Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: PMS on Steroids
Millions of women experience recurrent emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms related to their menstrual cycles, chief of which is premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Premenstrual syndrome means – irritability, bloating, and food cravings. However, a small percentage experience PMS so severely they can hardly perform daily activities. An actual medical condition, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by severe and debilitating emotional symptoms.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV), PMDD is classified as a “depressive disorder not otherwise specified” and emphasizes emotional and cognitive-behavioral symptoms. At least five of the eleven specified symptoms in the DSM-IV must be present for a diagnosis to be PMDD. Furthermore, it must be confirmed prospectively for at least two consecutive menstrual cycles. A symptom-free period during follicular phase of the menstrual cycle is essential in differentiating PMDD from PMS.
According to endocrinology experts, up to 8 percent of women worldwide suffer from PMDD. However, many women with PMDD symptoms go undiagnosed because either they or their physicians are not familiar with the disorder. For many years, PMDD was often dismissed by doctors as “really bad cases of PMS or just something imaginary.” It wasn’t until 1998 when the American Psychiatric Association found that PMDD is a different medical condition from PMS altogether.
The exact cause of PMDD any Sugar land OBGYN deals with is not known. However, researchers believe that like other mood disorders, PMDD involves an underlying vulnerability in brain chemistry. Because of such, monthly fluctuations in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) have a negative effect on the way nerve cells in the brain function, leading to PMS or PMDD. A family history of PMDD may also increase your chances of getting the condition though no specific genes have yet been identified to determine if PMDD is hereditary.
Treatment of PMDD by a Sugarland OBGYN involves preventing or minimizing its symptoms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – commonly found in antidepressants – reduce symptoms such as fatigue, food cravings, and sleep problems. Women can control PMDD symptoms by taking SSRIs all month or only during the interval between ovulation and the start of their period.
Your Sugarland OBGYN may likewise prescribe you with birth control pills for your PMDD treatment. Birth control pills stop ovulation and stabilize hormone fluctuations. Nutritional supplements also help. Consuming 1,000 milligrams of calcium may reduce the physical and emotional symptoms of PMDD. Vitamin B-6 and magnesium may also help.
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