Most people assume they have PMS if they have specific symptoms or cyclical symptoms. But could it be something else?
Conditions That Mimic PMS
There are a number of conditions that look a lot like PMS but actually aren’t. Treating PMS when a patient has a completely different condition won’t help at all so determining what is really going on is important.
Common PMS mimicking conditions are…
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Perimenopause (more of a normal phase of life than a condition)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Thyroid disease
Conditions That Can Get Worse in Luteal Phase
Some conditions have a cyclical nature and symptoms get worse during the luteal phase (between ovulation and menstruation) as these conditions are exacerbated by fluctuating hormones.
Common conditions exacerbated during the luteal phase include…
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Migraines
- Epilepsy
- Allergies and Asthma
All these conditions, the mimics and the exacerbators, can also co-exist with PMS adding another layer of potential complexity.
How Can You Tell What Is PMS, A Mimic, An Exacerbator or A Combination?
Human health is complicated but symptom trackers can really help untangle this particular set of conditions. The tracker I suggest to my patients has been validated in studies and is on paper to keep health information private. Tracking should be done for about 3 months to get a clear picture but this should not delay treatment. You can track and treat at the same time.
A few of these conditions, like hypothyroidism, are also easily ruled out with basic blood tests. Often, there are other conditions considered for a patient based on their unique presentation that may also need to be ruled out (like PCOS, Endometriosis, fibroids, etc.).
