Getting Help for PMS

Many women accept PMS as a fact of life. They think that the have to deal with the crabbiness, moodiness, cramps, bloating, and other painful and annoying symptoms over and over with no relief. Many women never even mention their PMS symptoms to the doctor for this reason. But there is help and you don’t have to live with these symptoms month after month until you reach menopause. In fact, it’s important that you talk to your doctor and get treatment as soon as possible.

The most obvious reason you should get your PMS symptoms treated is if you’re experiencing depression as one of your symptoms. Women who experience depression normally may have an increase in symptoms shortly before their period. If you are being successfully treated for depression, you also may have breakthrough symptoms with your PMS. It is vitally important not to let depression go untreated even if it is only periodic. Untreated depression symptoms can escalate to suicide and destructive behavior.

We used to think that women either got PMS or they didn’t. Now we are aware of a more serious form of PMS called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. While the symptoms of PMS are painful, annoying, and bothersome, the symptoms of PMDD are so severe that they cause you to alter how you live your life. It is important that PMDD be recognized and treated immediately before it causes serious damage to your psychological health. That’s another reason why it’s important to see your doctor about your symptoms. He or she will be able to help you tell the difference between the two disorders and offer you treatment options.

Another reason to get treatment for your PMS is that it might not be PMS at all. There are a lot of other disorders that have similar symptoms. It is important to have these symptoms diagnosed and treated in case there is a serious problem.

If your symptoms are not serious and you are not having suicidal or dangerous thoughts, you might want to start keeping a journal of your symptoms for a few months before you see your doctor. This way, she can pinpoint if your symptoms are caused by PMS, PMDD, or some other problem. This will help you get treated properly and have you feeling better in no time.

Once you go to the doctor and find out you do have PMS or PMDD, there are treatment options that can help, including; dietary changes, herbal remedies, and hormonal birth control. Just remember, you do not have to live with these symptoms.

Resources for products to help with PMS:

• Nature's Remedies - Get more info on Femalite for PMS.
  
• The Herb Barn LLC


• As We Change - the preferred destination for women searching for solutions for thier changing lives.