"Premenstral stress/tension" (PMS/PMT) as commonly defined does exist
I don't want to upset anyone by downplaying the real effects of PMT/PMS.
Reports such as those pointed out by the NHS aside, I have witnessed how the problem affects many women (if not all women to a degree) every month.
Another NHS page points out that
It's not fully understood why women experience PMS.
But it may be because of changes in your hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.
And, I know that women have a finite number of eggs available in the ovaries and they are all there at the start of maturity. After they are gone, no more will become available.
Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting in the loss of ovarian follicle development (Stotland & Stewart, 2008). Is the stress and tension specifically linked to menstruation or if it can continue into later life (after menopause)?
It seems that Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is still released post-menopause. Does premenstral stress/tension persist past menopause and if so, are any of the other relevant hormones still released in the same proportions after menopause at the time menstruation would have occurred?
References
Stotland, N. L., & Stewart, D. E. (Eds.). (2008). Psychological aspects of women's health care: The interface between psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology. London: American Psychiatric Press Inc.
