Drink your way to less PMS
The first 100 new and renewing members can win a box of Escape® worth £14.95 each and every month from now until July 2005.
Escape® is a natural, refreshing, nutritious drink of simple and complex carbohydrates, specially formulated to provide quick and lasting relief from irritability, aggression, depression, anxiety and food cravings. Escape® comes in a box of ten individual sachets to provide a pleasant fruit flavoured drink when mixed with a glass of water. Effects can be felt within 45 minutes and can last up to 5 hours. Escape® has no unwanted side effects and is fat free.
Escape from PMS
Natural healthcare specialist Cedar Health is behind some of the most successful and well established brands in complementary health.
The company has recently introduced Escape®, a clinically proven and highly effective way to manage premenstrual mood and appetite disturbances. One theory as to the cause of PMS is a higher sensitivity to the normal levels of the hormone progesterone which is released into the blood during the second half of the menstrual cycle. The effect of over sensitivity to progesterone is a reduced level of a natural chemical in the brain called serotonin - often referred to as the 'happy hormone'. There now exists a considerable body of scientific evidence demonstrating that the levels of serotonin in the brain have a major influence on the regulation of mood and appetite. When levels are low this can result in mood changes, irritability and cravings for carbohydrates.
Formulated during 10 years of research by Dr Judith Wurtman, a pioneer in brain chemistry, Escape® is a pleasant tasting drink made up of a specific combination of simple and complex carbohydrates that may provide the nutritional support to promote the production of serotonin, delivering quick and lasting relief from irritability, aggression, depression, anxiety and food cravings.
In a double-blind placebo controlled trial, those taking Escape® reported a 73% reduction in feelings of anger, tension and anxiety compared with only 38% in the placebo group. Cravings for sweet and starchy foods were significantly reduced and memory also improved by those taking Escape®. Escape® is available from Holland & Barrett and independent health stores. For further information, please visit www.escapepms.com
Addressing needs of PMS sufferers
Information now available after the first full year of launching our website service, "Ask the experts," shows that over 1000 women and men have used the E-consultancy to benefit from expert advice.
Commenting on this, NAPS chairman Nicholas Panay says: "The high and growing use made of the NAPS service shows that the NHS at GP level is failing women in this important aspect of their health. Without NAPS' initiative many women would be left high and dry without clinical support in dealing with their PMS symptoms."
Mr Panay said only NAPS was in the position to take the necessary action to address the needs of women affected by PMS. NAPS is fortunate to be supported by a team of eminent consultants and specialists around the country who give women much needed advice via this specialist E-consultancy service, available through the NAPS website www.pms.org.uk for subscribing members. The E-consultancy was established to meet the increasing demand from PMS sufferers for access to expert opinion.
"Our aim is to provide women with easy access to expert advice on all aspects of their menstrual health."
Meeting treatment needs
NAPS is seeking support from grant-giving trusts for a number of well-researched projects that address key needs of women affected by PMS.
Leading the way is a programme to develop a menstrual health assessment and treatment plan. This will provide users with a step-by-step progression towards a reduction in the severity of their PMS.
New herbal medicines regulation
The new EU regulations for the registration of herbal remedies sold over the counter will come into force at the end of October this year.
Free PMS lecture by leading professor
Prof Shaughn O'Brien, Vice President of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, will be giving a free public lecture on PMS in London next month.
Aimed at women of all ages and organised by the College's Consumer's Forum, the lecture will take place on Thursday 16th June 2005 from 6.30pm - 7.30pm at the College in Regent's Park, London. Causes of PMS and an outline of up-to-date treatments and solutions will be explained. Confusing terminology such as PMS, PMT and PMDD will also be clarified.
To reserve a free place please call 020 7772 6245, email conference@rcog.org.uk or log onto www.rcog.org.uk/meetings
Venue: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 27 Sussex Place, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RG.
Women's Sexual Health 'bible' 
relaunched
The third edition of Women's Sexual Health, edited by NAPS adviser and trustee, Gilly Andrews, has just been launched.
With a forward written by Professor John Studd, consultant gynaecologist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and NAPS Patron, Women's Sexual Health is an invaluable resource for health professionals, primarily aimed at nurses.
A comprehensive reference and text book, Women's Sexual Health covers the full range of women's health issues from the young adolescent woman through to the post menopausal woman. It has been updated to reflect the latest research and developments in current thinking and includes a chapter aimed at specific women's health problems including PMS, the menopause and sexual health.
As Professor John Studd says in his foreword: "I believe that this book is so comprehensive and readable, it should be of huge benefit to the public, it deserves to be a best seller from major bookshops as it has such a great educational role."
As it is a specialist book it may only be available at large book stores, but should be easily ordered from any smaller book shop. The book can also be ordered on-line at a cost of £28.99 plus p+p from intl.elsevierhealth.com | CLICK HERE FOR FLYER
Membership soaring
NAPS' international circulation continues to rocket as on-line membership figures soar to 5,000.
"This is a fantastic figure. Our website has enabled us to provide much needed information and support to a huge amount of sufferers around the world," NAPS comments.
