PMS & PMDD
Root-cause functional medicine care — not just symptom management. Lia Laterza, LAc works with you to find what's actually driving your pms & pmdd.
In-person & virtual consultations available
PMS is common — but it is not normal. And PMDD, the severe form that causes debilitating mood changes, rage, depression, or anxiety in the luteal phase, is even less acceptable to simply endure. These symptoms are not in your head. They are driven by real physiological imbalances: estrogen dominance, low progesterone, serotonin dysregulation, magnesium deficiency, blood sugar instability, or an overactive stress response. At Muskego Acupuncture & Wellness, we find the pattern driving your luteal phase symptoms and address it at the root.
Who It's For
This may be right for you if…
- You experience significant mood changes, irritability, or depression in the week before your period
- Your PMS symptoms are severe enough to affect your relationships, work, or daily functioning
- You have been diagnosed with PMDD or suspect it based on the severity of your symptoms
- You experience bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, or food cravings before your period
- Your symptoms resolve within a day or two of your period starting
- You have tried birth control or antidepressants for PMS with limited success or unwanted side effects
- You want to understand the hormonal and physiological reason your luteal phase is so difficult
Our Approach
How We Support PMS & PMDD Through Functional Medicine
We combine modern lab-based diagnostics with Traditional Chinese Medicine and personalized protocols to address the root cause — not just the symptoms.
Why Conventional Medicine Falls Short
Conventional medicine isn't designed to find the root cause.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Your lab results are "normal", but you struggle daily with symptoms that affect your quality of life
- You've seen multiple doctors and are no closer to getting answers or relief
- Your physical and mental health keeps you from living life the way you want to
- Your doctor has told you "you'll just have to live with it"
- You're looking for an option besides prescription medications or invasive surgery
- You're beginning to wonder if you'll ever feel like yourself again
You're not alone. Most care models focus on symptoms — not systems — and they often miss the full picture, relying on generalized protocols that don't work for everyone.
Schedule a ConsultationWe Do Things Different Here
Most care treats the symptom. We find what's driving it.
Most practices choose one lens to look through. We use two — because your body doesn't separate its systems, and neither should your care.
Functional Medicine
We look beyond symptoms to find their root cause — testing hormones, gut health, and metabolic markers to understand what's really happening in your body. Instead of managing symptoms indefinitely, we build a personalized plan aimed at resolving the underlying imbalance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Thousands of years of clinical observation inform how we read the body's patterns — energy, circulation, and organ systems working together. Acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle practices help restore balance and support your body's own healing response.
At Muskego Acupuncture & Wellness, we combine both — modern lab-based diagnostics with time-tested Eastern medicine — because using them together consistently produces more complete, more lasting results than either approach alone.
What You Can Expect
About Muskego Acupuncture
Muskego Acupuncture is a functional medicine and acupuncture practice led by Lia Laterza, LAc. Lia combines the science of functional medicine — lab testing, root-cause analysis, and personalized protocols — with the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine to help patients understand what is happening in their bodies and finally feel like themselves again.
Whether you are navigating hormonal chaos, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, or a constellation of symptoms that no one has been able to explain — Lia takes the time to listen, test, and build a plan that is specific to you. No guessing. No dismissing. Just real answers and real support.
Common questions
Is PMDD just severe PMS?
PMDD is a distinct condition characterized by severe mood symptoms — rage, depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation — that are clearly tied to the luteal phase and resolve within days of menstruation. It has a specific physiological basis involving progesterone metabolites and GABA receptor sensitivity.
Can PMS be fixed without antidepressants?
For many women, yes. When we address the underlying hormonal and physiological drivers — low progesterone, blood sugar instability, magnesium deficiency — PMS symptoms often resolve significantly without medication. For severe PMDD, we work alongside any existing treatment.
Why do my symptoms resolve as soon as my period starts?
Because the hormonal shift at menstruation — progesterone dropping to zero and estrogen resetting — resolves the imbalance that was driving your symptoms. This pattern (symptoms only in the luteal phase, resolving with menstruation) is the diagnostic hallmark of PMS and PMDD.
Milwaukee & Greater Milwaukee Area
Are you local to the Milwaukee area?
We offer acupuncture and in-person integrative therapies too!
If you're based in or near Milwaukee, we offer a full range of in-person services — fire cupping, gua sha, SAAT allergy treatments, muscle testing, and more. These therapies can be layered into your functional medicine plan or booked on their own for support with pain, stress, hormone balance, and skin health.
Your body has been trying to tell you something.
You deserve care that helps you feel at home in your body again. Together we'll stop guessing and start uncovering real answers — with a personalized approach that looks at the full picture of who you are and how you feel.
Book an Appointment