PMS

Order a non-invasive Female Hormone Profile today to investigate the underlying cause for your PMS. Email to order your test

Why choose the Goodbye PMS Clinic?

Goodbye PMS specialises in the treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) sometimes known as Premenstrual Tension (PMT). PMS Symptoms are wide ranging and can include sore or tender breasts, mood swings, tearfulness and irritability. These symptoms can make patients feel like they are only coping part of every monthly cycle and can significantly impact on their quality of life, both work and socially related.

Oestrogens have many neuroprotective effects. The most active natural oestrogen in the brain, 17-β-oestradiol, promotes neuronal sprouting and myelination, enhances synaptic density and plasticity, facilitates neuronal connectivity, acts as an anti-inflammatory and as an antioxidant, inhibits neuronal cell death, and improves cerebral blood fl ow and glucose metabolism.

Riecher-Rössler (2017)

We use a selection of non-invasive tests to identify the causes of your PMS before developing a comprehensive natural approach using dietary changes to combat these symptoms.
The Goodbye PMS Clinic method is simple but effective and all consultations are confidential and handled in a sensitive manner.
If you are looking for a sympathetic and understanding style from a qualified female clinician who can put you at your ease whilst developing a sensible, natural plan that will not impinge on your lifestyle then Goodbye PMS is the clinic for you!

Latest research indicate that the earlier a woman starts to smoke, the more severe the symptoms of PMS.

Zaka & Mahmood (2012)

Treatment and Symptoms of PMS

Symptoms of PMS

It is not uncommon for many family members who live with a woman between the ages of about 13 to 55 to complain about a complete behavioural change at a certain time of the month. Many jokes about Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) have been told which, to the sufferer, just isn’t that funny.

Women of reproductive age are at increased risk of anaemia because of chronic iron depletion during the menstrual cycle. It is estimated that worldwide there are 469 million anaemic women of reproductive age.

WHO 2011

PMS is associated with a variety of symptoms that usually occur 10 days before the start of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms may vary and will not necessarily all appear at once or even every time. It is postulated that around 95% of women of reproductive age suffer with PMS to some degree (Bussell, 1998). About 5 – 10% of women describe their symptoms as debilitating (Pizzorno et al., 2002). PMS does not favour women from specific cultures or socio-economic backgrounds and just seems to affect most women, most of their lives.

Recently a lady informed me that PMS had ruined her relationship completely. She was now separated from her partner as a result. Her story is not unique as I have been in conversations with a lot of ladies who end up in tears due to their symptoms of PMS impacting on both their work and social life. The isolation one feels because of PMS can further diminish your enjoyment of life. Having to decline an offer to socialise with your friends because you are in pain, bloated, or completely fatigued due to PMS is what we at the Goodbye PMS Clinic want to help you to change.

Common symptoms of PMS include:

Physical Discomforts

  • Fluid retention / Bloating
  • Weight gain
  • Sore or tender breasts
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Insomnia or excessive sleep
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Muscle/joint/back pain

Negative Affect

  • Tension or anxiety
  • Increased appetite or food cravings
  • Irritability
  • Depression or sadness
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Restlessness
  • Tearfulness
  • Anger
  • Feeling overwhelmed

Impaired Cognitive Function or Performance

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Distractibility
  • Forgetfulness
  • Confusion
  • Mood swings
  • Tempers outbursts
  • Accident prone
  • Poor motor coordination
  • Impulsiveness

Diagnosis of PMS

PMS sufferers can be affected by one or more of the above symptoms.
Before a definitive diagnosis is made certain underlying conditions such as endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hypothyroidism and major depression should be ruled out. At the Goodbye PMS Clinic we can run simple tests to discount the majority of these disorders and if endometriosis or major depression is suspected, then our clinician will direct you to the most suitable healthcare professional for further advice and investigation.

Many thanks for your support and advice I got so much out of the one hour than any other consultant or professional I have been to. – Kirstyn

How does the Goodbye PMS Clinic Identify the Causes of Your PMS?

The Goodbye PMS Clinic approach is simple. First identify the possible causes of the sufferer’s PMS symptoms and then, once these have been established, identify a plan to alleviate these problems. Possible causes typically fall into two distinct groups – nutrient deficiencies or hormonal imbalances.

Nutrient deficiencies

Vitamins and minerals play a vital role within the functioning of the human body. Deficiencies in certain of these natural chemicals have frequently been found to be prevalent in patients exhibiting the type of symptoms typified by PMT.
Scientific studies have shown the replenishment of specific vitamins and minerals in PMT sufferers has resulted in an improvement in the symptoms experienced.
Patients to the clinic will be led through a comprehensive consultation that will help the clinician to decide the most relevant tests to perform should a nutrient deficiency be suspected. All tests are non-invasive and usually involve saliva and/or urine testing.

