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Menstrual Diary to Monitor Premenstrual Symptoms

Table of Contents


Overview

A menstrual diary is a helpful tool for better understanding your premenstrual symptoms and then deciding how to treat them. Regardless of whether you have full-blown, diagnosable premenstrual syndrome (PMS), your menstrual diary can help you plan ahead for, prevent, and better cope with your premenstrual symptoms. You can plan to take extra good physical and emotional care of yourself during these difficult days. It also helps others to know that these premenstrual days are not a good time to expect you to be at your best.

If your PMS symptoms are mild, you can try home treatment measures. Many women find that making small changes in their lifestyle will improve their symptoms. If your PMS symptoms are more severe or persist with home treatment, talk with your health professional about treatment options. Many health professionals will want to see a menstrual diary of at least two menstrual cycles so they can determine which symptoms are most bothersome and recommend an effective treatment plan.

There are several types of menstrual diaries that record the following information every day:

Results of menstrual diary

Mild physical symptoms that occur just before menstrual bleeding and end when bleeding is done are considered a normal part of the menstrual cycle.

Symptoms that are present any time during your menstrual cycle, even if they get worse before bleeding begins, are not considered PMS; another condition, such as depression or anxiety, is likely to be present. However, it is useful for your health professional to know about such conditions, so that you can have the best possible treatment.

Symptoms that may indicate PMS:

It is important to keep a daily record of your symptoms to get an accurate diagnosis of PMS. It may take several months to see a pattern. Try some home treatment measures and note in your diary if they had any effect on your symptoms.

Below is an example of a daily calendar for recording your PMS symptoms for each day of the month. Be sure to record the precise dates of your period (menstrual bleeding) and ovulation, if possible, and the symptoms you have on those days. Mark whether your symptom is mild, moderate, or severe on each day.

Physical changes include:

Emotional and cognitive symptoms include:

Changes in actions toward others include:

Pain includes:

Next to each PMS symptom noted, record its daily severity with a score from 0 to 3 (0 being the absence of that symptom, 3 being most severe).

Day of month

Physical changes

Emotional changes

Actions toward others

Pain

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Credits for Menstrual Diary to Monitor Premenstrual Symptoms

Current as of: November 27, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.


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