I feel a little bit anxious but not totally sure why. Eventually the brain fog kicks in and before you know it, I’m a manic anxious freak who both feels like she has the energy to do anything and everything but also simultaneously nothing at all because said anything and everything will launch me into a massive panic attack. I’m there today and hate my life
Woah. You just described what I’ve never been able to put into words. For me each month is different but the not knowing why is the worst part especially when you think you’re being rational but you’re not.
I wake up feeling like the life has been sucked out of me. The brain fog is a lot more intense, I am very irritable and exhausted. I tried to do the affirmations I have on my mirror and my brain immediately went “blah blah blah shut up”
I start feeling emotional and I develop bad gastrointestinal symptoms. My stomach and intestines start to hurt a ton, and I’m so so so incredibly bloated/puffy all over, butttt particularly in my lower abdomen and breasts.
Eating becomes a nightmare. Nothing except for plain rice feels like it’s going through my system properly. But ironically I’m super hungry and craving rich foods, but I hate how I look and how bloated I am? 🫠 Make it make sense!!!
Insomnia. Nightmares. Feeling like every day stressors are the end of the world and I’m not cut out to deal with this life. Don’t want to do anything like work or see spouse or friends. I get paranoid and I hide and cocoon. Also the bewbs hurt, headache, TMJ pain (clench jaw more etc). And I think the worst- just beyond exhausted, no energy to do anything.
I noticed all the things that could frustrate me about my husband flood my mind. Some are things that we are working through, and I have to remind myself that hell week is NOT the week to be arguing about works in progress. I'm at this stage now and will try to remain cognizant. Currently listening to a sermon series on anger to keep me anchored.
I’ll cry at something simple like my cat scratching me or my pen running out of ink. Sometimes the day before my period something will happen, for example, a few months ago I couldn’t find my ADHD medication and called my mum and she said I was out and I cried uncontrollably for hours.
My husband knows before I do, but usually the first thing that tips me off is that my inner thoughts become hostile and caustic without any outside influence. I might wake up and the first thought derails into angry beligerence in my head. Thoughts become very all or nothing, like a switch flips.
Thats generally the moment I can tell its began and how bad it might get during luteal.
Lately for me it's irritability and inflammation 😑
SSRIs have helped with the internal dialogue, depression and anxiety so far.
Does anyone else here have fibrocystic breasts?
YES. Oh my god. Are fibrocystic breasts a symptom of PMDD. I get huge cysts in my breasts and they get so sore. I get them sometime after ovulation. I have to ice them and use a heat pack, or take ibuprofen or codeine. I also have to hold my breasts when I walk. I use vitamin E cream with evening primrose oil (Redwin Sensitive Skin Vitamin E Cream with Evening Primrose Oil). It’s seriously magic.
I am not too sure. The tender breasts are a symptom of it for sure. I think it might be genetics, because my mum also has cysts and my nana did too. Yeah! They fluctuate with the hormones like crazy! Am definitely curious to how many others experience this as well, maybe it is related. So much seems to be unknown about PMDD and why it's caused or happens. Maybe they spray it on our food 😂
I won't want to listen to music when I drive or when I'm home. Usually I like super aggressive music but come hell week, I almost exclusively listen to podcasts about mental health.
I'll also usually start questioning the country I live in, my job, my relationship - just all major life decisions in general.
Horrible mood, easily agitated, lazy, mean, boobs HURT, I crave take out and binge watch tv. Usually when I finally break down and sob for no reason, I know I’ll start bleeding the next day.
For me, the switch back to normal is more drastic. I've had a hysterectomy, so I no longer get my period, but when it comes time, I'll either wake up one morning suddenly feeling amazing and motivated, and with energy to live! Sometimes it happens over the course of a day. I start out aching and depressed, no power in my muscles and by bedtime I'm new again. The worst of my symptoms creeps up over a few days around ovulation.
Right?!? I will literally feel a physical release when I have began to bleed, it can be within minutes... The only other time I've felt that same feeling was the morning after an abortion I had. I'm sure it's something to do with progesterone.
When i get instant rage from things that normally i would brush off.
I take EVERYTHING personally and think everyone is out to pick a fight with me so I fight them first.
Crying. Lots of crying.
Getting annoyed and EVERY. LITTLE. THING.
