PMDD Resources

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

PMDD is a severe, often disabling extension of premenstrual symptoms. Although PMS and PMDD both have physical and emotional symptoms, PMDD causes extreme mood shifts that can disrupt your work and damage your relationships.

Like PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder follows a predictable, cyclic pattern. Symptoms begin in the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (the week leading up to when your period starts) and end shortly after menstruation begins.

 What are the symptoms?

Symptoms usually begin seven to 10 days before your period starts and continue for the first few days during the time that you have your period. Both PMDD and PMS may cause the same symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue, and changes in sleep and eating habits. In PMDD, however, the symptoms are more severe. Symptoms can include any of the following:

  • Mood swings.

  • Depressed mood or feelings of hopelessness.

  • Marked anger, increased interpersonal conflicts.

  • Tension and anxiety.

  • Irritability.

  • Decreased interest in usual activities.

  • Difficulty concentrating.

  • Fatigue or increased tiredness.

  • Change in appetite, food cravings, or binge eating.

  • Feeling out of control or overwhelmed.

  • Sleep problems.

  • Physical problems, such as bloating, breast tenderness, swelling, headaches, joint or muscle pain.

  • Increased craving for carbohydrates and sugars.

What causes PMDD?

The exact cause of PMDD is unknown. The prevailing theory is that PMDD is caused by increased sensitivity to normal fluctuations in hormone levels during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. PMDD occurs in 3%-8% of women of childbearing age; it affects women worldwide and is not influenced by geography or culture.2 Genetic susceptibility, stress, obesity, and a history of trauma or sexual abuse have been implicated as risk factors.