Print this topic

HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Young woman experiencing PMS symptoms Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the name for the physical and emotional symptoms you might experience in the one to two weeks leading up to your period. The symptoms usually go away once your period starts, and stop for good once you've completed menopause. Most women experience PMS at some time during their lives.

You might have quite mild symptoms, or severe ones. They can also vary from month to month. You may have some, or all, of the symptoms.

The most common emotional symptoms include:

The most common physical symptoms include:

Treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Lifestyle changes can help. Try:

Some supplements such as calcium and magnesium have been shown to be helpful. Talk to your pharmacist about this.

If you have tummy pain, headaches or other pain with PMS, over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol and ibuprofen may help. Always read the patient information leaflet for the medication and ask your pharmacist for advice.

Getting help with PMS

Sometimes PMS can be severe enough to have a very negative impact on your life and relationships. If you're struggling to deal with PMS, see your GP to talk about the options available to you.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021.

Sources

Page reference: 53209

Review key: HIPMS-53209