Download Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that causes marked
social impairment in approximately 5 of 100 women. Women can present with multiple symptoms, such as fatigue,
headache, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, and bloating. These occur exclusively in the 10 to 14 days before
menses.
PREVALENCE
PMS is a common condition that affects as many as 75% of women. It is characterized by a myriad of physical and
behavioral symptoms that occur repetitively in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Women with PMS often
describe feelings of anger, fatigue, abdominal bloating, irritability, anxiety, breast tenderness, changes in appetite
and sleep, headaches, and mood lability. These symptoms usually do not preclude a woman from performing her
day-to-day activities.
A small subgroup of women (3% to 8%)1 in their late 20s to mid-30s, however, suffer from a severe form of PMS
that is serious enough to interfere with their daily functioning and personal relationships. These women suffer from
PMDD, a condition first defined in 1987 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R)
and subsequently modified in 1994 in the manual's fourth edition (DSM-IV).
Table1:
Differences Between PMS and PMDD
Prevalence
Number of symptoms
required
PMS
PMDD
75%
3-8%
1
5 of 11
DSM-IV
Diagnosis
ICD-10*
Social impairment
Not required
Required
Prospective charting
Not required
Required
*International Statistical Classification of Diseases and
Related Health Problems, 10th revision.