Definitions for "Premenstrual dysphoric disorder"
Keywords:  pmdd, dysphoric, pms, luteal, anxiety
Mood disorder similar to clinical depression, occurring before a menstrual period. (411)
P(PMDD) Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is different from the more common PMS - it's far more severe. About 5-7 percent of all women experience PMDD. The most common symptoms are heightened irritability, anxiety and mood swings. Women who have a history of major depression, postpartum depression or mood disorders are at higher risk for PMDD than other women. Although some symptoms of PMDD and major depression overlap, they are different:/P P* PMDD-related symptoms (both emotional and physical) are cyclical. When a woman starts her period, the symptoms subside within a few days./P P* Depression-related symptoms, however, can persist for weeks, months or years and are not related to a woman's cycle./p P* Pregnant and post-menopausal women cannot experience PMDD.
(included in the DSM-IV as a provisional disorder, i.e., a set of research criteria) A mood disorder in women characterized by a persisting pattern of depressed mood starting during the late luteal phase ( i.e., pre-menstrually) and typically resolving soon after the beginning of menstruation