PMS – Use Your Symptoms to Help Yourself
Premenstrual syndrome is a very challenging condition for patients to live with and for doctors to manage. PMS should be high on the public health priority list as so many women suffer from it a few days every month.  Not only is PMS hard to diagnose in a clinically meaningful way, but there are very few effective and sensible treatments available to patients in the conventional health care system. By sensible I mean those treatments that provide both acute symptom relief and also address and correct the cause of the syndrome over time. This is only possible in an integrated system of medicine where the primary focus is on restoring normal organ system function and balance.
There are over 200 symptoms documented for PMS and four main patterns in which this can be classified according to the perceived cause. In most individuals that are suffering from PMS there is a mixed pattern - more than one mechanism causing the symptom pattern.
Diagnose your PMS type:
The four following PMS patterns can be used to easily classify yourself into one or more biochemical/hormonal types depending on your symptoms. Many PMS sufferers can be classified into at least two types depending on the symptoms experienced.
Estrogen dominant:
If you experience symptoms of anxiety, insomnia,irritability,aggression and general nervous tension, sometimes without knowing why you are so upset, feel alone no more. Up to 80% of PMS sufferers experience these symptoms. This is generally caused by an increase in estrogen in relation to progesterone, or luteal phase estrogen dominance.Â
Water carrier:
This type is characterized by weight gain, abdominal bloating, swelling of the hands, feet, face, and painful breast swelling. This is the second most frequent symptom group, affecting up to 66% of PMS sufferers. These symptoms often occur at the same time as the estrogen  dominant symptoms, and correlate with decreased dopamine and an imbalance in the hormonal system that regulates water and mineral balance (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis).
Carb Queen:
If you are a carb queen at the end of the month and crave   sweets, experience low blood sugar with headaches, fatigue, dizziness, faintness, palpitations and shakiness, you need some serious blood sugar support. You might also notice increased weight, acne and abnormal hair growth. Blood sugar instability and insulin resistance lead to polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. You might have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The Downs:
Depression (a general down feeling, sometimes with suicidal thoughts) in the premenstrual period is caused by an excess of progesterone in comparison with estrogen. Neurotransmitter imbalances add to the depression, but this is  something that can be corrected. I also highly recommend that you ask one of our doctors to test your body lead levels as premenstrual depression has been associated with high hair lead levels.
Help yourself according to your type: (Product suggestions included, but discuss with your FFC physician to make sure it is appropriate to use)
Action list or Estrogen Dominant: Do liver and bile flow support, stay regular with ground flax seed, avoid plastics, supplement safely with activated Vit B6, support progesterone with Vitex & move toward healthier hormones.
Action list for Water Carrier : Worry about swelling and breast pain no more…… well, despite some immediate relief, it will take a few cycles to have full effect. Add evening primrose oil and Vit E, take enough Vit B6 and get friendly with magnesium.
Action list for the Carb Queen : Your sugar cravings indicate nutritional deficiency along with hormonal imbalance. You most likely are in need of omega three fatty  acids, B-vitamins and minerals. This explains the sugar cravings, adrenal sluggishness, and inflammation in your body. Supplement with fish oil and/or evening primrose or borage seed oil to correct your blood sugar instability. Feed your deficiencies not your craving. Eat plant proteins like nuts. Add omega 3 fats, magnesium, chromium, and B’s. Clean your liver, feed on flax, and nourish your brain with B’s and aminos.
Action list for The Downs: We need to increase your estrogen to progesterone level. Use daily liver support and flax seeds to balance hormone ratios as discussed under Estrogen dominance. Take Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), eat soy to increase estrogen naturally. Find a doctor that knows how to balance brain hormones with the use of amino acids. Keep you liver clean, fill up with flax, encourage estrogen with herbal Black cohosh, consume some tofu and consider brain balance for brighter days.
To make sure we are interpreting the symptoms right, confirm with laboratory testing through your doctors office. Reliable hormone level measurements will also enable your physician to accurately prescribe bio-identical hormones for fast and reliable symptom relief.
No medicine can take the place of an active fun filled lifestyle and a healthy high fiber diet packet with fresh fruit and vegetables. I highly recommend approaching vegetable foods with wild abandon and enjoy a healthful body.