Nearly every woman at some point has some symptoms as menstruation approaches. For about half of these women, symptoms are mild and do not affect normal daily life. The other half report symptoms severe enough to impair daily life and relationships. Between 3 - 8% of women report extremely severe symptoms.
In general, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that occur during the last week of the luteal phase (1 - 2 weeks before menstruation) in most cycles. The symptoms typically go away within 4 days after bleeding starts and do not start again until at least day 13 in the cycle. Once established, the symptoms tend to remain fairly constant until menopause, although they can vary from cycle to cycle.
- Breast engorgement and tenderness
- Abdominal bloating
- Fluid retention
- Increased appetite, often with specific food cravings (especially salt and sugar)
- Weight gain
- Skin problems (acne)
- Headache and migraine (migraine may increase severity of PMS symptoms)
- Muscle and joint aches or pains
Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms
Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.