PMDD test: a self-check before you talk to a doctor

What this PMDD self-check looks for

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, cyclical form of premenstrual mood change. The self-check above asks about 11 symptoms in the week before your period. It flags the PMDD pattern when three things are true at once:

• Five or more symptoms rated 'quite a bit' or 'a lot',
• including at least one core mood symptom: mood swings or tearfulness, irritability or anger, anxiety or tension, or feeling hopeless or very low,
• and at least two rated 'a lot'.

That mirrors the shape of the diagnostic criteria doctors use (from the DSM-5), which ask for five of eleven symptoms with at least one from the core mood group. It's a screen for should I bring this up?, not an answer.

How PMDD is actually diagnosed

The defining feature is timing. Symptoms are present in the final week before your period in most cycles, start to improve within a few days after bleeding begins, and are minimal or gone in the week after your period. They also have to cause real distress or get in the way of work, school, relationships or daily life.

Because memory is unreliable (bad weeks blur together), a confirmed diagnosis needs daily symptom ratings for at least two cycles. A common tool is the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP). Without prospective ratings, the diagnosis is only provisional.

Prevalence figures vary a lot by how they're measured. A 2024 meta-analysis of 44 studies found 3.2% when diagnosis was confirmed with daily ratings, and 7.7% when it wasn't, which shows how much careful tracking matters. Read more on PMS vs PMDD and the symptoms of PMDD.

If your result shows the PMDD pattern

1. Start daily notes today. Rate your mood and main symptoms once a day for two cycles, alongside your period dates. The PMS symptom diary shows what to track.
2. Book an appointment with a GP, ob-gyn or psychiatrist and bring your notes.
3. Know the options. Treatments with good evidence include SSRI antidepressants (which can work quickly for premenstrual symptoms, sometimes taken only in the luteal phase), certain hormonal treatments that stop ovulation, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
4. Plan for the hard week. Lighter commitments, more sleep and telling someone you trust can make it easier. See PMDD support.

Two cycles of daily ratings, without the paperwork

Lulu's one-tap mood check-ins and symptom logs build exactly the day-by-day record doctors ask for, and the PMS chart exports as a CSV to share at your appointment. Lulu doesn't diagnose; it helps you show the pattern.