Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    no.
    

    On the contrary, I'd say men cope much better.  They don't have
    it.
    
    Lorna
    

    
    I agree with Kerry for once!  (Smile, Kerry!)  They don't cope with\
    it well, at all!  Few men have any understanding of what women go
    thru, what helps, what hurts, etc.  Education is great!  And men
    that want to understand women need to be educated on PMS!
    
    	Myra
    

    RE: .0
    
    	Nope, probably not.. We have no idea how it feels to be a woman.
    	We probably don't cope as well with giving birth either.. But
    	that is what seperates the sexes.
    
    	The best a woman can hope for from a guy when she's having a
    	tough time with PMS is someone who knows when to leave her
    	alone and someone who let's it go in one ear and out another..
    	I wished I learned that lesson when I was younger.. Then my
    	sister and a couple of ex-girlfriends and I would have gotten
    	along better.
    
    						mike

    
    	On the other side of the coin, maybe few women understand what
    men "go thru, what helps, what hurts, etc."
    
    	Joe

    I guess I just ignore her.  She always comes back a day later and
    apologizes [sometimes more than a day].
    
    I will say one thing, however.  None of my girlfriends ever showed
    signs of it.  Now I'm married to one who *does* suffer *badly*.
     The only solution so far is pregnancy.  This is the only time she
    hasn't had it.

                     PREGNANCY A SOLUTION??
    
          MY WIFES PREGNANCY DID ALLEVIATE PMS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
    HOWEVER ITS A RATHER DRASTIC SOLUTION TO PMS.  EXERCISE, MOTRIN?
    AND OTHERS WOULD BE MORE OF A "SOLUTION".
    

    re .7
    
    No, it wasn't planned that way.  Nothing worked for her PMS.  It
    just so happened that when I got her pregnant [I almost said when
    'she got pregnant'], it went away.
    
    I had simply resigned myself to putting up with it.

    REG: .7
    
    Ever taken Motrin?  It is worse than the pain... Over 1/3 of the
    women given Motrin for PMS have trouble with it.. Mostly drastic
    stomach upset..  NO thanks!
    
    

    I had never given much thought to PMS until I read something about
    it.  My wife didn't know too much about it except that she had never
    suffered from it.  I wrote a letter to a friend and asked her what
    it was.  She explained it very well.  Boy am I glad my wife didn't
    have to contend with it!  I agree with .whatever that education
    is very important in understanding it.  Little things like this
    make me feel fortunate to be a man.
    
    Spence

    I don't think they do.  They are damn if they do and damn if they
    don't.  If my so would say something nice I would take it in the
    sense that he was only saying it to be nice and if he didn't say anything
    at all, that he did not care as much as yesterday.  No win situation
    during that wonderful week which never goes by fast enough.
        
    As for the Motrin, it eats your insides out but we can eat the insides
    of men out.  And the poor man can't even begin to understand...
    
    Jude \___^.
         /\ /\
    

    Motrin (ibuprofin) causes stomach upset in 4-16% of the individuals
    that take it (according to Upjohn, the manufacturer).  As far as
    "eating your insides out" (symptoms more sever than just stomach upset
    - ulcer etc.), however; it is better for you than aspirin. 
    
    If the incidence of stomach upset is really higher in women than in men
    (someone suggested 33%), I suppose we can just write it off as another
    sexist conspiracy.   :-) 
    
    - M

    I don't recall having any "major" PMS symptoms but when I get "cranky"
    or begin to cry at Burger King commercials, I know that PMS is starting
    to set in.  My boyfriend deals with it pretty good (seeing that
    it has just started recently) and I, like someone else in this note
    replied, apologize if I do anything that is not usual for me (I
    am unusual as it is).  I take Advil for headaches and menstrual
    pain and it doesn't bother me.  In fact, I've taken 3 in a day plus
    Tylenol on top of that (spaced out) and I get through those 3 to
    5 days without a concern.
    
    Guess I have a stomach that thinks it's a garbage disposal.
    
    Cathy (who when viewing AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone"
    commercials keeps Kleenex by her side)

	I see........

	OK next question, Is PMT something that starts in later 
	life for most women, or is it (PMT) in earlier years 
	subscribed to something else. I don't ever remember having to
	cope with PMT as 50% of a courting couple, perhaps life was 
	more exciting and novel in those days.

