PMS and PMT: what is the difference?

PMS and PMT are commonly used for premenstrual symptoms, while severe mood changes need assessment for PMDD or another cause. Symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, low mood, tearfulness, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and appetite changes. The key clue is timing: symptoms recur during the part of the cycle before a period and improve afterward.

PMT is often used as another name for PMS, rather than a separate diagnosis. PMDD describes a more severe pattern in which emotional symptoms substantially disrupt daily life. Depression, anxiety, thyroid problems, medication effects, and relationship stress can also worsen before a period, so a repeating diary helps a clinician separate overlapping problems.

Record mood, sleep, physical symptoms, bleeding dates, medicines, and the effect on work or relationships each day for several cycles. Keep routines steady, prioritise sleep, and use regular activity if it feels manageable. A clinician may discuss talking therapy, symptom-focused medicine, or hormonal options such as the combined pill. Do not change prescribed treatment without advice.

Arrange an appointment if symptoms impair concentration, work, relationships, or self-care, or if they do not improve after the period begins. Seek urgent mental-health support for thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or being unable to stay safe. Sudden severe pain, fainting, or unusually heavy bleeding also needs urgent assessment rather than being attributed to PMT.

Does my diary show PMS, PMDD, or another mood condition? Which symptoms should I treat first? Could my contraception affect the pattern? What are the benefits and cautions of the combined pill for me? What support is available if my mood becomes unsafe?