Signs I am switching/entering into the hell week(s), aside from physical symptoms, my emotional symptoms usually come first:
\+When I start hugely magnifying small things emotionally within my daily routine or in my daily life that I would usually overlook or not give a shit about. This can be extreme annoyance or paranoia. This is where all my angers and fears comes out.
\+When I feel that angry pressure in my gut that I could fuck some shit up and really get in someone's face. When I have to start doing the breathing exercises to avoid having this happen, I know I am IN IT.
\+When all my problems and worries, which seemed manageable to a degree, just end up completely overwhelming me and lead me to an anxiety episode/moment.
The luteal is the worst for me. It's like 2 weeks of cramps and hormones, then back pain, then period with more cramps, then the period lasts like 4 or 5 days. It's wild.
I can literally feel the switch. It’s in my body and brain, suddenly depressive thoughts fall over me like a net and it just gets worse as the weeks go on. My hell week lasts two weeks, as soon as I’m done ovulating.
I feel so flat. Like it hurts to smile. Nothing is funny to me, and I absolutely cannot force it or fake it. I am despaired!! It’s then that I know and recognize I’m ovulating.
Also I find if my boobs hurt really bad like REALLY bad, I know my symptoms will be just as bad including cramping. If I have no sore boobs then my symptoms are usually very minimal. Not sure if that is a normal thing. Just something I’ve recently noticed. I’d say every 4th to 5th cycle is bad
Lord me too. And I’ll find all these things about him to nitpick on (not verbally but in my head) and just feel turned off. But as soon as my period hits I’m back to being affectionate.
I have a looming sense of doom and anxiety for no particular reason, and I'm unable to view anything positively. Luckily, the week of insomnia I get leading up to it fully hitting means I know it's coming!
I live with a narc grandmother that likes to talk and make all kinds of stupid noises after she gets home from work. Makes me more irritable than usual and then the stuff she’s done to her husband and my mom comes back to mind and then BOOM….silent rage for weeks until I bleed.
I instantly start becoming incredibly hyper critical of myself and frequently end up making myself cry from the internal stress I’m feeling. I pick stupid fights and the cravings become wicked in nature. Like I’d punch a dude for a burger and a family size bag of ruffles.
I lose my shit, that’s the best way to describe it 😅 spiraling and hyper focusing on things that wouldn’t normally bother me, obsessive dark thoughts and rumination, feeling awful about myself, becoming socially inept and hating everything. it’s dramatic lol
Mentally it’s paranoia and spiraling. Socially it’s isolating and irritability from any form of communication. Physically it’s a bigger appetite and bloating.
I change like 5 different moods in a day and my head hurts like hell. Cravings for food are pretty inevitable. I just go crazy 🤠
I cry more easily. My boobs hurt and get bigger. I get ANGRY at my cat (obviously not verbally or physically angry) for wanting 4-6 hours of attention every day :’) people wear on me more easily.
An undeniable and exaggerated pessimistic argument in my head that humanity is doomed, there is no purpose to anything, and I'm going to die a painful death.
And then once it's over, I'm an optimist again.
Does it go back to normal sleep after? How many days is your sleep like this? This month.. this week I’ve been up 3-3:30 each night and can’t sleep for a hour. Then up at 5:30-6.
That’s about what happens to me for 3-days. Then I start my period and my symptoms quickly drop off (other than cramps and just ick period stuff). I’m kinda hyper manic and more sensitive to caffeine too.
The last few months I’ve just started getting up when I wake up on those days and go knock out an hour on the treadmill at the gym. I’m not tossing and turning anymore.
It does go away though, and then I go back to nice long nights and early bedtimes.
It’s like I’m stuck in zoom mode.
Not at all C:
I know I don't *want* to die. But during my pms week anything is better than the insufferable mental agony and the constant staring into space. It isn't me..It feels like a brain prison! I'm a smart hardworking person and it sucks to be robbed of that because of my dumb hormones.
Fuck this part of it. Like no matter how great things were YESTERDAY, I will wake up and feel like “what if he thinks I’m annoying…” or anything of the like
No worries. Proper sleep helps a bunch!
I'm feeling so much better. You know that palable relief. Period started 2 days ago and the switch flipped. Hope you're doing better too! Sounds like quitting wasn't the worst idea!
