PMS or Progesterone Deficency Syndrome

It was two days before her cycle started and already the bloating, headaches, cramps and short-temper had set in.  Knowing it was PMS, she still wanted to somehow blame it all on her husband, food she ate, overwork and life in general.   Every little nuance of her husband’s presence, let alone all the things the children did, made her want to scream at the top of her lungs.  There weren't enough hours in the day to allow her to be alone, so she suffered through, trying desperately to keep from biting someone's head off while offering her usual "fine" as the standard answer not to hurt someone's feelings.  Just one glass of wine and the end of the day is all she could think of to keep her sane.  Finally, her cycle started, along with the usual bodily flush, release of tension and gradual mood swing that kept her thinking all would be ok until .....the next time!

I can relate to this both as a husband and from an academic physiology perspective.  A woman’s 28 day cycle can be simplistically divided into two 14-day parts that changes on day 14 when ovulation occurs.  The first 14 days is primarily estrogen dominant while the last 14 days is primarily progesterone dominant.  Progesterone starts to rise after ovulation.  If the egg is fertilized then progesterone will stay elevated to maintain the pregnancy.  If not, then progesterone peaks about day 21 and gradually drops.  When progesterone is low enough the period begins.

Some women experience Premenstrual Syndrome that can occur earlier than just 2 days before her cycle.  This is a progesterone deficiency syndrome.  While some are treated with antidepressants the more natural approach is to use compounded sustained release progesterone capsules twice daily about days 14 to 26.  I believe sustained-release hormone therapy is better as your body does not dump your entire day’s hormones at one time.  If you want to be more accurate, saliva testing is available with sampling about every 2 to 3 days for 28 days.  This shows the monthly relationship between estrogen and progesterone from which a custom therapy can be created.

There are other approaches that may include the homeopathic Sepia, or PMS HP.  Also consider Breast Massage as was posted June 8, 2012.