Free Offer
Take advantage of this month's amazing free offer. The first 100 new or renewing members will each receive a free 30 capsule pack of Agnus Castus tablets, worth £7.99. Agnus Castus can help with irritability, anxiety, breast tenderness and fluid retention associated with PMS. Join up now and try for yourself.
NAPS welcomes new corporate supporter
Aquaban, the diuretic manufactured by Lanes - specialist suppliers of natural remedy products - has joined NAPS as a new corporate supporter.
Set in the heart of Gloucestershire, herbal medicines manufacturer Lanes prides itself on its family run business, which has enjoyed more than 70 years' successful trading. The essence of the company remains - with the focus on natural remedies and the family ethos continuing with Gilbert Lane's grand-daughter, Janet Groves, chairing the business.
The company traces its origins to the early 1930s when Gilbert Lane - the founder of today's company - began to write books about the curative and remedial qualities of plants. Today, Lanes employs 150 staff and manufactures a range of different products including leading brands Olbas, Kalms, Quiet Life and Aquaban.
Aquaban Herbal
A new product to be added to Lanes' portfolio and an extension of the popular Aquaban brand is Aquaban Herbal.
A blend of natural ingredients, Aquaban Herbal can help to reduce the discomfort of water retention without leaving you dehydrated.
The tablets contain burdock root, uva ursi and clivers. These herbs have long been known for their gentle diuretic powers and have been combined to create a formula that restores the body's natural fluid balance.
'Three out of five women suffer with pre-menstrual water retention,' says Aquaban brand manager, Hilary Lynn. 'But in reality many more women may suffer but often don't even realise that's what it is. What's worse is they think they just have to live with it - when actually they don't have to.
'By providing a new natural solution, under the familiar Aquaban brand, we hope to ease this unnecessary discomfort for many women.'
Aquaban Herbal costs £3.49 and is available from pharmacies and Health Food Stores. For stockists details call 01452 524012.
www.aquaban.co.uk
www.laneshealth.com
NAPS relationship difficulties
PMS can have a dramatic affect on personal relationships. Relationship Counselor and leading agony aunt, Susan Quilliam gives some useful tips on how to keep relationships going in times of PMS stress.
Almost always, PMS impacts on personal relationships in an absolutely devastating way. As a result of our monthly shift of state, 'she' finds herself lashing out emotionally - then feeling guilty. In the meantime, 'he' is caught between longing to help us, but feeling attacked and wanting to strike back.
But there is a three-part strategy, based on research into the psychology of personality that can help reduce the pain of these monthly crises.
1: First and most importantly, don't take PMS personally. The bottom line here is that it's a medical condition, not a relationship choice. She doesn't want to feel irritable or moody - so there's no need for her to feel guilty. And while it's painful for him to be on the receiving end, he needs to understand that what's happening isn't to do with him. Both need to realise that underneath, the chances are that love is still strong. This may feel almost impossible to take on board, but the more you can understand it, the less the situation will undermine your love.
2: Second, get things in perspective. One or two weeks of unhappiness a month may seem like the end of the world, but it is a proportion of your relationship, not all of it - and the more you can see that, the easier it will be to handle. So make a deliberate attempt to focus on the positives: literally, sit down each evening and list out the good things that have happened, where you've felt happy, how you've been kind to each other - how you're still committed despite the pain.
3: Third, don't give in. It's very easy to think that PMS is unsolvable - and that because of that, your relationship will never be right again. In fact, believing that may well itself be a symptom of PMS - once you get better, the hope will return and with it, the loving feeling. But you do need to take action, keep on trying to change things, keep on trying to find a way forward however much you lose the energy. In fact, her efforts to get better - and his efforts to help her get better are proof that the relationship is still important to you, which you will give anything in order to love.
Susan Quilliam
"Once a month" readers swamp BBC
The BBC dedicated "Once a month" sent out recently to over 6,000 readers inviting PMS sufferers to take part in a study forming part of a science series, had such a fantastic response that there is now a waiting list.
Fifty women have been selected to take part in the study being carried out with a leading PMS Consultant Nick Panay (NAPS Chairman) and Dietitian Nigel Denby (NAPS Dietary Advisor). The study will look at the role of nutrition in improving PMS symptoms and will form part of the new BBC Science series The Truth About Food, which is about the effect of food on the body.
