Remedies for PMS

Finding remedies for PMS (also known as premenstrual tension (PMT) can be as difficult as making the diagnosis in the first place. There are some general changes you can make to your lifestyle that can make a big difference and help to ease symptoms of PMS.

General remedies for PMS symptoms

There are several measures you can take to control PMS symptoms.

Diet

Reduce

• salt
• caffeine
• animal fat
• refined sugars like in sweets and chocolates (sorry!)
• dairy products
• calcium

Increase:

• complex carbohydrates e.g rice, pasta
• minerals (magnesium and zinc)
• Vitamins A, E and B6 (Vitamin B6 should not be taken in doses more than 50mg 1-2 times daily to avoid damage to the nerves which may show up as tingling and numbness of the arms and legs.)

Exercise

Exercise is a great way of finding relief from PMS symptoms. Advantages of exercise include the following:

• release of endorphins (”happy hormones”) from the brain which gives you that high you experience when you finish exercising. They also relieve pain amongst other things.
• helps relieve tension and anxiety
• improves your general health in terms of weight loss or maintaining your current weight and having a healthy heart.
• reduces water retention

You need about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times a week to get the most benefit. If you don’t want to do high impact aerobic exercise like jogging or skipping you can swim, walk or dance which will put less strain on your joints.

Medication for PMS

These include several groups of medicines:

• Drugs that help to remove excess water from the body – these are known as diuretics. There are several over-the-counter medications that can help reduce water retention and bloating. Some of these PMS medications include Diurex PS, Lurine PMS and Pamprin Multisymptoms.
• Pain relievers – These include Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Anaprox.
• Birth control pills – These can help even out the fluctuations in ovarian hormones. About 1/4 of women taking birth control pills to relieve PMS symptoms have some improvement in symptoms. In some women, it makes the symptoms worse. Needless to say, this is not the best option if you’re trying to get pregnant.
• Drugs which suppress the ovaries – these can only be used for short periods of time because of an increased risk of osteoporosis.
• Antidepressants – these are used to improve mood and reduce mood swings.

It’s important for you to know that not all these measures work for every woman. You may have to experiment a little bit to find what will work for you. Please feel free to share any methods that you have used to relieve your PMS symptoms.

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