PMS and What Can You Do About It

29 april 2020

Updated: 29-10-2025

Is your partner too much in your space, does your stomach feel like a bottomless pit, do you have a nagging headache, and are you getting in your own way? Sound familiar? It could very well be that you are suffering from premenstrual syndrome, also known as PMS.

What is PMS?

Almost all women notice just before their period that they experience sensitive breasts, a nagging feeling in the abdomen, headaches, or mood swings. This is normal (unfortunately!). If the symptoms are so severe that they interfere with your daily life, you may have PMS (premenstrual syndrome). The symptoms then begin in the weeks before your period and disappear when you start menstruating, remaining absent for at least a week thereafter.

What Symptoms are Associated with PMS?

In the final phase of your cycle, around your 3rd and 4th week, hormonal symptoms can arise, peaking on days 19, 20, and 21, when progesterone and oestrogen are not in optimal balance within the body. PMS symptoms can be both physical and psychological and vary from person to person.

Psychological Symptoms:

feeling down/depression/crying spells
irritability
sleep problems
anxiety
mood swings/instability
binge eating

Physical Symptoms:

painful/tender breasts
water retention
skin issues
back pain/headaches
stomach/digestive issues/bloated abdomen
lack of energy

What Causes PMS?

Why does one woman experience severe symptoms while another does not? This is not yet well understood. PMS symptoms arise after ovulation, which occurs approximately two weeks before menstruation. During the second half of the cycle, after ovulation has occurred, progesterone production increases while oestrogen levels gradually decrease. Large hormonal fluctuations can disrupt metabolic and biochemical processes, leading to PMS symptoms.

It is often observed that PMS symptoms typically arise after the age of thirty and after having children. PMS is less common in younger women. After menopause, the symptoms disappear.

What Helps with PMS?

It is, of course, quite unpleasant to experience the above symptoms every month. Fortunately, you can do a lot with lifestyle and diet. These factors all influence your hormonal balance. It is particularly important to remember that stress and sugar can significantly disrupt your hormones and can cause or worsen PMS symptoms. Therefore, ensure you avoid chronic stress and take time for rest amidst your busy schedule in the form of adequate sleep, meditation, reading, or walking.

Diet

Sugar affects your blood sugar levels, and unstable blood sugar levels are linked to hormonal issues. A good way to maintain stable blood sugar levels:

eat as many slowly digestible carbohydrates from vegetables as possible
focus on consuming sufficient proteins and healthy fats; these nutrients have less impact on your blood sugar levels
consume bread and pasta in moderation
avoid products like biscuits, sweets, chocolate – do not drink soft drinks and fruit juice

Herbs

Are you looking for additional support? You might consider herbs such as Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus Castus), which promote a normal and regular menstrual cycle*. Chaste Tree helps with discomforts before and during menstruation, such as irritability before menstruation and mood swings*. *Health claims pending approval by the European Commission.

Author: Nicole Langedijk