Symptoms may include tension, irritability, moodiness, depression, fatigue, breast tenderness and bloating. Some also experience anxiety, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, nausea and vomiting, headaches and joint or muscle pain. Serotonin is one of the brain s neurotransmitters that affects mood, concentration and sleep. Up to 80 percent of women of reproductive age have some symptoms that can be related to their menstrual cycle, but 3 to 5 percent experience symptoms severe enough to significantly disrupt their lives. Treatments PMS symptoms occasionally can be diminished by changes in diet such as avoiding caffeine, alcohol and salty foods, and eating small meals, says LaValleur.
Some women find exercise and stress reduction techniques beneficial.
Chronically low serotonin levels are typically found in people with depression, sleep problems and chronic pain. Prescribed as an antidepressant, fluoxetine becomes effective in two to three weeks, says LaValleur. In PMDD, there is an acute drop of serotonin during the week or two before the onset of the menstrual period. Studies have shown that treating PMDD with fluoxetine can be effective in just one to two days. The drug seems to reduce physical symptoms as well.