Richard.

    re .14
    I have no stats on this, but it seems to me that PMS only gets noticed
    as the woman's menstrual cycle becomes a little regular, which for
    many of us not on the Pill, may be in the woman's mid-twenties.
     It can be fairly subtle, too (subtle? wanting to tear the head
    off anyone who comes within 20 feet of me? well sort of subtle...)
    and I know it took me a long time to notice I was ALWAYS mad for
    a week then got my period.  Unil then, I just assumed I was going
    crazy.
    
    Lee

    I have to say that I'm glad to see this note in MENNOTES.  As someone
    already (wisely) said, education is half the battle.  After years
    of suffering from absolutely black moods, unexplained (and uncalled
    for) anger, and depression, at least I'm glad they finally have
    a name for it!!  In my personal life, it is easier for me to deal
    with as I have been able to explain to my partner what I am going
    through, and that I am not mad at HIM.  I try to apologize for my
    rotten moods, do the "right things" to counteract the PMS, and
    generally try to ride out the storm.
    
    But at work, it's a different story.  It's so hard to act normal
    during this time.  I can't be taking off two days out of every month
    just because I feel moody--I try to work in situations where I can
    be by myself.  With women, I can tell them it's "That time again",
    and that's all I need to say.  But with men that I am usually friendly
    and open with, it's hard to find words.  I feel I have to hide what
    I'm going thru so as not to seem unprofessional.  I hate to make
    a big deal out of this, but I just can't say to my male friends
    at work, "I'm about to get my period, so please excuse my
    remoteness--it's not directed at you personally.  I just feel awful
    today."
    
    Any help on this one?
    
    Jane
    

    re .16, how to tell a man.
    
    I think that most men in this day and age are somewhat familiar
    with PMS in that they are aware of it but may not understand it
    completely.  This is how I am.  If a woman came up to me and said
    "I'm having my period, please excuse my behaviour", I would be
    embarrassed.  But, if she said "I'm sorry, I'll be grumpy for a
    few days, please bear with me", then it is understood what is going
    on and I'm not embarrassed.  I think its better to be subtle.
    
    Spence

    Thanks, Spence--
    
    I appreciate the viewpoint.  Sounds a lot better than hanging a
    skull-and-crossbones sign outside my cube!!
    
    ;-),
    
    Jane

    Or if the people you work with are literary types, wear 
    red camellias (sp?) 5 days a month.

    ...not bad.  How about wearing red sneakers, too?
    
    (Oh, no, I'm getting silly, and it's too late to STTTTTOOOOOPPPPPP!)
    
    :-)

    I kinda like the 'skull and crossbones' idea!!!  Fits
    me to a T!!
    
    Spence, you are a very gentle and sensitive man, so
    I'll use your plan should the occasion ever arise-
    but may just use the skull and crossbones idea for
    those who are not quite so intuitive!!
    
    

    Deb,
>    Fits me to a T!!                                          
     
    Does that mean that it attachs you to a SUBWAY???
                     
    I can't guarantee that this would work with everyone because I've
    been known to be wrong.  Hard to believe, huh?
    
    The red camellia wouldn't work with me.  I don't even know what
    'literary' means.  The skull and crossbones would do the trick,
    though.
    
    I think its time to go home, I'm getting giddy.
    
    Spence (aka Sepcne, Specne, Sepnce, etc.)

    Someone a while back asked if PMS/PMT got worse as women get older.
    According to the pamphlet I picked up from Health Services, published
    by the Dept. of Health, the answer is a definite YES. And also a
    definite NO. 
    
    Some women who have severe PMS symptoms when they're young cease
    to have PMS symptoms as they get older, often after a pregnancy
    or two. 
    
    Some women who have never had any trouble develop PMS symptoms as
    they get older. Onset can be either gradual or sudden.
    
    Some women who have mild PMS symptoms when they're younger get worse
    as they get older. 
    
    PMS symptoms do not necessarily stop at menopause, either, especially
    artificially induced menopause. 

    As for coping with PMS -- admittedly my own symptoms are not very
    serious, but I find two things help: strenous exercise and a couple
    of glasses of wine or scotch or such.  This is a trial and error
    thing; my mother found that drinking the week before her period
    made her symptoms worse.

    --bonnie

    p.s. Health Services has a whole pile of different brochures about
    various reproductive problems, ranging from general "what is PMS"
    pamphlets to "where to go for help if your doctor won't listen to
    you", plus information on things like ediometriosis. If anybody
    wants to know more about any of these problems, that's a good place
    to start. 