New National Women' Health Alliance
In response to growing concern about the responsiveness of health services for women, the key organisations concerned, including NAPS, have agreed to work together by establishing a single representative national alliance.
Initially the alliance aims to provide joint information services so that women and health professionals can access reliable information and advice about all aspects of reproductive and associated health from puberty to the menopause and beyond from one trusted source. The new alliance will also develop joint clinical and patient education programmes. Working with other organisations the new alliance also aims to work and speak collectively to ensure that health services are more responsive to the health support needs of women.
Chris Ryan from NAPS, who has been elected as the first chair of the alliance, says: "The organisations who have established the new partnership are uniquely placed to assess the health requirements of women during their reproductive years and beyond, and the responsiveness of services to these needs. Together the organisations in the new alliance can speak with unsurpassed authority on reproductive, menstrual and sexual health. They are in constant touch with patients, partners and professionals. The decision to work closely together in an alliance is a milestone for women's health."
"Thank you for an excellent day"
This comment from one of the 80 delegates attending the latest NAPS study day summarised the enthusiastic response to the latest NAPS conference.
The Catalis Conference Centre at Derby buzzed with anticipation on February 17 when health professionals, community support specialists and women affected by menstrual ill health met at the 14th NAPS clinical conference.
The leading UK experts in women's health addressed the conference and all those at the meeting acclaimed the standard of presentation. Even conference-hardened corporate sponsors were impressed: "The quality of lectures was exceptional," was the comment from one company representative who attended to demonstrate their product.
Patients attending also found the event, "Well organised, beneficial and informative." The quality of the Centre and its staff was commented upon.
"Enjoyed content", "Very good", "Well done", "Very impressed", "Very interesting", "Well presented," are comments taken from health professionals evaluation forms.
Looking ahead delegates were also interested to attend a conference in which the subjects covered included: Fibroids; teenage menstrual health; the impact of pms/menopause on women with major mental illness such as bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, changes in psychoses/mood disorder and cognitive behavioural therapy. There was also a widespread interest in looking closely at individual case scenarios as the basis for supporting more confidence in practice.
Taken together this was a memorable day, which again showed the benefit of bringing health professionals, women's support professions and patients together to share information and experience.
Thanks to NAPS supporters:
Our next event will be in Kent during September. Keep your eye open for further details.
Feminax change formula of PMS tablets
Bayer, manufacturers of Feminax Tablets, formulated to help with period pain, has changed the formula of the product. The change in formula was originally brought to NAPS' attention by one of its members who had purchased a packet unaware of this fact. Acting on behalf of our members, NAPS wrote to Bayer to confirm this. Bayer has replied explaining its decision to remove the Hysocine hydrobromide component, thought to be effective in helping with stomach cramps.
Dear Ms Baker
Feminax - Without Prejudice
Thank you for your enquiry on behalf of your members regarding the above.
At the direction of the UK medicines licence authority (the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)), the active ingredient, Hyoscine Hydrobromide has been removed from Feminax.
The MHRA reviewed all Hyoscine Hydrobromide-containing products and decided that it was unclear whether the quantity present in Feminax performed a relevant function. Bayer therefore took this opportunity to review the current
formulation and decided that an optimal formulation was 500mg Paracetamol and 8mg Codeine Phosphate. Bayer also took this opportunity to change the
pharmaceutical form from hard tablets to a more favourable soft capsule.
I hope this information is helpful to you and your members.
Congratulations
Winner of last month's PMS slogan competition is Penny Ruby for her slogan 'Periods are a bloody nuisance.' Well done Penny, and enjoy your flowers.
PMS Awareness Week 11 September 2006
One of the key tasks for NAPS is to increase awareness of PMS amongst public and health professionals.
For this reason we initiated an annual PMS Awareness Week a few years ago. With the support of many individuals and companies, our PMS Awareness Week has become an established part of the national scene. This year the week will begin on September 11 and we will be focussing on the mental health symptoms of PMS and PMDD, notably depression, mood swings, aggression and suicidal thoughts, and their impact upon sufferers and relationships.
Hormone contraception helps with lifestyle and PMS
A study regarding the use of extended hormonal contraception to help with the impact of menstruation on lifestyle, productivity and medical conditions has been published in the ARHP Clinical Proceedings - a publication of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
For further details click on http://www.arhp.org/ and follow menstruation and Clinical Proceedings.
