How many days before your period does PMS start?
Doctors look for PMS symptoms in the 5 days before your period. That’s the window ACOG and the Office on Women’s Health use to diagnose it. PMS can start earlier. The Office on Women’s Health says many women get symptoms about a week or two before their period. Cleveland Clinic says it can be two weeks before or only two days before.
The earliest it usually starts is the day after ovulation. In a 28-day cycle that’s 13 days before your period. The calculator shows it as “Can start from”.
How long does PMS last?
ACOG’s definition has PMS symptoms ending within 4 days after your period starts, so a little overlap with your period is normal. The calculator gives that day as “Usually eases by”.
Why PMS comes after ovulation
Ovulation starts the luteal phase, the last part of your cycle. Cleveland Clinic says it lasts about 14 days and ends when your period starts. The Office on Women’s Health places PMS in this stretch, after ovulation and before your period. That’s why this calculator counts back from your next period instead of forward from your last one. Our cycle phase calculator shows where your luteal phase falls.
“Can start from” rests on an ovulation day the calculator estimates from your dates. That estimate isn’t contraception, and it can’t tell you a day when pregnancy is impossible.
Is it PMS or early pregnancy?
Early pregnancy can feel a lot like PMS. If you might be pregnant, take a test. The NHS says most tests work from the first day of a missed period. If your period hasn’t come, the late period calculator counts the days since it was due.
What is PMDD?
PMDD stands for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The NHS says its symptoms are like PMS but much more intense. The Office on Women’s Health says fewer than 5 percent of women of childbearing age have it. Cleveland Clinic puts it at about 3 percent of people who menstruate.
How to track your own PMS days
To learn your own timing, keep a record. ACOG suggests writing down and rating your symptoms every day for at least 2 to 3 months. The NHS suggests a diary for at least 2 cycles.
Mark the first day of each period, and note good days as well as bad ones. Symptoms that bunch up before your period and clear soon after it starts are the PMS pattern. Our guide to keeping a period diary covers what to write down.
Tracking PMS in Plum
Plum, a period tracker app for iPhone, lets you log PMS as mild, moderate or severe. It sits in the Feelings group next to energy. You switch it on in Customize tracking. Logging is free.
Once you’ve logged two full cycles, the Insights tab shows which symptoms and feelings keep landing in the same part of your cycle. One part is called “Before your period”. It lists what tends to show up there in your own logs, and when it’s due next. The timeline and the first symptom on it are free. The rest come with Plum Premium, which can also remind you the day before something you often log is due.
When to see a doctor about PMS
The NHS says to see a GP if lifestyle changes haven’t helped, or if your symptoms are affecting your daily life. Bring your diary. It shows the doctor which days your symptoms come and go.
