PMS also worsens a number of other conditions, from allergies and is associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. In fact a number of chronic disorders worsen during PMS, including the following:

• Epilepsy

• Multiple sclerosis

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Diabetes

• Asthma

Up to 40 percent of women with asthma find it gets worse during PMS. Experts think this is because PMS makes women more vulnerable to stress, which in turn intensifies the effects of asthma, lowers a womans resistance to infection, and increases the hyper-reactivity of the airways in her lungs.

Diabetes also worsens during PMS. High levels of estrogen and progesterone affect insulin. A study of women with insulindependent diabetes showed that 27 percent experienced higher blood sugar levels in the week before their menstrual period than at other times in their cycles, while 12 percent experienced lower levels in that week before their periods. However, some experts say these changes are the result of cravings and dietary responses to PMS, not to insulin changes.