Is there a link between the consulting patterns of premenopausal women and the menstrual cycle?

Menstrual cycle hormonal changes have been reported to be responsible for a number of physical and behavioural changes. A number of studies have suggested that both physical and mental disorders occur in the premenstrual part of the cycle. The object of this study was to discover whether the frequency with which women of childbearing age seek medical advice is affected by the 'time of the month'. It was hypothesized that because of an increase in symptomatology there would be an increase in the number of requests for consultations to see the doctor in the premenstrual phase of the cycle. Women between the ages of 18 and 45, in two practices, answered a questionnaire when they arrived at the surgery for a consultation. The women were later telephoned to discover the exact first day of their next period. Four hundred and thirty-two questionnaires were analysed. The number of requests for a surgery consultation did appear to vary according to the phase of the cycle. There were fewer than anticipated requests for consultations in the few days prior to the onset of menstruation; however the rate of requests for a consultation during menstruation was significantly increased. These differences from the expected were particularly significant if the appointment had been made within 24 hours of the consultation (that is for urgent consultations) and among women who had high scores on a premenstrual syndrome checklist.