PMS Anxiety
We live in an anxiety ridden world that stresses us in every way. PMS anxiety only further exacerbates the challenge this presents. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), major depression, anxiety, and similar disorders are seen in many women with this condition.
Understanding the cause provides clues to for how to manage the symptoms. You will find the solution options will be at the end of this section.
Some other reasons that could be the cause of your anxiety and stress could be work, family problems, mental health issues and lack of exercise. Regardless of the source of the anxiety, whether caused by PMS or made worse by PMS, it is still anxiety. Most importantly, it can be dealt with.
PMS Anxiety: Which Subtype Of PMS?
PMS anxiety is the most common symptom, usually considered part of the PMS subgroup, PMT-A. It consists of premenstrual anxiety, irritability and nervous tension. It may be noted in behavior patterns detrimental to self, family and society.
Some experience the anxiety worse than others.
It was once thought that this particular anxiety was only mental, all in the the head of those suffering with it. Now science has shown that not only is a real symptom, it is one of the classic symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. More specifically it is a symptom of the subgroups Premenstrual Tension A and Premenstrual Tension H.
Note: Although there has been a call for a consensus, there currently is not one. The last use of the subgroup classification in medical journals that we can find was as late as 2001.
It is also a symptom of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS. Diagnosis of PMDD requires the significant presence of five of the PMS symptoms. This is the most severe form of PMS and will be more severe, more debilitating and unbearable than PMS alone. Symptoms are experienced the week before menstrual bleeding and usually improve shortly after the period starts. There are several factors that fuel the anxiety. This information will help you with finding your personal solution.
When it comes to PMS anxiety, if the anxiety is unbearable, it could be PMDD. It basically takes all of the symptoms of classic PMS and multiplies them by 10, making your anxiety and other symptoms seem ten times worse.
PMDD can affect one in ten premenopausal women in the US. Some literature suggests that PMDD symptoms are similar to manic depression. The description typically offered is the feeling of being overwhelmingly happy one minute and sad the next. There is also a tendency to be overly sensitive in regard to things that would otherwise not be a problem.
Women who are overly sensitive "that time of the month" will admit that even they feel like they are almost unbearable to be around and most of all, impossible to live with. This is where true love and understanding makes it possible to overlook this side effect of PMS.
Stress and anxiety seem to be just a couple of the many problems that women have to deal with once a month. However, there are ways to get control of your anxiety and by gaining control of your stress you can have control over your life again.
Anxiety as a symptom is most often found in the subtype of PMT-A.
PMS Anxiety: What Helps? Here's the Research
One of the most basic ways to help anxiety is vitamin B6. Some sites recommend extremely high doses. They do not however tell of the dangerous side effects of B6 toxicity. Taking the maximum allowable dose has mg/day reduces blood estrogen, increases progesterone and results in improved symptoms under double-blind conditions. Women in this subgroup consume an excessive amount of dairy products and refined sugar, and progesterone may be of value in them.
PMS Treatment / PMS Vitamins
An article in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 1983 suggesting taking very high dose vitamins. This was a medical journal report and was conducted by doctors. When you read suggestions on the web, they often do not list the side effects, which in this cans can cause sever reactions.
Nobody should ever take high doses of any vitamin or supplement with out the supervision of a doctor or licensed health care practitioner who is experienced with the use of this kind of treatment.
The study found that by reducing blood estrogen and increasing progesterone it was possible to improve symptoms.
Nutritional Factors http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6684167
200 mg magnesium and 50 mg vitamin B6 provides relief of anxiety related premenstrual symptoms.
Taken together, magnesium and vitamin B6 have a synergistic effect and may help with mild anxiety-related premenstrual symptoms.
In a double blind randomized crossover study, dietary supplementation using 50 mg of vitamin B6 and 200 mg of magnesium provided relief for PMS related anxiety in the test subjects.
This was a small study so the results may vary. The study involved 44 women, average age 32 years that were picked randomly to either get the treatment or a placebo. Each woman kept a daily diary of 30 symptoms.
The symptoms were divided into six categories: anxiety, craving, depression, hydration, other, and over all.
Because the results were on a small group and the effect was modest, the study recommended additional studies before general recommendations for the treatment of PMS anxiety. Journal of Women's Health NS Gender Based Medicine. 2000 Mar;9(2):131-9.
In checking out other sites, a number said that the results were significant. We could not find any such study that ascribed significant results.
So consider the next study from 2008.
Herbs, vitamins and minerals in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review.
This was a review of the literature up till 2008. The Results: Of the 62 herbs, vitamins and minerals that are claimed to benefit those dealing with PMS, there is only evidence that 10 actually did.
The study concluded the following worked to some degree.
There was no evidence that evening primrose oil or magnesium oxide worked. This is not saying they do not work. Just that there is no credible evidence based research to say this. Please come back for updates and additional information on PMS Anxiety.
- calcium
- chasteberry and vitamin B6 (may be effective)
- ginko (some benefit)
- Magnesium pyrrolidone
- saffron
- St. John’s Wort
- soy and vitamin E
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