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Male PMS - Yes, It's Real

Hot flashes, cramping, mood swings and headaches … these are just a few of the symptoms of PMS. However, did you know there is a contingent of men who get them every month? That's right - men with PMS! A number of research studies have been conducted that show men do suffer cramps comparable to that of those women who suffer through them during PMS. Of course, this news has many females snorting with derision at the thought.

These studies claim that the men tested exhibited a range of PMS-like symptoms at approximately the same time each month. Both men and women who quizzed on their symptoms and in almost every case, men actually scored more symptoms than women. The only symptom the men really did not get was the water retention.

A number of men tested shared their symptoms that read very similarly to the laundry list of symptoms women have during PMS. Lack of concentration, loss of libido, body aches and pains, cramping, hot flashes, and mood swings are other symptoms the men reported. Researchers feel that the men had more complaints because they may not have the patience that women have in dealing with the symptoms. Women expect the PMS and all that comes with it while the men do not. The men also do not understand as much how the aging process and their PMS-like symptoms are affected by an imbalance of hormones.

Men and women have different thresholds of pain and because the women expect the PMS pain, they are more tolerant and less susceptible than men. Basically the perception of the pain intensity may be the problem as it can be a bit subjective. What may be intense for one person could be average for another. The jury is out on as to the "whys" of it all - why men get these PMS-like symptoms. However, many feel that like with women, stress could be a mitigating factor.

Another issue that many researchers want to pursue is whether or not the PMS symptoms for me are cyclical like they are for women that deal with the whole menstruation deal. Mood swings and depression-type feelings in women during PMS is understandable but when men have it, it could be misdiagnosed as something else instead of being attributed to the male form of PMS. If further research can show a cyclical behavior in these male symptoms, it could clear up some misdiagnoses of depression.

One thing is for certain, the researchers who believe in these male PMS symptoms have a variety of reasons on why they may occur. Some attribute it to a male version of menopause caused by a drop in testosterone. Others blame lifestyle such as smoking, alcohol and excessive weight as a contributing factor.

A few studies have been conducted that show in otherwise healthy men, the drop in testosterone was gradual, starting in middle age. So those men who show PMS symptoms cannot really blame dropping testosterone on age but rather on lifestyle issues. They theorize that cleaning up the lifestyle would bring a reduction of symptoms.