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PMS Symptom Calculator

Score your PMS and PMDD symptoms with the clinically validated Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) — 14 symptoms, 5 impairment areas, clear next steps.

Rate how strongly you have experienced each symptom in the days before your period over the past few months:

Core symptoms (mood)

During the days before your period you have experienced:

Anger or irritability

Anxiety or tension

Tearfulness or increased sensitivity to rejection

Depressed mood or hopelessness

Other symptoms

During the days before your period you have also experienced:

Decreased interest in work activities

Decreased interest in home activities

Decreased interest in social activities

Difficulty concentrating

Fatigue or lack of energy

Overeating or food cravings

Insomnia (trouble falling asleep)

Excessive need for sleep

Feeling overwhelmed or out of control

Physical symptoms (breast tenderness, bloating, headache, joint or muscle pain)

Functional impairment

These symptoms have interfered with the following areas of your life:

Work efficiency or productivity

Relationships with coworkers

Relationships with family

Social life activities

Home responsibilities

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PSST criteria

  • PMDD: at least 1 core symptom severe + at least 4 additional symptoms moderate/severe + at least 1 impairment severe.

  • Moderate to severe PMS: at least 1 core symptom moderate/severe + at least 4 additional symptoms moderate/severe + at least 1 impairment moderate/severe.

What is the PSST?

The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), validated by Steiner et al. in 2003, screens for PMS and PMDD. It mirrors the DSM-5 criteria for PMDD and is widely used in clinical research and practice worldwide.

How it works

You rate 14 symptoms (mood, behavior, physical) and 5 functional impairment areas on a 4-point scale (0 = not at all, 3 = severe). The calculator then checks whether your responses meet the PSST criteria for PMDD or moderate-to-severe PMS.

This calculator is a self-screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. A formal PMDD diagnosis requires prospective symptom diaries across at least 2 cycles and exclusion of alternative causes (depression, anxiety, thyroid disease).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between PMS and PMDD?+
PMS is very common (up to 75 % of women). PMDD is a severe form with major quality-of-life impact (3–8 % of women). In PMDD, mood symptoms dominate (anger, irritability, depression, anxiety) and they make normal activities impossible.
When are PMS symptoms typical?+
PMS symptoms occur in the 1–2 weeks before menstruation (luteal phase) and resolve with the onset of bleeding. Persistent symptoms throughout the cycle point to another diagnosis (e.g. depression, anxiety disorder).
What treatments help with PMS?+
Mild: exercise, sleep hygiene, calcium 1,000–1,200 mg, vitamin B6 50–100 mg, magnesium 200–400 mg. Moderate: herbal options (chasteberry/Vitex), combined hormonal contraception with drospirenone. Severe/PMDD: SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline) — effective, also as luteal-phase-only dosing.
How is PMDD diagnosed?+
Clinically via DSM-5 criteria: ≥ 5 symptoms in the final week of the cycle, including ≥ 1 affective symptom, confirmation by prospective diary over ≥ 2 cycles, marked functional impairment, no other explanation. The PSST is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
Is PMS hormonal or psychological?+
Both. PMS and PMDD result from increased sensitivity to normal hormonal fluctuations — not from abnormal hormone levels. Stress, mood, sleep and lifestyle amplify symptoms. Treatment works on both hormonal and psychological levels.
Does the pill help with PMS?+
Combined pills with drospirenone (e.g. 24/4 regimen) are FDA-approved for PMDD and significantly reduce symptoms in many women. Classic 21/7 pills are often less effective. Progestin-only options have mixed results.

Background

PMS Symptom Calculator: PSST Score, PMDD Diagnosis and Treatment

8 min