Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome is by far the single most common complaint of pre menopausal women. Current estimates are that severe PMS occurs in 2.5 to 5 percent of women, and mild PMS occurs in 33 percent of women.

Some women have PMS from the time they begin having menstrual cycles, but, for most, PMS begins in the pre menopausal years, around the mid-thirties, and becomes increasingly severe as the years go on. Although it's possible to create a list of dozens and dozens of PMS symptoms, the most common in the week or two before the menstrual period are:

• Irritability, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, major mood swings
• Breast pain or tenderness, bloating, weight gain
• Insomnia, fatigue, lack of energy
• Headaches, backaches, joint and muscle aches
• Constipation, diarrhea, urinary disorders
• Food cravings, especially for carbohydrates and sugar

PMS stems from an imbalance of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone following ovulation. (Ovulation occurs at the midpoint of the menstrual cycle.) When the estrogen overwhelms the amount of progesterone in a woman's system, the brain has more difficulty producing chemicals that control mood and pain. This hormone imbalance leads to the mood shifts and food cravings of PMS. It also triggers the release of the hormone prolactin, which causes breast tenderness and blocks the liver from efficiently clearing excess estrogen from the body.

Stress is almost always involved in PMS. Stress increases cortisol levels, which blocks progesterone from its receptors. This means that you need extra progesterone to be able to overcome the blockage of its receptors by cortisol. Women with PMS usually have higher levels of the hormone cortisol. 

PMS symptoms may also be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.  The levels of a neurotransmitter called serotonin will fluctuate due to hormonal changes. Many women report less trouble with PMS symptoms when they are under treatment to normalize serotonin levels.

The three hormones with the most profound effects on your body (the way you look, feel, and think) are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If you suffer from one or two of the symptoms listed above, BioHRT can help to naturally restore your hormone balance.

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