BLOKES beware - a new survey has revealed that 63% of women in the South-West get irritable and aggressive at their time of the month.

Research by the makers of food supplement Magnesium-OK, Wassen, has revealed that 81 per cent of women in the region suffer from Pre Menstrual Stress.

Despite a range of supplements and prescription drugs now being readily available to combat the symptoms of PMS, 55% said they had been suffering in silence since puberty.

* 48% said PMS made them feel low, while 10% said that anti-depressants were the only long-term solution.

* One in three had resorted to taking the contraceptive pill to level out hormones.

* 21% said a dietary supplement had helped while 32% said getting regular exercise also lessened their symptoms.

PMS is bad news for sufferers at work too with 36% saying they didn't cope with stress as well when they were suffering from PMS symptoms. 31% said they had burst in to tears at work.

Relationships are suffering as a result according to the poll, with only 44% of women saying their partner was understanding about PMS.

Some 14% of those questioned said their partner avoided them during a period of PMS, while 13% said their partners got angry and irritable as a response to their symptoms.

Wassen says that a magnesium supplement such as Magnesium-OK could help boost levels of nutrients that have been shown in research to be of benefit for premenstrual mood changes and ease the symptoms of fluid retention and premenstrual migraines.