Characteristic and recurring symptoms in the two weeks preceding menstrual flow is pathognomonic and clenches the connection. Many women wrongly label their symptoms as PMS when the actual diagnosis is something else. In reality, most women who visit doctors complaining of PMS do not meet the established criteria for the diagnosis. In addition, doctors probably overdiagnose the syndrome. If the troublesome symptoms occur in varying degrees throughout the month, other diagnoses, including thyroid disorders and persistent depression, must be considered.
Any medical problem can worsen during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle.
Gynecologists call this menstrual magnification. There are many disorders associated with menstrual magnification. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, these include depression, migraine headaches, seizure disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, chronic-fatigue syndrome and allergies. This diagnosis requires the cyclical recurrence of depression, anxiety, vacillating emotions and irritability. Sudden outbursts of anger leading to high-tension situations are common.