Nearly all women experience bloating, breast tenderness, and slight, temporary weight gain. Some women experience a condition called cyclic mastopathy, in which breast pain occurs after ovulation, increasing in intensity during the luteal phase, and then receding at menstruation. Other symptoms may include gastrointestinal distress, headaches, rashes, muscle and joint pains, fatigue, gingivitis, heart pounding, imbalance, hot flashes, oversensitivity to sounds and smells, agitation, and insomnia.

Emotional hypersensitivity is common, and women report a wide range of symptoms, including depression, anxiety, anger, and agitation. They also report impaired concentration and some memory loss, although a recent small study found that women with PMS, in spite of feelings of inadequacy, scored as well on tests of mental acuity during the premenstrual stage as women without PMS. Severe depression, irritability, and tension before menstruation are known collectively as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PDD (also called late-luteal dysphoric disorder). It affects an estimated 3% to 8% of women in their reproductive years. A diagnosis of PDD depends on having five out of 11 symptoms of depression as defined by the American Psychiatric Association. These symptoms should occur during most menstrual cycles and be worse a week or so before the menstrual period, resolving afterward. In rare cases, some women have delusions and hallucinations. It should be noted that some women experience very positive bursts of creative energy before a period. Sexual drive may also vary in individual women; some experience diminished sexual interest and others have a heightened drive.