Man, I Feel Like A Woman

PMS is a nightmare all too familiar to many women, but is there a way to ease the symptoms?

PMS or Pre-Menstrual Stress is a problem that affects around one in two women and tends to rear its ugly head in the two weeks before a period and should ease once bleeding starts.

PMS symptoms can be placed into four different categories as all women suffer differently. PMS One symptoms include anxiety, irritability and insomnia. PMS Two symptoms include sugar cravings, increased appetite, headaches and fatigue. PMS Three symptoms include depression, forgetfulness and confusion. Finally, PMS Four symptoms include water retention, weight gain, bloating and breast tenderness. Many women can have various symptoms from several of these groups, but this is just a general guide. The first and fourth are the most common symptoms.

Now for how to deal with these symptoms. Basically, an imbalance of oestrogen and progesterone are to blame for PMS and this causes low blood glucose levels in the body. By snacking on starchy foods it is possible to raise blood sugar levels and allow progesterone to bind to cells in order for it to work properly. It is also recommended to eat nuts, seeds and fish around the time of your period in order to gain enough fatty acids to encourage hormone balance. Cutting down on salt, alcohol and caffeine should also ease the symptoms of bloating and irritability.

Supplements are a good idea for sufferers of PMS, but they often need to be taken for several months before an improvement can be detected. The best ones are as follows:

• Vitamin B6 helps by reducing the effects of excess oestrogen and is good for controlling emotional side effects and fatigue.

• Magnesium is a mineral that stabilises blood sugar levels and reduce symptoms such as irritability, depression, anxiety, bloating, fatigue and headaches. It also acts as a muscle relaxant and can help to reduce the pain of cramps experienced during periods.

• Vitamin D and calcium are good for reducing headaches, negative emotions, fluid retention and pain.

• Evening Primrose oil is very good at reducing depression, sugar cravings and breast pain. It helps to balance out hormones, but needs to be taken at high doses in order to see any significant changes.

• Agnus Castus is very popular as it is known to have a progesterone-type action on the body which significantly reduces irritability, mood swings, headaches and breast tenderness and fullness.

• Horse tail and dandelion are especially good for reducing water retention by having a diuretic effect on the body.

• St John’s Wort has been proven to reduce symptoms including crying, low mood and nervous tension.

• Wild Yam cream is good as it contains progesterone.

It is important, however, to note that products described as ‘natural’ refer to the fact that the product is identical to that found in nature. It does not mean that it has come from that exact source and has, more likely than not, been generated in a lab. It is really a form of hormone replacement rather than a herbal remedy so be aware before you use any ‘herbal’ remedies.

These are just some examples of remedies that may work, but if symptoms persist it is important to seek medical advice.