    RE: What to say to a guy..
    
    	Well, for me it's not a big deal anymore having learned to cope
    with it from previous girlfriends and my sister.. If a friend says
    to me "I'm having my period so bear with me" I just say something
    like "Okey doke.. Hope you feel better soon"  I guess stuff like
    that just doesn't phase me in the least..
    
    	Some other ways to say it are: (this is based on what some
    female friends have said to me)
    
    	"Sorry, I'm grumpy.. That time of the month ya know.."
    
    	"I have the "once every 28 day" blues so I'm not myself"
    
    	"It's just not my time of the month"
    
    	"It's times like these that I wish I was pregnant"
    
    	"I've got a visitor" (I never liked that one personally)
    
    						mike

    Why should women have to say anything, except perhaps "Sorry, I'm
    not feeling well today" if they think it's necessary.  I have times
    I'm moody too, and I don't see the need to explain the reasons to
    everybody I come into contact with.
    					Steve

    re: .25:
    
    Exactly right, Steve. Thanks.
    
    --bonnie
    

    When I get moody, it only lasts a day.  If a person is grumpy for
    5 days in a row, then one starts to think that they are grumpy all
    the time.  Rather than someone think that I'm a grumpy person in
    general, I would rather explain that its a temporary condition that
    will abate in a few days.
    
    If I get mad about something, I fear that my co-workers will look
    down on me, so I explain "I have a headache", "These drivers really
    pissed me off this morning", etc.  Sometimes I just say "I'm in
    a bad mood today, I'll be all better by tomorrow".  They always
    understand and leave me to sulk alone.
    
    Specne

    The reason I don't think a woman should use "female problems" (that's
    a euphemism for PMS, "that time of month", whatever) as a public
    excuse is that it will only tend to strengthen the stereotypes and
    biases against her, possibly to her disadvantage in a later
    business situation.
    
    I just keep thinking of the old cliche of "raging hormonal
    influences" when men talk about why a woman can't be president,
    etc.
    					Steve

    
    Also, it seems funny to me to use "female problems" as a description
    of my "edginess" when I don't have periods any more, (due to having
    a hysterectomy ) but *do* still suffer from PMS.... ironic, eh??
    
    	That's what I call a rotten deal!!  
    
    		My

    re. attitudes about PMT...
    
    I enjoyed the play "First Monday in October" in which a woman
    who is before a Senate subcommittee to determine whether she
    will be the first woman on the Supreme Court responds to the
    question about whether the fact that she is a woman will be
    a disadvantage with words to the effect,  "Strange as it may
    seem,  the possession of a womb does not render a human being
    incapable of clear thought!"
    
    Simon.

    Une semaine avant, et jusqu'au premier jour des regles : Je tuerais
    volontiers quelqu'un (et particulierement mon ami), je m'enerve
    pour des broutilles, je suis d'une mauvaise foi desesperante, j'ergote,
    je pleure pour n'importe quoi, personne ne m'aime, bouh, que je
    suis malheureuse !! :-)
    
    Et je crois que ce qui - entre autres - me met de mauvaise humeur,
    est le fait que je vais avoir mes regles, justement. Devoir se
    trimballer des tampons partout avec soi, avoir mal au ventre (oh
    oui, tellement mal, que parfois je me taperais la tete contre les
    murs), saigner, avoir sa montee d'acnee mens(tr)uelle : tout ca
    m'ennuie, tout ca me pese, tout ca me herisse, tout ca me casse
    les pieds !
    
    Depuis hier, d'ailleurs, je sais que je ne suis pas enceinte...
    Zut et zut ! Quelqu'un connait-il quelque chose d'efficace et de
    pas dangeureux contre la douleur ?

