ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALCOHOLIC AND CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES AND PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME

We examined the association between alcohol and caffeine consumption a nd premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One hundred two women with PMS matched by age and race to an equal number of women without PMS were compared for differences in intake of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, wit h differences determined using Student's t-tests and conditional logis tic regression for matched pairs. Information on alcohol and caffeinat ed beverage consumption was obtained from three 24-hour dietary recall interviews conducted during the postmenstrual period and from three c onducted during the premenstrual period. Results showed that no signif icant difference was observed in total caffeine intake or in the indiv idual caffeinated beverages consumed during either the postmenstrual o r the premenstrual period. For alcohol consumption, however, women wit h PMS drank 1.41 (95% confidence interval; range, 0.34-2.47) more serv ings per week during the postmenstrual period. Based on postmenstrual consumption, women in the heaviest drinking category (greater-than-or- equal-to 10 drinks per week) were significantly more likely to have mo derate to severe PMS (P<.005) than nondrinkers. This same significant relation, but to a lesser degree, was observed based on premenstrual c onsumption. We conclude that because PMS is more strongly associated w ith alcohol consumed in the symptom-free, postmenstrual period, drinki ng is unlikely to be simply a response to PMS symptoms as others have previously suggested.