PMS/PMDD SYMPTOMS
Premenstrual syndrome affects as many as 75% of women of reproductive age at some point in their life. However, studies have not defined an exact age-group or time course for this syndrome to occur. But one study suggests that the 25 to 34 age-group of women was the most commonly affected (10.4%) compared to the 18 to 24 age-group (8.7%) and the 35 to 44 age-group (4.5%), which were not affected as often.
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Some of the most common emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms attributed to both premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder are listed in Table 1. As shown, many symptoms experienced during the menstrual cycle are common to both PMS and PMDD. Hence, without further evaluation, premenstrual dysphoric disorder can easily be misdiagnosed as PMS. Women with mild or moderate symptoms of PMS often complain of the physical symptoms, which often include engorgement of the breasts, body aches, and bloating/weight gain. However, some women also experience the behavioral and emotional symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Some patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder suffer from physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms similar to those of premenstrual syndrome. Yet, unlike premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms are rarely relieved by simple analgesics and often need medical intervention. Also, symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder are emotionally debilitating. Hence, extensive studies have been conducted to better understand PMDD and to differentiate the diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder from premenstrual syndrome.