Bio-identical Hormone HRT - Women Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)-help is available- Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a condition which affects up to 75% of all women.  PMS is characterized by unpleasant monthly symptoms that are related to hormonal changes in the body.  As many as 25% of all women experience PMS to such a degree that their lifestyles are disrupted.  PMS may even occur in women who have had hysterectomies.  It has been poorly understood by the medical community, making many women feel that this has to be a part of their lives.  Symptoms of PMS usually start any time from 2 to 14 days before menstruation.  Fortunately, help is available to patients suffering from PMS.  Many doctors try birth control pills for symptoms of PMS, but this frequently makes them worse.  The reason for this is that the synthetic progestogens used in birth control pills block the body's production of natural progesterone and keep progesterone from working in the body.   Symptoms of PMS *fatigue *depression *mood swings *food cravings *panic attacks *joint and back pain *muscle stiffness *forgetfulness *headaches *irritability   Treatment of PMS Nutrition- several studies have indicated that vitamins, especially vitamin B-6 and calcium with magnesium help alleviate the symptoms of PMS.  Good vitamins are available to help with PMS. Diet-diet seems to greatly affect how patients respond to PMS treatments.  Meals should never be skipped, - in fact between meal snacks consisting of raw fruit or nuts help to control the swings in blood sugar levels which are seen in PMS.  Several foods need to be eliminated from the diet- sugar, diet and regular soft drinks, caffeine, coffee, tea, and chocolate.  The diet should be supplemented with raw fruits and vegetables as snacks in addition to meals.  Whole grains are good foods for PMS.   Exercise- exercise is very, very critical in helping patients to get their symptoms of PMS under control.  Exercise needs to be regular (at least 3 times per week) and last for at least 20 minutes.   Water- drinking plenty of water is also helpful in treating PMS.  Up to 8 glasses of water need to be drank every day.   Progesterone- when other steps have not yielded results and symptoms are severe, many doctors believe that PMS is actually caused by low levels of natural progesterone in the body.  Synthetic progestogens can not be used!  Natural progesterone in the form of either a capsule or a cream will alleviate the symptoms of PMS in these cases.  For more information on we recommend the book once a month, by Dr. Katarina Dalton, or e-mail us for a PMS packet.

Back to Therapy   Previos   Next