PMS symptoms are very unpredictable. Different women have different combinations of PMS symptoms. But your PMS symptoms will probably remain the same for you from month to month sometimes they'll be more intense, sometimes less. For example, your friend may have backaches and you might feel some bloating. Chances are your friend will probably always have backaches before her period, and you will continue to have bloating before yours, although sometimes PMS symptoms will be worse than other times. PMS symptoms usually start seven to ten days before your period, and may get a little worse right before menstruation begins. When your period starts, the symptoms usually go away.
PMS symptoms include the following:
Emotional Symptoms
Anxiety—you worry so much about sleeping late and missing an exam that you lose sleep the night before Irritability—you snap at your friends for stupid things that usually wouldn’t bother you Fatigue—you’re tired—even in the middle of the day Depression—you feel sad a lot of the time Mood swings—you feel really happy, then really sad, and sometimes really angry, frequently within the same day or even the same hour Forgetfulness—you can’t remember simple things—like phone numbers Anger—you get mad a lot, and you can’t control it Difficulty concentrating—you can’t focus on homework or pay attention in conversations Tension—you’re nervous or you feel stressed Restlessness—you can’t keep still and feel "antsy" Over-sensitivity—your friends decide to go ice-skating and you "just know" that they really don’t want to you go, so you stay home by yourself Changes in sexual interest—you think about kissing and fooling around a lot more or a lot less than usual Low self-image and social withdrawal—you stay home instead of going out with friends because you have a new zit, or you just decided you don’t like any of your friends anymore Crying spells—you cry a lot without a reason, or for a tiny reason like hot chocolate that isn’t quite hot enough Decreased interest in usual activities—none of the things you like to do sound like fun anymore
Physical Symptoms
Abdominal bloating—your pants size increases from 8 to 10 right before your period Breast swelling and tenderness—they feel puffy and maybe a little sore Swollen ankles or fingers from fluid retention—your shoes, gloves or rings feel tight and your ankles and hands look unusually puffy Increased appetite—you want to eat a lot more than usual Headache—you have unusually long-lasting headaches Weight gain—you gain a few pounds right before your period Acne—you have more pimples than usual Food cravings—you crave certain foods right before your period—chocolate, meat or salty foods are common Constipation—you have difficulty having a bowel movement Palpitations—you feel your heart flutter or race Upset stomach—you feel like you might throw up Joint aches—your knees, elbows, ankles and wrists ache even though you haven’t had an injury Muscle spasms—you have a muscle that twitches by itself Increased thirst—your mouth feels really dry a lot of the time Clumsiness—you bump into things a lot Changes in sleep habits—you sleep a lot, or you can’t go to sleep at night, or you wake up a lot during the night
See a list of PMS symptoms and learn about yours at BeingGirl.com.
