PMDD - Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

The physical symptom list is identical for PMS and PMDD; while the emotional symptoms are similar, they are significantly more serious with PMDD. In PMDD, the criteria focus on the mood rather than the physical symptoms. With PMS, sadness or mild depression is not uncommon. With PMDD, however, significant depression and hopelessness may occur; in extreme cases, women may feel like killing themselves or others. Attributing suicidal or homicidal feelings to "it's just PMS" is inappropriate; these feelings must be taken as seriously as they are in anyone else and should be promptly brought to the attention of mental health professionals.

Women who have a history of depression are at increased risk for PMDD. Similarly, women who have had PMDD are at increased risk for depression after menopause. In simplest terms, the difference between PMS and PMDD can be likened to the difference between a mild headache and a migraine.

While nearly all of the women in the survey reported experiencing premenstrual symptoms in the last 12 months, nearly half (45 percent) have never discussed PMS with their doctors. Even among women with strong or severe symptoms, more than one out of four (27 percent) had never talked with their doctors about PMS, despite the fact that most in this group reported that the symptoms interfere with their daily activities.

When asked about their reluctance to seek medical treatment even if they thought they had PMDD, nine of every 10 respondents who would not seek treatment said that they could cope with their problems on their own, and about one of every four felt their doctors would not take their complaints seriously if they did bring it up.

PMDD has recently been listed as an official psychiatric diagnosis. The fear of this stigma may contribute to women's reluctance to discuss it with their doctors. "I frequently work with patients who have waited years to ask a doctor about premenstrual problems or have been turned away by their health care provider when they tried to discuss symptoms," said Jean Endicott, Ph.D., Director of the Premenstrual Evaluation Unit at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. "They fear becoming the target of jokes or that seeking help is a sign of weakness. Informing women and providers about diagnosing and treating PMDD helps clear the way to effective medical care."

Survey respondents reporting strong or severe symptoms revealed the classic PMDD features of impaired social functioning and predominant mood sympto

Because doctors are not exactly sure what causes PMS or PMDD, there is currently no proven prevention. However, you may be able to alleviate some symptoms by leading a healthier lifestyle or changing other medications.

There is no cure, per se, for PMS other than menopause. As discussed above, there are many strategies for effective management, and many interventions, which may decrease the symptoms significantly. Whatever your choice of therapy, remember that you're not committed to that choice for life! The other good news about PMS unlike other recurrent conditions is that you won't have it for life: PMS ends with menopause if it hasn't already disappeared after age 40 (although many of the symptoms of perimenopause are very similar to having PMS). You and your physician will monitor your progress and your comfort level with your treatment plan. If there are factors that change -- including your level of satisfaction -- discuss this with your physician.

For general PMS relief, your doctor may recommend birth control pills or switching to another pill if you already take one. Other prescription medical interventions will depend upon the types of symptoms that most affect you. For example, if you are affected by bloating and weight gain, your doctor may prescribe a certain type of diuretic (sprionolactone) to help your body eliminate the excess water. If severe breast tenderness is a major complaint, birth control pills are often recommended. If this is insufficient, your doctor may prescribe a medication called bromocriptine to lower your levels of prolactin (a hormone linked to breast tenderness) or an androgen called Danazol®. For dysmenorrhea (painful periods), prescription prostaglandin inhibitors such as Naprosyn® or Ponstel® can be very effective if over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin® or Advil® were not sufficient.

If you have severe PMS symptoms that interfere with your responsibilities or relationships, or if you tell your physician that you just feel out of control on those days, s/he may suggest that you try one of several prescription medications for PMDD symptoms. The choices are diverse and represent two major classes of anti-depressant medications: the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) and the tricyclic antidepressants. The SSRI's include medicines such as Prozac®, Effexor®, and Zoloft®. They are generally well tolerated, work quickly, and reduce or eliminate disturbing emotional symptoms for many women, often at doses significantly lower than those required to treat depression. A recent study showed that this type of antidepressant medication worked significantly better for the treatment of PMS than the tricyclics, although tricyclics (e.g. Pamelor®, Elavil®) have a role in treating women with severe insomnia or those with combined depression and PMS.

There are many advocates for "natural" progesterone therapy for PMS. However, to date, multiple controlled clinical trials of progesterone in several dosage forms has failed to show any benefit for the treatment of physical or emotional symptoms of PMS.

In addition to conventional therapies, many women with PMS report that they have been helped by modalities such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques, acupuncture, and massage. My general approach to these type