Your doctor can prescribe hormone supplements and other treatments for severe PMS, so do not be afraid to mention it. There are also many self-help books with detailed diet and exercise programs which can be very helpful.
Here are a few suggestions for mild PMS symptoms. Like cramps, you can ease PMS by relaxing, exercising and eating right. If you treat one, you treat the other too. These are not miracle cures, just common sense.
Get plenty of sleep! If you feel a little run down, you should respect that. Go to bed early, take a nap, rest whenever you need to. Don't try to pep up by eating a lot of sugar and drinking caffine. Your body might need more rest than usual.
Eat right! Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta, fish and whole grains. You may have strong cravings for salt and sugar during your PMS time. Unfortunately, they are the some of the worst things you could eat if you have PMS. Be strong! Or at least try to eat some healthy foods in between the bags of chips. You might find that healthy foods actually satisfy your cravings.
Exercise all month long. Regular exercise may be the best way to prevent PMS, it's good for your general health anyway, and it helps cramps.
Relax/Meditate: If everybody is getting on your nerves, maybe it is because you are not spending enough quality time with yourself. Make time to curl up with a good book in a quiet place, or hide in your room and listen to your favorite music. Take a sick day and go to the park. Learn yoga or a some meditation technique which will allow you release the stress of everyday living.
Be easy on yourself: The time before your period is a sensitive time, when things that never bother you suddenly do. You might be very critical about yourself, finding flaws in everything you do and replaying bad memories. Tell yourself that this is the PMS talking. Recognize the things that are bothering you, but don't rag on yourself.
Help for bloating: When you can't button pants that you wore three days ago you know you are retaining water. Diuretics are drugs which make you pee out all of that extra water. Diuretics are found in diet pills, and in drugs like Pamprin which are specifically for menstruating women. Tea and coffee are also diuretics. The problem with diuretics like these, is that they mess up your body chemistry. One thing they do is drain the potassium - an important mineral - from your body. Cut down on the amount of salt you eat to prevent bloating, and drink a lot of water. Yes, drinking a lot of water actually reduces water retention.
Evening Primrose Oil : This is a popular alternative medicine cure for both cramps and PMS. Evening primrose oil (borage oil and black currant oil work similarly) is available at health food stores in the form of pills - gelatine capsules. Some women take one or two capsules every day, others take it only during the two weeks before their periods. You have to be on evening primrose oil for a couple of months before you get any results. It is rather expensive, so it is probably best to figure out how little you can take and still get results.