Hello Cassandra77,
Symptoms of PMS vary greatly from woman to woman, and may be
affected by birth control pills, other medications, and general
health. Overall, hot flashes are not considered a symptom of PMS. Hot
flashes (I like to call them Power Surges) are, however, symptoms of
perimenopause, which can precede menopause by 10-15 years! (By the
way, taking large quantities of Vitamin B can cause a hot-flash-like
feeling, and is called a niacin flush.)
PMS Symptoms:
=============
?Symptoms vary from one woman to another. If you think you have PMS,
try keeping track of your symptoms for several menstrual cycles. You
can use a calendar to note which symptoms you are having on which days
of your cycle, and how bad the symptoms are. If you seek medical care
for your PMS, having this kind of record is helpful.?
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pms.htm#2
?Over 150 symptoms have been attributed to PMS. After complaints of
feeling "out-of-control", anxious, depressed and having uncontrollable
crying spells, the most common complaints are headache and fatigue.
But symptoms may vary from month to month and there may even be
symptom-free months. No women present with all the PMS symptoms.
Characteristically symptoms may be both physical and emotional. They
may include physical symptoms as headache, migraine, fluid retention,
fatigue, constipation, painful joints, backache, abdominal cramping,
heart palpitations and weight gain. Emotional and behavioral changes
may include anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks,
tension,lack of co-ordination, decreased work or social performance
and altered libido.?
http://www.usdoctor.com/pms.htm
?PMS symptoms vary greatly from woman to woman and cycle to cycle, and
can range from mild to severe. Some women note that their symptoms are
worse during times of increased emotional or physical stress. Of the
more than 150 symptoms that have been linked to PMS, the most common
are listed below.
Physical symptoms include:
· Breast swelling and tenderness.
· Bloating, water retention, weight gain.
· Changes in bowel habits.
· Acne.
· Nipple discharge when nipples or breasts are pressed. (Any leakage
that spontaneously happens when you aren't pressing on the nipple
should be checked by a health professional.)
· Food cravings, especially for sweet or salty foods.
· Sleep pattern changes.
· Fatigue, lack of energy.
· Decreased sexual desire.
· Pain. Common complaints include headaches or migraines, breast
tenderness, aching muscles and joints, or cramps and low back pain
prior to menstrual bleeding.
http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw139439/hw139470
?Premenstrual syndrome does not occur in women before menarche (start
of menses), after menopause or without ovulation. It takes ovulatory
menstrual cycles to have PMS. Evidence supports the theory that
premenstrual symptoms are caused primarily by changes in brain
chemicals that transmit between nerves and cells (neurotransmitters)
brought about by cyclical fluctuations in ovarian hormones.
An ovulatory cycle has slightly higher estrogen and massively higher
progesterone levels in the two weeks before a menses than in the two
weeks after a menses. There is some debate as to whether progesterone
causes or relieves PMS symptoms (5, 6, 7, 8, 9), but the consensus
seems to be that progesterone and synthetic progestins can cause PMS
types of mood symptoms (10). Since progesterone and progestins can
also relieve symptoms it seems best not to prejudge its role in the
cause of PMS. It is interesting that anti progesterone drugs (RU-486)
do not make the symptoms go away (11).
Studies have looked at whether the hormones in the luteal phase are at
different levels in women with and without PMS. Essentially they found
no differences in estrogen and progesterone levels. Cortisol, which is
a stress hormone is lower in women with severe PMS symptoms but this
is more likely an effect than a cause, i.e., the stress hormone has
been depleted by the stress (12, 13). Thyroid hormone has been looked
at and except for the about 5% incidence of hypothyroidism found in
women presenting for PMS, abnormal thyroid function has not been found
to be associated with premenstrual syndrome (14).?
http://www.wdxcyber.com/dxpmo004.htm
Perimenopausal Symptoms
=======================
Since hot flashes are not considered a typical symptom of PMS, you may
be perimenopausal.
?Perimenopause is the 10- to 15-year period before menopause, usually
defined by a lack of periods for 12 months.
The root cause of perimenopause is hormonal imbalances. These
imbalances can start when you are in your mid- to late-30s, but most
women do not experience severe enough hormonal fluctuations until
their forties to produce symptoms, which are often reported as:
· Hot flashes/night sweats
· Loss of sexual desire
· Vaginal dryness/itching
· Sleep disturbances
· Eating and weight issues
· Mood swings/anxiety
· Skin changes
Most women think that during perimenopause, their estrogen level goes
into a free-fall. Actually, in early perimenopause progesterone
declines, writes Christiane Northrup, M.D., in The Wisdom of
Menopause. The result is too much estrogen in the body relative to
progesterone and the onset of symptoms associated with "estrogen
dominance," such as decreased sex drive, irregular periods, bloating
breast swelling and mood swings, notes Northrup.?
http://health.discovery.com/centers/womens/perimenopause/perisymptoms.html
?Symptoms of perimenopause are caused by fluctuating or dropping
hormones and usually end 1 or 2 years after menopause. Some women
continue to have symptoms for 5 or more years afterward. (Menopause
caused by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy can cause more
severe symptoms than usual.5) Perimenopausal symptoms include:
· Emotional changes, such as mood swings, irritability, or a change in
sexual interest or response.
· Hot flashes.
· Sleep disturbances (insomnia).
· Problems with concentration and memory, linked to sleep loss and
fluctuating hormones (not a permanent sign of aging).6
· Headaches.
· Rapid, irregular heartbeat (heart palpitations).
· Generalized itching.
http://my.webmd.com/hw/menopause/hw228796.asp
?PMS or Perimenopause?
"It's not unlike a bad case of premenstrual syndrome," said Gloria
Bachman, professor and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Some
of the most uncomfortable symptoms of a woman's midlife transition are
present in its earliest stages, as noted by Gail Sheehy, author of the
pioneering bestseller The Silent Passage. The suffering caused by the
very real
Perimenopause Symptoms
· Acne
· Allergies
· Anger
· Ankles or feet swollen
· Anxiety
· Backache
· Bloating
· Blood sugar imbalance
· Blood sugar level reduced
· Bone loss
· Breast sagging
· Breast tenderness
· Depression
· Facial hair
· Fatigue
· Feelings of being crazy
· Fibrocystic breast
· Fuzzy thinking
· Hair loss or thinning
· Headaches
· Heart palpitations
· Hot flashes
· Hypothyroidism
· Hysteria
http://www.mamashealth.com/book/peri.asp
I hope this answer has been informative to you. Please see your doctor
for confirmation of perimenopause symptoms.
If any part of my answer is unclear, please do not rate it until you
have requested an Answer Clarification, and given me time to respond.
Regards, Crabcakes
Search Terms
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PMS symptoms
Hot flashes + PMS
Premenstrual syndrome + hot flashes
Perimenopause + symptoms |
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