Premenstrual syndrome: diagnosis and management.

Premenstrual syndrome is a recurrent set of disabling symptoms that occur in a definite relation to the menstrual cycle. Patients chart the severity of symptoms over time during consecutive menstrual cycles while the physician should rule out other possible gynecological and psychiatric disorders. Management is through education, environmental manipulation and symptomatic relief of stressors, using a variety of medications. Often a multidisciplinary approach of family physician, psychiatrist and gynecologist is needed.