Hey blue eyed, how are you doing?
Avoidance of salt, caffeine, alcohol, and/or simple carbohydrates may improve symptoms. Although their levels of estrogen and progesterone are similar to women without premenstrual syndrome, rapid shifts in levels of these hormones promote pronounced emotional and physical responses.
Regular exercise often decreases the symptoms of pms. Most pms symptoms worsen with the patient's age until menopause; thus, little good news can be given to severely affected adolescents.
No single treatment is universally effective, and studies with all therapies have produced conflicting results. Many health care providers continue to use oral contraceptives in their patients with pms, with little benefit.
For excellent patient education resources, visit emedicine's women's health center. Also, see emedicine's patient education article premenstrual syndrome (pms).
best wishes,