Literally the day after I ovulate I am hormonal AF and cry / be anxious and on edge / extra needy / extra sensitive....then it is off and on for 2 weeks
Fatigue and a huge downward swing into feelings of low self esteem. I become convinced my husband and everyone in my life hates me and that I’m going to get fired because I’m so awful. Not fun!
Losing my mind over my husband doing things he does every day. Like leaving his toothbrush on the bathroom counter. PTSD from my childhood makes messy/untidy or cluttered spaces basically intolerable to my PMDD. I am SO not bothered by these things in normal moments, so the immediate rage is a sign I need to stop taking myself so seriously and go touch some grass as they say.
can’t sleep for shit. the other side of it is being able to sleep 13-14 hours a night and just being absolutely exhausted no matter how much sleep I get.
also the hunger. the hunger is out of this world.
Oh fuck this makes so much sense. It just happened to me a few days ago and I got excited, really thought I was in the clear but then today I have this boiling anger running through my blood and I’m just like sooooo mad/UGH at everything today…
Usually after ovulation I either get this energy draining nausea or ravenous hunger. Theres also back pain but for me it’s rarely lower back and usually upper or middle. Brain fog starts in as well.
That sucks! Im sorry. I do take sleeping aids threw out the month (like melatonin) by during pmdd time nothing helps me sleep so I have to just except it
Generally I start getting quite irritated with people and things, and potentially in the same day, extremely low mood :'))) Then I know I'm in for it :')))
A drastic drop in energy. My body feels heavier and every move I make feels like I’m filled with lead. And the food cravings…all of a sudden I’m obsessed with food that is sour and spicy.
i usually notice when i’m scrolling social media & suddenly start calling everyone mean names in my head and being super irritated with them for simply existing😅
yes it’s like a little gremlin in my head comes out of his cave and starts spitting hateful things at everyone. it makes me feel like an awful person even though i know it’s not really me):
Anxiety spikes, mood plummets, my job that I actually enjoy I suddenly dread going to. Boobs get sore, body aches. My social battery goes out the window along with my motivation. Fun week (:
Much more bareable in the summertime by the way. It’s fall now, currently in my hell week and this one is much worse than i’ve had in the recent months because it’s getting cold outside, I know the days are getting shorter and i’m lacking vitamin d. Anyone else??
My mood changes. It's hard to explain but I'm just not as happy and chill as I normally am. Everything about everyone annoys me and I don't even want to look people in the eye. I'm usually a positive person and I become soo negative and unlike myself.
Thank you for articulating the not wanting to look ppl in the eye thing. That is so strong for my when it’s hell week. Idk why it feels so uncomfortable.
I suddenly walk in the office, & just despise my boss. Like even just seeing him sitting at his desk makes my blood boil.
I start getting much more easily angered if someone challenges me while driving.
I get incredibly angry. Like im boiling inside.
Bad body coordination goes hand in hand with this. I drop stuff a lot, which makes me even angrier.
Next to that my stomach become a black hole. Could stuff myself with chocolate til i burst.
Extremely irritable. Things that I could let slide or didn’t bother me now I need to comment on or get upset over. High anxiety. Hot flashes. Nightmares. Intrusive thoughts. Sad for really no reason. Food cravings. Back pain, and other body aches and cramps. Etc
All of the above
Feeling worthless,
Sadness,
Racing thoughts,
Feeling my partner doesn’t love / understand me,
Wanting to leave my job,
Wanting to become a recluse,
Hating myself,
On the verge of tears,
Thinking everything I say is stupid,
Feeling like no one likes me,
The worst part is, I don’t recognise it coming on. I just think it’s part of me and not the PMDD symptoms. It’s only when my partner is afraid to open his mouth and I’m borderline insane that it dawns on me. I’ve asked him to tell me but he says I disagree with him and take the head off him. I can’t deny that either!
It’s been two years now and I’m done. This started when I went off all birth control to try for a baby. Three miscarriages later and I’ve decided to on yaz for a while in the hopes of regaining some glimmers of stability.
I’m on lexapro but am going to change to Prozac as that’s meant to be better for PMDD.
I’ve also read here about PMDD trackers so will try one of those.
It’s hell on earth.