    
    Bobo,
    
    
    Zoziau

================================================================================
Note 100.31                    Premenstral Tension                      31 of 31
SHIRE::MILLIOT "Mimi, Zoziau, Vanille-Fraise & Co"   23 lines  25-MAY-1987 04:12
                     -< Not Very Appetizing, All that...>-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One week before, and going to the first day of my period : I would
    happily murder anyone (particularly my boyfriend), I flip out over
    nothing [BTW this is rough, I am not great at slang translation],
    I am desperately dishonest [???], I nit-pick [??], I cry at the
    drop of a hat, no one loves me, sniffle, sob, how unhappy I am :)
    
    And I believe that which - among others - puts me in this horrible
    mood is the fact that I am going to have my period.  To have to
    lug tampons around with you all the time, to have stomach aches
    (oh yes, so bad, that sometimes I would beat my head against the
    walls), to bleed, to have your monthly [great pun: mensuel= monthly,
    menstruel = menstrual, she says her mens[tr]uelle increase in acne
    :)] increase of acne: all this bores [bugs] me, all this weighs
    me down, all this gets my back up, all this [untranslatable, general
    sense of driving her crazy, she generally loses it..]

    Since yesterday, otherwise, I know I am not pregnant...

    Aaarg!  would anyone know of something good [efficient] and not
    dangerous for this ?
    
    Bobo,
    
    
    Zoziau

    Well, there really isn't anything to do about the blood (except
    the Pill which cuts it off for me), but have you tried ibuprofen?
     For some, it gives them indigestion, but for me it is MAGIC.
    
    Lee
    
    Alors Zoziau, pour le sang, il n'y a rien a faire (que la pillule
    qui le coupe pour moi), mais as-tu essaye l'ibuprofen (=Motrin,
    Advil, etc)?  Pour certaines, il import les maux d'indegestion,
    mais pour moi C'EST MAGIQUE!!!

    Lee,
    
    Les medicaments dont tu parles n'existent pas en Suisse, je ne sais
    meme pas s'il sont autorises. Tout ce qu'on trouve c'est l'Aspirine
    (compose d'acide acetylosalicilique (sp. ?)).
    
    Merci pour tes conseils,
    
    Zoziau

    Re: .34
    
    I am pretty certain that ibuprofen (which is a general term, not
    a name brand) is available in Europe, especially as it was licensed
    from British drug manufacturers.  The two prescription brand names
    for ibuprofen are Motrin and Rufen.  You should try asking where
    you buy medicines to see if it is available in Switzerland.  Maybe
    someone familiar with the European drug market can comment further.
    
    I don't think that aspirin is much use against menstrual pains nor is
    acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol, etc.)

    					Steve

    A little biology here - a lot of the cause of PMS is the result
    of the cellular hormones called prostaglandins (or at least that
    was the latest research five years ago). Those hormones are negated
    by asprin and asprin like compounds to a degree...so asprin does
    have some effect on PMS - tho there are more 'modern'compounds
    that deal with more than asprin does... 

    I use to take asprin years ago before the pain became really intense
    and found it to work because my blood was extremely thick.  The Dr. 
    I was seeing at the time had me take several starting a few days
    before and continue thru the week. Of course there is always the
    disadvantage to this, if I cut my self I would bleed for awhile.
    
    Now its 1600 to 3200mg of motrin for the first hour before I feel
    relief.  My Dr. now tells me to have a baby and this will cure all.
    
    Jude
    

    re .37:
    
    Let me get this straight: you have a doctor that told you to take
    3200mg of motrin in a single dose?
        
    - M

    Re: .37 If you can take 3200mg of motrin in 1 hour ,I'd
            say your stomach has been galvanised.
            
            ..Robin
    

    My Dr. did not prescribe it, you could say that I did.  I usually
    start out with one and then proceed from there until I can at 
    least get up and walk.  I've had a laparascopy (a little peek inside)
    and they say everything looks fine.  I still question this.
    
    And yes my stomach is a mess.  I learned the hard way in the beginning
    that you need to take them with something to eat or milk.  Now I
    leave with plenty of milk and Mylanta.  But it sure beats all that
    pain on top of the PMS.

    
    This PAIN - part of being a woman, huh!!
    
    Jude
    

    Don't believe your doctor about getting pregnant. I've suffered from
    severe pain (starts about six hours before the flow starts, and then
    continues to the second or third day) since I was 14.  After two
    pregnancies, I just got over spending most of a weekend flat on my back
    from the worst cramps I've had in years. 
    
    I, too, have nothing wrong inside that doctors can find.  (Several
    exams over the course of 15 years).  I sometimes believe them, since I
    had no trouble at all with either pregnancy and no other reproductive
    troubles except mild PMS symptoms on occasion. On the other hand, if
    there's nothing wrong, why does it hurt so much? 
    
