For as long as you have a menstrual cycle and ovulate, your
hormone-producing endocrine system has powerful, cyclic effects on your body.
If you have symptoms that are or may be premenstrual syndrome (PMS), use the
following home treatment measures as initial and on-going treatment.
Keep a menstrual diary. By recording your symptoms, their
severity, and the days when you have your period and ovulate, you can identify
patterns in your cycle and plan the best treatment with your health
professional. You can also use your menstrual diary to plan ahead for, prevent
or reduce, and better cope with your premenstrual symptoms. Whenever possible,
plan to take extra good physical and emotional care of yourself during your
premenstrual days. It's also useful to let people close to you know when your
more trying days will be. See examples of symptom diaries or use this menstrual
diary.
Begin or maintain a moderate exercise schedule (at least 2½
hours a week). Exercise helps reduce depression. Women often report that
exercise helps relieve tension, pain, and mood-related PMS symptoms.
Take daily calcium and vitamin B6 (50 mg to 100 mg). Calcium
and vitamin B6 may help relieve PMS symptoms.
Follow a sensible and balanced diet that provides the
recommended levels of vitamins and nutrients.
Use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce
PMS pain. NSAIDs relieve premenstrual and menstrual pain and reduce menstrual
bleeding. They reduce inflammation, which is from increased prostaglandin
production during the premenstrual period. NSAIDs work best when taken before
and continued at regular dosage intervals throughout the premenstrual pain
period. For some women, this continues into the first days of menstrual
bleeding, to relieve painful cramps. If you have regular cycles, start taking
an NSAID 1 to 2 days before you expect pain to start.
Avoid or eliminate unhealthy habits, such as smoking or
having too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, or salt.
Reduce stress in your life.
Create a support system. Join a support group of women who
are managing their PMS or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). With your
loved ones, plan ahead for ways to reduce the demands and stress placed on you,
as well as the amount of stress that your premenstrual symptoms place on them.
Wear a more supportive bra, such as a sports bra, if your
breasts are tender during your premenstrual days.
If you have cramps, you can usually relieve them with
over-the-counter medicine and home treatment. These self-care measures can help
you figure out which changes are most useful in relieving your PMS symptoms.
It
may be best to:
Try one or two techniques at a time, instead of all of them
at once. This will allow you to identify the most helpful techniques.
Try the technique for two to three menstrual cycles. Some
techniques may require more than one cycle to be helpful.
Stop using a technique if you have tried it for 2 or 3
months and it doesn't seem to be helping. (But if it is improving other parts
of your life, you might want to keep doing it even if it isn't reducing your
PMS symptoms.)
