A CLINICIAN GUIDE TO THE PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME

The premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a well-defined cluster of predomina ntly affective symptoms that disrupt a woman's daily functioning. PMS is diagnosed with prospective charting of symptoms and should be diffe rentiated from nondisruptive menstrual symptoms, major affective disor ders, and other common medical and gynecologic conditions. The seroton in reuptake inhibitors are the first line of therapy for PMS, but ther e also is evidence supporting the role of antidepressants, anxiolytics , and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists.