PMS Characteristics and Symptoms

There are more than 150 recorded symptoms associated with PMS. The most common ailments associated with Premenstrual Syndrome are headache and fatigue, but there are many others which women suffer from each month. Symptoms may vary between months, and sometimes you may even go several months without. The Symptoms are considerable and include both physical and emotional. These symptoms include:

Anxious, depressed, crying spells, headache, migraine, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation, backache, painful joints, heart palpitations, weight gain, abdominal cramping, anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, tension, lack of co-ordination, decreased work or social performance and altered libido.

There are 4 common groupings of symptoms.

Anxiety - This inculdes crying without a valid reason, irritability, physical and verbal abusiveness, and sudden mood swings.

Depression - Including symptoms such as confusion, forgetfulness, clumsyness, paranoia, and rarely even suicidal thoughts and actions may be present.

Cravings - This can include food cravings such as those for sweets and chocolate, dairy products, and alcohol. General food cravings are very common with PMS.

Heaviness and Headaches - Fluid retention has a strong tendency to leat to headaches and migraines. Brest tenderness and abdominal bloating along with weight gain also fit into this category.