For as long as you have a menstrual cycle and ovulate, yourhormone-producing endocrine system has powerful, cyclic effects on your body.If you have symptoms that are or may be premenstrual syndrome (PMS), use thefollowing home treatment measures as initial and on-going treatment.
Keep a menstrual diary. By recording your symptoms, theirseverity, and the days when you have your period and ovulate, you can identifypatterns in your cycle and plan the best treatment with your healthprofessional. You can also use your menstrual diary to plan ahead for, preventor reduce, and better cope with your premenstrual symptoms. Whenever possible,plan to take extra good physical and emotional care of yourself during yourpremenstrual days. It's also useful to let people close to you know when yourmore trying days will be. See examples of symptom diaries or use this menstrualdiary.
Begin or maintain a moderate exercise schedule (at least 2½hours a week). Exercise helps reduce depression. Women often report thatexercise helps relieve tension, pain, and mood-related PMS symptoms.
Take daily calcium and vitamin B6 (50 mg to 100 mg). Calciumand vitamin B6 may help relieve PMS symptoms.
Follow a sensible and balanced diet that provides therecommended levels of vitamins and nutrients.
Use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reducePMS pain. NSAIDs relieve premenstrual and menstrual pain and reduce menstrualbleeding. They reduce inflammation, which is from increased prostaglandinproduction during the premenstrual period. NSAIDs work best when taken beforeand continued at regular dosage intervals throughout the premenstrual painperiod. For some women, this continues into the first days of menstrualbleeding, to relieve painful cramps. If you have regular cycles, start takingan NSAID 1 to 2 days before you expect pain to start.
Avoid or eliminate unhealthy habits, such as smoking orhaving too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, or salt.
Reduce stress in your life.
Create a support system. Join a support group of women whoare managing their PMS or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). With yourloved 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 yourbreasts are tender during your premenstrual days.
If you have cramps, you can usually relieve them withover-the-counter medicine and home treatment. These self-care measures can helpyou figure out which changes are most useful in relieving your PMS symptoms.
Itmay be best to:
Try one or two techniques at a time, instead of all of themat once. This will allow you to identify the most helpful techniques.
Try the technique for two to three menstrual cycles. Sometechniques may require more than one cycle to be helpful.
Stop using a technique if you have tried it for 2 or 3months and it doesn't seem to be helping. (But if it is improving other partsof your life, you might want to keep doing it even if it isn't reducing yourPMS symptoms.)
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