qi Stagnation pattern manifestations include: depression and melancholy before the period; propensity to outbursts of anger; moodiness; irritability; anxiety; a feeling of fullness or congestion in the chest; a feeling of distention or pain under the rib cage; muttering to oneself; headache with anxiety; heavy, early periods; thin tongue coating; and a wiry pulse. Many of these symptoms increase before the period and return to normal after the period.

Heart Blood Deficiency Pattern symptoms include: emotional upset with periods; speaking incoherently; sadness; fatigue; sluggishness; heart palpitations; insomnia; poor memory; inert facial expression; dull-pale complexion; scanty and light periods with light red flow; pale tongue body with a white tongue coating; and a thin pulse.

Phlegm-Heat Harassment Pattern symptoms include: anxiety; headache; insomnia before the period; agitation; incoherent speech; red face, bloodshot eyes; a feeling of oppression in the chest; angry outbursts; poor appetite; constipation; red tongue body with a yellow-sticky tongue coating; and a wiry-slippery-rapid pulse.

Note:  Do not allow anyone to supplement your estrogen levels without using a balanced approach involving progesterone. This has been proven to increase your cancer risk.

The first step in treating PMS issues is to identify contributing factors including underlying hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, infections, hypersensitivities, medications and inflammation. Appropriate lab testing is central to developing an appropriate treatment plan.

Many health care providers advise women to keep a diary of menstrual cycles and the physical and psychological changes they experience over the course of several months. The menstrual diary provides clues to the physician and helps women understand and cope with the changes.

Because depression is a common feature of PMS, some women benefit from psychological counseling as a part of treatment. CHS can help you with all of these steps.

You can sometimes manage or reduce the symptoms of PMS by making changes in the way you eat, exercise and approach daily life. Try these approaches:

• Try aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help for significant pain, including headache, backache, menstrual cramping, and breast tenderness. CHS does not recommend acetaminophen in any dose due to it’s harmful effect on your liver.
• Modify your diet to eat smaller, more frequent meals to reduce bloating and the sensation of fullness.
• Limit salt and salty foods to reduce bloating and fluid retention.
• Choose foods high in complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Choose foods rich in calcium.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Incorporate exercise into your regular routine: Engage in at least 30 minutes of brisk walking, cycling, swimming or other aerobic activity most days of the week. Regular daily exercise can help improve your overall health and alleviate symptoms such as fatigue and a depressed mood.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation or deep-breathing exercises to help reduce headaches, anxiety or trouble sleeping (insomnia).
• Try yoga or massage to relax and relieve stress.
• Test your hormone levels.
• Test for physical causes of symptoms.
• Treat nutritional deficiencies with appropriate supplements.
• Try herbal remedies.

The physical, emotional, and psychological changes that occur in PMS coincide with hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle.  PMS may be a response to declining levels of estrogen and progesterone that occur just prior to menstruation. The exact role of the various hormones are not clear. Some neurochemicals (chemicals that help make up the nervous system) also have been implicated.  Hormones and neurochemicals may interact to produce PMS.
Mineralocorticoids are a group of hormones that regulate the body’s fluids and electrolytes (e.g., sodium, potassium).  Changing levels of mineralocorticoids may cause the bloated feeling that is common in women with PMS.
Prolactin stimulates breast development and the formation of milk during pregnancy and is associated with amenorrhea (abnormal absence of menstruation) and other gynecologic complications. Excess prolactin may cause the breast tenderness associated with PMS, although studies show that suppressing the secretion of excess prolactin does not relieve symptoms.
Prostaglandins are hormone like substances that play a role in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, which occurs prior to bleeding. Changing levels of prostaglandins may be involved in PMS.
Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies and infections (viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic) may amplify symptoms of PMS.  Industrial chemical exposure (such as pesticides), heavy metals may play a part. Sensory hypersensitivity is frequently reported, and this could be related to food and airborne allergies.
Fluctuations of serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that is thought to play a role in mood states, could trigger PMS symptoms.  Insufficient amounts of serotonin may contribute to premenstrual depression, as well as to fatigue, food cravings and sleep problems.
Undiagnosed psychological issues may be linked to PMS. Some women with severe premenstrual syndrome have undiagnosed depression, though depression alone does not cause all of the symptoms.  Stress can aggravate some of your PMS symptoms.
PMS symptoms have been linked to low levels of vitamins and minerals. Other possible contributors to PMS include eating a lot of salty foods, which may cause fluid retention, and drinking alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which may cause mood and energy level disturbances.

Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Information provided by CHS is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Any information given is only intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from scientific world literature. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your own research of the subject and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.