    --bonnie
    
    p.s.  By the way, did you ever try chamomile tea or slippery elm tea?
    Some women swear by them; my sister-in-law says that for her, even when
    the teas don't actually help the pain by themselves, they make the
    painkillers she takes more effective. 

    re: doctors telling women their periods will calm down after they've
    born children
    
    Bah humbug.  The doctors who say this are falling prey to the idea
    that no woman is fulfilled emotionally or physically unless they
    have children.  After all, that *is* women's purpose in life, and
    those who chose to forfeit childbearing are downright unnatural,
    huh.  Won't be healthy until they assume their "proper" role in
    life.
    
    Pooh.
    
    Lee

    re .41:
    
    Well that's a relief- sort of. I can't imagine any doctor recommending
    that much Motrin.  The '84 edition of the PDR (Physician's Desk
    Reference) reports the maximum dose of Motrin as 2400mg PER DAY.  This
    was, however, in 4 600mg doses.  I've heard of doctors recommending
    800mg but spread out at 8 hour intervals.
    
    I would talk to your doctor about taking that much Motrin.  If you
    are really in that much pain, maybe there is something stronger
    he can prescribe for you that is less damaging to your insides (not
    your stomach- I would be more concerned about your liver with you
    taking that much).
    
    - M  
    

    Every time that I visit my doctor, which is often, I always ask
    if they have discovered a new drug yet, with no luck of course.
    I think if he knew how much I was actually taken I would get a
    very good lecture.  But when it comes to all that pain I just
    remember its only a pill away and then I can function again.  
    
    The Dr. that told me that I should become pregnant is no longer
    my Dr. now. My present one has never mentioned anything about this.
    I guess it holds true that men really could never understand the
    pain and feelings that we go thru.  I found the first Dr. to be
    rather cold about it all.
    
    It might be hereditary because my mother was the same way thru all
    7 children, and 1 miss carriage until she finally had a histerectomy.

    I honestly try to limit myself but its hard to do.  And I am one
    that rarely takes anything for a headache.
    
    Jude
    

    .re Advil
    
    My wife had a real problem taking advil but sswitched to Nuprin
    with much success.
    
    .re 3200mg Motrin
    
    I hope you are waiting for the effects.  Medicine taken orally in
    pill form generally takes about 45 minutes to really get into the
    system.  If you are popping pill after pill untill you feel relief
   , you might try taking a pill and sitting with your heating pad for
    an hour.
    
    .re original topic
    
    At first I had a hard time dealing with my wife's PMS because I
    didn't know what was happening and didn't pay enough attention to
    her cycle to forsee it coming.  After I knew what the problem was
    I would think "what's the date?" if she acted strange and respond
    accordingly.  I don't always just ignore what she says, I just take
    it less personally.  I find that often times what she is taking
    my head off for is something that does bug her somewhat but wouldn't
    make an issue of if it weren't for PMS.  Therefore I get a glimpse
    of how to get along better with her by listening but not taking
    it full force.

Take this with several large chunks of salt, but...

Several days before your period is due I would try dosing up
heavily on L-tryptophan (for instance 1000-2000 mg./day) and
vitamin B-6 (for instance, 100-300 mg./day), and keep this up
til your period ends.

The rest of the time, you probably don't want to mess with
more than about 500 mg./day of L-tryptophan and 50 mg./day of
B-6 (that's not counting what you get in your normal meals--
that's just in terms of supplements).

Supposedly the levels of L-tryptophan in a woman's blood
drop precipitously right before her period.  Since L-tryptophan
is the source (with an assist from vitamin B-6) of the brain
neurotransmitter serotonin (a lack of which supposedly causes
depression, suicide and all kinds of other nasty conditions),
it might be worthwhile to bolster the levels of L-tryptophan
in the blood right before a period.  (But who knows, really...?)

						Pc.

    
      What is L-tryptophan?  What products is it in?
    

    re: mega-doses of Motrin
    
    I'll add to .46 a bit-  Peak blood levels occur between 1 and 2
    hours after taking Motrin.  After 800mg, the relationship between
    blood levels and amount ingested is non-linear.  
    
    Disclimer - Get a doctor's advice on taking that much Motrin.
    
    - M

re: .48
    
>      What is L-tryptophan?  What products is it in?
    
