Abstract

The premenstrual syndrome includes a variety of symptoms, which regularly recur at the same phase of each menstrual cycle, commonly during the premenstruum and early during menstruation.^{1 2} The onset of full menstrual flow usually brings complete and dramatic relief. Irritability, tension, depression, lethargy, careless behaviour, and feeling bloated are common. Other symptoms occur less often, for example headache, migraine, backache and other muscle and joint pains, asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, and epilepsy.¹ The symptoms may continue cyclically after the menopause. Dysmenorrhoea is not associated with the premenstrual syndrome: it appears to be a quite separate condition.