Abstract
M.Tech.
Premenstrual syndrome affects millions of premenopausal women and has been described as one
of the most common disorders in women. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is defined as the cyclic
recurrence of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, food cravings, bloating, breast tenderness,
and headaches during the luteal phase (from day fourteen to day one) of the menstrual cycle
(Nel, 1995). PMS has been estimated to affect 75% of women of reproductive age, and there are
no optimal conventional treatment options available (Steiner et al., 2006).
Research has found an increased incidence of PMS in black women (Deuster et al., 1999). Due
to the high number of women suffering from PMS and side-effects of conventional medicine, a
safe alternative treatment for PMS is required. The homoeopathic similimum method involves
prescribing one remedy at a time in optimal potency and repetition based on the totality of the
individual patient’s mental, emotional and physical symptoms (Vithoulkas, 1985).