Female Hormone ImbalaNces

Oestrogen and progesterone levels determine the different phases in the menstrual cycle. When the different levels deviate significantly from the expected norm, PMS symptoms appear to worsen. In order to assess specific hormonal imbalances any of the following non-invasive tests may be recommended after the initial consultation:

Comprehensive Female Hormone Profile (Saliva)
This is the gold standard of tests to ascertain the levels of the major female hormones in your body. Testing occurs throughout one menstrual cycle which determines the fluctuation of circulating hormones. An isolated measurement may not be sufficient to determine different levels of hormone output. Some PMS sufferers may have erratic menstrual cycles which makes pinpointing a specific day of hormone secretion rather difficult, hence the need for multiple sample collections.

This test measures oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol and melatonin.

Adrenal Stress Index (Saliva)
The link between sub-optimal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and PMS has been well documented (Lombardi et al., 2004). The role which cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) play in the stress response can exert an effect on female hormone secretion. Simply put, when you are stressed, your female hormones may not be as well balanced compared to when you are calm and collected. Thus, prolonged stress play an important role in alleviating symptoms of PMS.

This test measures cortisol and DHEA levels linked with adrenal fatigue over a given day, thus giving a good indicator of how these hormones fluctuate during the time that you are awake.

Thyroid Hormones T3/T4 (Urine)

This test will assess Thyroid function to eliminate under-active Thyroid function (hypothyroidism) as a possible contributory factor

Testing for Deficiencies or Imbalances with the Goodbye PMS Clinic

Many patients prefer to first visit the Goodbye PMS Clinic for a consultation so that the most appropriate tests can be recommended after careful consideration of their symptoms and lifestyle. However, other patients prefer to undergo tests in advance of a consultation. In this case the most suitable tests will be identified via a phone discussion with the kits being rapidly despatched for the sufferer to perform in the comfort of their own homes prior to a consultation.

Thank you for giving me some hope, I left your office with a spring in my step and a strong resolve to sort this out – Rachel

Next Steps in Finding Relief from PMS at the Goodbye PMS Clinic

The Goodbye PMS approach is based around an understanding of how the food we eat can have a major impact on our health and wellbeing. Once a probable cause of the PMT symptoms has been established our clinician will work with the patient to develop a plan of how to introduce the necessary changes to their diet that will most benefit them.

We specialise in friendly and non patronising advice from a qualified female nutrition consultant.

At Goodbye PMS we understand that the modern woman is extremely busy juggling all manner of different roles. We are sure that the last solution anyone wants for their PMS symptoms is one that involves time consuming changes to their diet. Experience has shown that many dietary solutions typically fail because they are too difficult to fit into a patient’s everyday life. That’s why during your consultation, we will talk about your lifestyle and recommend a dietary plan that will really work for you. Research (Stewart et al., 1996) has shown that diet certainly plays a role in PMS symptoms and this should thus be the first step in addressing PMS.

Say Goodbye to PMS

For any queries, to order a test kit or to make an appointment please contact The Goodbye-PMS Clinic by email.

If you would like to speak to Wilma Kirsten direct, call +44 (0)787 608 4829

Alternatively email your telephone number and Wilma Kirsten will contact you at a convenient time to discuss how to proceed without any cost to you.

For more information on Wilma Kirsten including her experience and qualifications please click here

PLEASE NOTE

  1. TESTING IS NOT COVERED BY THE CONSULTATION FEE
  2. TESTING RESULTS WILL ONLY BE DISCUSSED OR COMMENTED ON DURING A CONSULTATION

References:

Bussell G. (1998) Pre-menstrual Syndrome and Diet. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine.; 8:65-75.

Lombardi S et al. (2004) Adrenal response to adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation in patients with premenstrual syndrome. Gynecol Endocrinol. Vol. 18, pp. 79-87

Pizzorno et al. (2002) The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine. Churchill Livingstone. London.

Riecher-Rössler, A. (2017) ‘Oestrogens, prolactin, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and schizophrenic psychoses’, Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 63-72.

Stewart AC et al. (1996) Effect of nutritional programme on premenstrual syndrome and work efficiency. Complement Ther Med; 1: 68-72

WHO (2011) Intermittent iron and folic acid supplementation in menstruating women. Guideline.

Zaka M, Mahmood KT (2012) Pre-menstrual syndrome – a review. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Vol. 4, No 1, pp. 1684-1691