How to Avoid Getting PMS

Premenstrual syndrome, better known as PMS, is a group of symptoms that occur before the beginning of your menstrual period. These symptoms may include cramps, bloating, headaches, fatigue, and feeling anxious or depressed.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B-6
• Whole-grain Bread
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Multivitamins
• Magnesium Supplement
• Fresh Fruit
• Calcium Supplement
• Vitamin E
• Dark Leafy Green Vegetables

1. Reduce or eliminate caffeine intake.

2. Avoid alcohol and sugar during the time of month when you usually begin getting PMS symptoms.

3. Add leafy green vegetables, fresh fruit, cereals and whole grains to your diet.

4. Cut back on or eliminate dairy products from your diet.

5. Avoid salty foods, red meat and processed foods for at least one week before the expected onset of PMS symptoms.

6. Take a multivitamin with 100mg of vitamin B-6, 400mg of vitamin E, 1,000mg of vitamin C and about 1,500mg of evening primrose oil.

7. Take calcium and magnesium supplements to help prevent cramps.

8. Get checked for food allergies.

9. Exercise regularly.

10. Find constructive outlets for stress.

Tips & Warnings

• A number of herbs can help prevent many of the symptoms associated with PMS. Talk to a naturopath or a doctor who specializes in alternative medicine.
• Many women who have PMS have also been found to suffer from thyroid problems and immune system disorders. If PMS symptoms persist, consult a doctor.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

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[gonzalesla]

on 9/20/2009 Why does it cause you to be so mean? I don't like acting that way with my spouse, so what can I do about that?

[brandyprice]

on 2/20/2009 Thanks for the natural tips :-) I love the natural way.

[Indigoabby]

on 12/18/2008 These are great ideas. I find it's important for me to do something to relax right before the PMS symptoms get bad. I like to get a massage (when I can afford it!) Or sit in a hot tub or bath for a long time. I find relaxing just before PMS kicks in alleviates a lot of the symptoms.

on 4/3/2006 Try using a few drops of Agnus Castus (Chaste Berry) available from Health Food Stores. An inexpensive remedy that really works. Tastes disgusting, so I put a few drops in a sweet drink. It works like magic.

on 1/25/2006 Many women with PMS turn out to be low in progesterone during the symptoms. Low progesterone can cause cramping, irritability, anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, increased headaches in some women (particularly migraine sufferers), history of miscarriage in some, and a variety of other symptoms. Long term, low progesterone can lead to an increase in cell-proliferative disorders, like cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, and even cancer.

The synthetic progestins in birth-control (BC's) and Provera are not a good substitute for progesterone. They help with some of the symptoms, but often make the psychological symptoms worse. They also compete with your own progesterone for binding sites and discourage the body from making as much progesterone (which can also worsen symptoms). Some (not all) women's PMS gets better when they discontinue BC's; in any case you should discontinue BC's before trying progesterone. The progesterone won't work well with the BC's in your system (sorry!).

Progesterone supplementation can be done without prescription with products such as Pro-Gest by Emerita. You may apply the cream twice daily from day 14 of your cycle (or when symptoms begin) until the day your period is due. At that point, most women can use a 1/2 dose for 2 days, then stop until symptoms return (or day 14 of the next cycle). The effects of the progesterone can often be felt within 1 hour of application.

Side effects: if one gets too much progesterone, it can delay the beginning of the period; can cause drowsiness/lethargy in some; in a very few women, even a small amount of progesterone might cause a headache (as opposed to the majority of women, who get less headaches with progesterone). Bear in mind that the increase in progesterone you are creating with supplementation is nowhere near the high levels that one reaches during pregnancy. Progesterone supplementation is much less likely to cause harm than many other hormones might, which is why it is allowed to be sold without a prescription.

It would be even better, of course, to have a health practitioner follow and occasionally test your supplementation. But, most prescriber's are unfamiliar with this use of progesterone. Since it is not patentable, no large drug manufacturer is interested in it; so no magazine ads, no prime-time spots, no multi-million dollar studies, and no free, fancy, "continuing-education" dinners for the doctors.
Many alternative medicine prescriber's are familiar with it, but often they are not covered by insurance. Fortunately, most women can "dose-to-symptoms" and find a reasonable dosage that way.

Progesterone consumption increases greatly under stress; during stressful times the dose may need to be temporarily increased to cover the symptoms. Also, women with migraines frequently need much higher doses than average. If the standard dosage on the package seems inadequate, I strongly advise them to seek out an alternative medical practitioner with experience in hormones.

To find one: first find a compounding pharmacy in your area (call 1-800-927-4227); ask the pharmacist whom they would recommend. The pharmacist may also be able answer any other questions you have about progesterone therapy.

Do check this out. It is much better to find out you're low in progesterone now than after a miscarriage or a hysterectomy.