Why does the diary cover at least two cycles?

A repeating relationship between symptoms and the menstrual cycle is central to assessment. Australian women’s-health guidance recommends prospective recording across at least two cycles.

Should I record days when I feel well?

Yes. Deliberately rated symptom-free and ordinary days show whether symptoms ease outside the premenstrual window. Blank days are not treated as well days.

Can this diary diagnose PMDD?

No. PMDD diagnosis requires clinical assessment of timing, symptom domains, distress, functional impairment and alternative explanations. The diary provides prospective evidence for that discussion.

Should medicine, sleep and major stress be recorded?

Yes. Record hormonal treatment, psychiatric medicines, dose changes, illness, sleep disruption, alcohol, major stress and significant life events that may help explain a change.

What should I do if I have thoughts of self-harm or feel unsafe?

Do not wait for diary analysis. Call triple zero for immediate danger. Lifeline is available 24 hours on 13 11 14, by text on 0477 13 11 14 and through online crisis chat.

What is the difference between PMS and PMDD?

Severity and impact. PMDD includes marked mood symptoms that disrupt work, relationships or daily life.

How long do I need to track?

Two full cycles is the standard for a diagnosis.

Can the diary diagnose PMDD?

No. It gives your GP the timing evidence they need to make the call.

What treatments exist?

Lifestyle changes, SSRIs, hormonal options and psychological support. Your GP will discuss what fits.

PMS and PMDD Symptom Diary

Q: What if symptoms happen throughout the month?

Record them. Symptoms outside the premenstrual window may indicate another condition or premenstrual worsening of an existing condition and should not be forced into a PMDD result.

Everything behind the result

How this tool worksWhy daily tracking beats recall

How this tool works

Why daily tracking beats recall

PMDD is diagnosed on timing: symptoms that start in the week before a period, lift within a few days of bleeding, and interfere with daily life, recorded over two cycles.

The diary captures mood and physical symptoms daily and shows whether they sit in the luteal phase only, which is the record a GP needs.

Mood symptomsIrritability, low mood, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed.

Physical symptomsBloating, breast tenderness, sleep, appetite.

ImpactWork, relationships, daily tasks.

Cycle phaseSymptoms in the luteal phase only, clear after bleeding.

The PMDD timing patternExample: 28-day cycle

Days 1 to 4Symptoms lifting.

Days 5 to 14Symptom-free window.

Days 15 to 20Mild changes may begin.

Days 21 to 28Symptoms peak.

Two cyclesPattern confirmed.

Luteal-only patternConsistent with PMS or PMDD. Bring the record to your GP.

Symptoms all monthPoints to another cause. Still worth a GP visit.

Thoughts of self-harmSeek help today. Lifeline 13 11 14.

The full data tableEvery row this tool reads from.

What a PMS or PMDD record needs to show

What this diary organises, and the boundary it will not cross. Diagnosis requires a symptom pattern recorded prospectively across at least two cycles.

What a PMS or PMDD record needs to show
Requirement	What this diary does
Prospective daily recording	Records each day as it happens. Recall after the fact is not sufficient
At least two complete cycles	Uses three bleeding-onset dates to define two complete cycles
Symptom-free days recorded too	Deliberate zero ratings are counted, not treated as missing
Premenstrual phase compared with others	Compares the 7 days before bleeding against early bleeding and other cycle days
Functional impact, not just symptoms	Rates work, home, social life and self-care separately from symptoms
A core mood symptom	Tracks mood sensitivity, irritability, low mood and anxiety separately
Other explanations considered	Flags when symptoms also occur outside the premenstrual phase

This diary describes timing and differences. It does not diagnose PMDD or separate it from PMS, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, perimenopause or premenstrual worsening of another condition. If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call triple zero (000) in immediate danger, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, available 24 hours.

Build two complete prospective windows without converting blanks into well days

The diary records mood, anxiety, irritability, thinking, sleep, energy, appetite, physical symptoms and four areas of daily function. It compares the actual premenstrual and early-bleeding averages only after adequate coverage in both cycles.

Two-cycle coverage checksOrdinary days remain visibleSupport when you need it

The timing pattern matters as much as symptom severity

PMS and PMDD assessment relies on symptoms recorded day by day, not recalled only after a difficult week. This diary records mood, thinking, physical symptoms, bleeding and functional impact across at least two cycles. It describes the observed timing without assigning a diagnosis.

Choose every rating deliberately

No symptom or impact score is preselected. Choose zero only when the item was genuinely absent that day. This prevents blank forms from being converted into false symptom-free records. After a day is saved, every rating clears for the next entry.

Record ordinary days and difficult days

Prospective tracking needs enough days before bleeding, during early bleeding and elsewhere in each window to show whether symptoms concentrate in the premenstrual phase and ease afterwards. The comparison requires at least 18 deliberate daily entries in each window, including five of the seven days before bleeding, three early-bleeding days and five days elsewhere. Missing days are reported as missing rather than assumed to be well days.

Keep function visible

PMDD involves clinically important distress or interference, not symptom count alone. The diary separately records work or study, home and caring roles, social life and relationships, and self-care or appointments.

Describe, do not diagnose

When comparison coverage is reached, the result reports the actual average symptom and impact ratings before and after bleeding and whether the direction of change repeats. It does not use an undisclosed diagnostic cut-off or describe a small numerical difference as proof of PMDD. It also states when symptoms continue after bleeding begins or across the wider month. The tool does not decide whether symptoms are caused by PMDD, PMS, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, perimenopause or premenstrual worsening of another condition.

Safety overrides every cycle pattern

Thoughts of suicide or self-harm, inability to stay safe, immediate danger or concern about harming another person requires immediate support. Do not wait for enough diary entries or for the result screen.

How to interpret the descriptive result

Higher before bleeding in both cycles

This means the recorded averages moved in the same direction in both sufficiently covered windows. The size of each difference remains visible. It is not by itself a PMDD diagnosis and does not replace assessment of symptom number, distress, impairment and other conditions.

Symptoms continue after bleeding

Persistent symptoms may indicate another condition or premenstrual worsening of an existing condition. The diary keeps that possibility open.

Cycles differ

Different timing between cycles can reflect genuine variation or incomplete coverage. Continue prospective recording and take the existing data to the appointment.

Coverage is incomplete

The summary states exactly which cycle lacks enough entries. It never treats missing days as symptom-free or creates a reassuring result from insufficient data.

Is this PMS or could it be PMDD?