L-tryptophan is one of the essential amino acids which must be ingested from
dietary sources in order for the body to manufacture all the various proteins
it needs.  As such, it is found in foods that are high in protein.  It is (I
think) the most chemically complex and rare amino acid in nature.  Milk and
milk by-products are especially high in tryptophan, followed by most meats.
You can also buy straight L-tryptophan tablets at your health food or drug
store.

There is something of a Catch-22 to getting L-tryptophan from food protein,
however, in that its relative rarity means that eating a high protein meal
may cause the tryptophan from the protein you eat to get "swamped" by the
other amino acids in that protein when it comes time to move those amino
acids out of the bloodstream and into the brain.  (There is a so-called
"blood-brain barrier" which polar amino acids need the help of carrier
proteins to cross over, and amino acids "compete" for the help of these
carriers.)

So some scientists believe you're actually more likely to get L-tryptophan
into your brain (where it can be used to make serotonin) by eating a high
carbohydrate meal, since a limited amount of tryptophan can be manufactured
from carbohydrates (I think) in the presence of vitamin B-3 (niacin).  Drs.
Judith and Richard Wurtman at M.I.T. did a lot of the research on this.  A
"high carbo" craving is thought (by some) to represent a dietary attempt to
increase brain serotonin in response to a stressful or depressing situation.

    re: .47 (or .48?)
    
    	I've had very severe  bouts of PMS, but they weren't
    related to l-tryptophan levels...?! I went to a PMS specialist
    who ordered me to undergo blood tests at strategic points in
    my menstrual cycle. And do you know what he found out? I
    dont produce nearly enough PROGESTERONE to combat the PMS
    symptoms!
    
    	So, he prescribed micro-lazerized natural Progesterone
    tablets that I was to take 3 times a day. And that seemed to
    work wonders. 
    
    	Then I got pregnant, and never felt better in my life! 
    No more episodes of feeling self-destructive, moody, mad
    and bloated. So I think its the PROGESTERONE levels that are
    the main source of PMS. After all, when a woman gets pregnant
    she produces a generous amount of the hormone. Just look at
    the name (PRO - meaning "for") and GEST ( - meaning "gestation").
    
    
    Linda
    

    
    	I used to take Motrin for knee problems and it really upset my
    	stomach.  A nice side affect was relief from menstrual cramps!
    	I told my doctor that Motrin upset my stomach and he prescribed
    	NAPROXSYN instead.  It works MUCH better!  I only take it for
    	my periods now, and I only have to take 1 tablet.  It doesn't
    	upset my stomach at all.  

    I know this note is getting rather old and overwritten, but nobody
    really seemed to deal with the original topic.  I, too, suffer a
    bit with my period.  Although I am cranky, emotional, and get upset
    with other people, the problem is that for whatever reason, I am
    depressed with MYSELF.  If someone ignores me, and passes it off
    as "that time of the month" I am no better off.  
    
    What about a hug?  A joke?  Something to help make me feel better?
    THAT is how a man can deal with PMS.
    

    I know what you are feeling--I get depressed/upset with myself with
    PMS, too.  (Sometimes at that time, even HEARING some well-meaning
    person say, 'Oh, well, just that time of the month', makes me want
    to scream)  The problem is that people around you, caring as they
    may be, can't read your mind, nor can they predict how you feel.
    If you are anything like me, the symptoms aren't always the same,
    nor do you want the same things from month to month.  You have to
    ask.  I am learning to ask for a hug/shoulder to cry on/someone
    to listen, whatever.  Most people you are friends with will be glad
    to hear something specific to do for you--friends generally WANT
    to help, but fear doing the "wrong" thing.  So ask--it will help
    you and the people around you.
    
    Good luck, and remember you aren't alone,
    
    Jane
    

�
    
    	Is Naproxsyn the same as Naprosyn?? I take the latter for
    arthritis.
    								mike

re: .55
>    	Is Naproxsyn the same as Naprosyn?? I take the latter for
>    arthritis.
Yup.
There are several other drugs in this class (non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory agents), like Motrin (Ibuprofen).  The mode of
action is supposed to be inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.

    As to how we all should deal with pms, there is an excellent book
    out called The Pre-Menstral Solution.  It works, and I would recommend
    it to everyone who even has the slightest symptoms, including men...
    It's a very simple non-drug related solution that doesn't involve
    pregnancy.  Right now it's $14.95 in the book stores, well worth
    it if your a severe sufferer, but it will be out in September in
    paperback.  
    
    Happy reading, and good luck to you all.