Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome may be caused by hyperventilation

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 1001.e17 - 1001.e19
• Main Authors: Ott, Helmut W., Mattle, Verena, Zimmermann, Ulrich S., Licht, Peter, Moeller, Kay, Wildt, Ludwig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2006
• Subjects: Adult; end-tidal P co2; Female; Humans; Hyperventilation; Hyperventilation - complications; Hyperventilation - diagnosis; premenstrual syndrome; Premenstrual Syndrome - diagnosis; Premenstrual Syndrome - etiology; Statistics as Topic; Hyperventilation; end-tidal P co 2; premenstrual syndrome
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.01.062

To determine whether women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) differ from healthy women in the extent of hyperventilation during the luteal phase of the cycle. Case report. Medical university. Three reproductive-age women with severe symptoms of PMS in whom dramatic decline in end-tidal P co 2 (P etco 2) occurred during the luteal phase of the cycle. Measurements of P etco 2, administration of GnRH agonist triptorelin. P etco 2 was determined daily by sidestream capnometry. The decline in P etco 2 in women with PMS was 12–18 mm Hg, on the average. This was significantly more pronounced than the decline of P etco 2 that was observed in healthy women. With the decline of P etco 2 the symptoms of PMS appeared. Symptoms disappeared at the end of the luteal phase when P etco 2 was increasing again. During treatment with the GnRH agonist, P etco 2 did not decline, and all women were free of symptoms. The symptoms of PMS observed in our patients were associated with a pronounced decline of P etco 2 that occurred during the luteal phase of the cycle. Because the symptoms were similar to symptoms observed in the chronic hyperventilation syndrome it is suggested that some symptoms of PMS may be caused by chronic hyperventilation. It appears that in women with PMS the sensitivity of the respiratory center to CO 2 is increased more than normal by P or some other secretory product of the corpus luteum, resulting in pronounced hyperventilation with the associated clinical signs and symptoms of a chronic hyperventilation syndrome.