I suffer from PMS for about 7 days before my period. I am 46 and use condoms for contraception as the pill made me very depressed and I stopped taking it 24 years ago. My main symptoms are anxiety and panicky waves, irritability. I feel light headed and shaky and have mood swings. My periods are still regular. I have recently started taking complex b vitamins that have helped with my tiredness and also the herb Milk thistle in a tincture format for my liver's health (as I drink alcohol most evenings before bed.) I have started some meditation and also go out walking more regularly. What can I do?

It sounds as if you have low levels of magnesium.

Levels of this vital mineral fall in the week before your period, so any deficiency will show up then.

Alcohol drains the body of magnesium, by the way, so it might be useful to reduce your intake the week before your period.

The other issue (which is connected to magnesium too) is blood sugar balance - when your blood sugar levels drop, you feel tired and shaky and light headed, and often irritable too. Oh, and you tend to crave sugar or caffeine or alcohol at this point!

So it would be important to focus on eating regularly - have something, however small, every 3-4 hours, e.g. a banana or some dried fruit or nuts, chewing them well to improve the absorption of the nutrients they contain. Also, keep your water intake up (but don't drink with food - leave at least 20 minutes between food and drink), as dehydration makes you feel way more panicky and gives you palpitations. Avoid caffeine if you can, as this can trigger anxiety too, as can very sugary foods.

To help yourself further, start practising simple breathing exercises several times daily. Just something as easy as counting to 3 whilst you breathe in and to 6 as you breathe out will be very helpful - you may be surprised at how good this is at averting stressy feelings.

Check your diet for wholegrains, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and green veg, as these are sources of magnesium. A good supplement is Salus Haus liquid magnesium.

Herbs such as Passiflora can be extremely calming too.

Kindest regards

Emma