Responses should consider:
PMS - It's a set of symptoms that may occur during the days leading up to the start of a woman's period. - It's caused by the cycling of hormones in a woman's body, which may affect some women emotionally and psychologically. - Symptoms include dysphoria, mood swings, depression, irritability, tension, aggression, fatigue, headaches, breast soreness, abdominal cramping, backache, water retention, constipation, and specific food cravings.
PMDD - It's a relatively rare but significantly more intense form of PMS that is now a proposed official clinical diagnosis. - It differs from PMS in terms of the number and severity of symptoms. - Diagnosis of PMDD applies only to those with the most serious and most debilitating symptoms. - Diagnosis of PMDD requires that five or more of the following symptoms be present during the week before the start of menstruation, must vary over a woman's fertility cycle, and must be severe enough to seriously impair her relationships with others, interfere with work, school, and effective functioning in the normal activities of her daily life. - Symptoms include: - major depressive symptoms - intense anxiety, tension - radical mood swings such as sudden sadness or increased sensitivity in social situations - persistent, extreme anger, irritability, or increased interpersonal conflicts - loss of interest in usual or favorite activities - poor concentration - fatigue, general lack of energy - changes in appetite, such as overeating or cravings for specific foods - difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much - feeling overwhelmed or out of control - physical symptoms such as bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and muscle pains
Treatment of PMDD - Treatment depends on many issues relating to a woman's specific symptoms, the seriousness of the overall symptomology, the individual patient's profile, and the treatment preferences of the doctor. - The most effective treatment currently in use is one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa. - These drugs were originally developed to treat depression. - They trigger changes in the brain's balance of neurotransmitter chemicals, particularly serotonin, and can significantly reduce both the psychological and physical symptoms commonly associated with PMDD for many women. - There are other treatments that are somewhat beneficial, including dietary changes, various relaxation and stress-reduction strategies, hormone therapy, and regular exercise.
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