Abstract
Background : Many women experience menstrual cycle-related exacerbation of various medical and mental health conditions, known as premenstrual exacerbation. This condition should be treated differently from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. We investigated premenstrual exacerbation of psychological disease in women who visited the gynecology clinic. Methods : Participants included 36 women who visited the gynecology clinic for PMS. Premenstrual exacerbation of psychological disease was diagnosed in 7 patients, the "PME" group. The remaining patients were classified in the "others" group. We administered the PMS questionnaire and determined the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score. We examined their symptoms and desired treatments according to the PMS criteria. We compared the number of symptoms, HADS score, and desired treatments between the 2 groups. Results : We compared the sum of physical and psychiatric symptoms and found that patients in the PME group had more symptoms than those in the others group. The mean total HADS and anxiety score was significantly higher in the PME group than in the others group. Review of the desired treatments indicated that 4 PME patients wanted to use oral contraceptives ; no patients desired psychiatric medication. Conclusion : Premenstrual exacerbation was diagnosed in almost 20% patients with PMS. Exacerbation patients had more symptoms than the others, and their desired treatment included therapy except psychiatric medication.
