Managing premenstrual syndrome

Many women will experience minor physical and emotional changes premenstrually. However, in a few women (approximately 5%), these symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal activities, and can even lead to a breakdown in interpersonal relationships. Fortunately, various treatments are available. These include lifestyle changes, herbal and other complementary therapies, ovulation suppression, use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioural therapy.