PMS – Work, Daily Life & Relationships

Battling your way through that time of the month

A lot of women that come into the pharmacy suffer from PMS. They all complain of an umbrella of symptoms, such as anger, irritability, anxiety, depression, mood swings, decreased alertness, hopelessness, acne, bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, sleep disruption, tiredness, reduced libido, headaches, cramping and lower back pain. It’s very rare but I have seen some women with severe PMS that has been mistaken for mental illness. It’s no wonder PMS interferes with your work, daily life and relationships.

dearPHARMACIST is here to help reduce these symptoms and allow you to carry on with your daily activities without disruption. With everything, preparation is the key. This will minimise the severity of your PMS symptoms. Women fail by not preparing and this is when your PMS symptoms will hit you, even without knowing! It’s others around you that see the change in character, such as poor job performance, negative behaviour and mood swings.

Part of this preparation is to look at your everyday diet and physical activity. Keep to a healthy diet and regular exercise. This stimulates the body into an energised feeling, naturally reducing the symptoms of PMS. Most women find they crave chocolate a week before they are due. This is normal, but also tends to happen when you haven’t been eating well and are run down due to stress. This will impact your weight gain. It’s important to maintain your health with a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, it has been found that dark chocolate can ease PMS. Enjoy this, but limit your portions, as overindulging has the opposite effect; especially those who suffer more emotional PMS symptoms.

Over the years of talking to sufferers, a daily routine of a b-complex and omega-6 fatty acid supplement improves your symptoms greatly. A week before your period is due it is recommended to increase the dose of these two supplements. To see the effect of these I always recommend making a symptom chart. Fill this in daily and see month on month your PMS improve. If you find that your emotional symptoms aren’t being controlled, try adding a supplement called 5-HTP. It is also known to improve the loss of libido.

Oral contraceptives are a convenient method of controlling symptoms of PMS. They work by stabilising the hormones that cause mood swings. They also stop ovulation which helps with those painful periods. You must discuss this with your GP as some contraceptives have similar side effects to the symptoms of PMS.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Naproxen, help ease stomach cramps and sore breasts. They will also relieve headaches, muscle pain and period pain.

If you find after doing as advised, your PMS symptoms have not improved, visit your GP for further tests.

Remember you can always visit dearPHARMACIST at Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS. Come and meet dearPHARMACIST today.