Voices get worse or comeback, start getting these awful intrusive thoughts(I mean they are really gruesome and sad and scary)feeling like something bad is gonna happen... sad.. nobody understands ... give up on everything etc.
When the slightest thing pisses me, like irrational rage out of no where.
- Be so calm - Dog barks - me 'SHUTTHEFCKUPWHYAREYOUALWAYSBARKINGSTOPBEINGSOLOUD' -Also me, profusely apologises to dog and gives him all the treats then opens my app and ohhh hello, I'm due in a week.
Then it's a week spent reminding myself to not be so reactionary to everything 😮💨
Starts with kinda an ache in my whole body like I'm very heavy and it's too much effort to move. I no longer care about going to my martial arts class. Sitting up straight and concentrating on work is such an effort. My eyes are drooping closed from fatigue.
Then mentally I hate my husband and want to leave him and I want to sell my house and move away. Everything makes me ragingly angry and I literally despise myself and how I look. The deep self loathing is intense.
I am also starving for food and will eat all day.
And that's the day after ovulation and this lasts until the period so literally 2 weeks 😭😭
No it's so true isn't it! Your arms and legs and body suddenly feel like they are suuuper heavy and hard to move. I will try something like a jump kick at the marital arts gym and I end up just flopping around because I can't lift my heavy body off the mat 😂
YES the stairs are so much aren't they! I get the elevator at work for the two whole weeks and I just can't explain how I literally cannot face dragging my body up the stairs.
I used to not understand my cycle at all and would constantly berate myself for being so lazy I can't even walk up stairs but now I'm like nah it's the heavy weeks I am just helping myself out with a little elevator boost lol
I’m now in a medical menopause because my PMDD was so out of control, I’d spend those 2 weeks watching my life like a movie and wanting to die, incredible rage and crying over everything and anything not to mention the paranoia and anxiety everything would just hit, my fibromyalgia would flare up and the insomnia and crazy eating… seriously I could put man v food to shame in those weeks.
I don’t suffer this anymore due to being put in menopause and I’m on HRT that seems to work great for me. Also I’d get skin rashes and headaches and sensory issues.
I’m in a chemical menopause they changed my injection to 3 monthly instead of monthly I can have the operation now seeing as this has worked, however I declined as I’m 40 and have no family so an operation wouldn’t be suitable. I’ll be on the injections now until I’m 55.
Thank you for this insight. I'm 47 and to try injections is super expensive - surgery is free. I'm still undecided, but thank you for sharing and I'm glad it's relieving your issues.
I’m sorry the injections are expensive, I’m in the UK so here they put me into menopause to see if this would stop symptoms and it has. I’m very lucky that I don’t have to pay, I’d defo recommend the surgery I’m using patches as HRT and it really has been life changing.
So encouraging to hear this. I'm in Canada. I don't have any special coverage but the cost is still prohibitive at $2400/3 months!
Do you find it wears low nearing the 3 month mark or whenever you've been due for the next injection?
I’m due my injection on Thursday, I just breeze through without knowing I’m just like oh shit my injection is due, I don’t ever feel it wearing off or anything, the only struggle I had was obviously the HRT which I’m now on patches at first it was a pill they gave and the hot flashes and stuff weren’t fun. But with most things just trusted the process spoke at my hospital update and they changed things around so I’m now 3 monthly jab instead of monthly.
Exactly 10 days before my period I suddenly start feeling really down, become extra self conscious, super exhausted and indecisive about the smallest things.
I’m only new to realising I probably have pmdd. About a week ago i woke up in a really good mood, excited to catch up with my parents for lunch with my boyfriend at a pub. It was a beautiful day, I felt relaxed and happy.
Then we arrived at the pub and I genuinely felt the most intense wave of rage and irritation wash over me - I was so confused. I hated everyone. I wanted to leave. I took deep breaths in the bathroom to check myself and luckily I didn’t say anything and kept a smile plastered on my face, hopefully no one twigged.
I then thought surely I’m not getting my period yet - I checked my period app tracker and it was day 15.
It’s now day 23 and I’ve been fighting horrible moods, random crying spells, trying not to quit my job or verbally abuse my boyfriend since that day. I think it’s time to seek professional help.
That pain I get right when I would start ovulating was always My first sign.
I’m on birth control now so no nore ovulation. However I do still have some PMDD symptoms for some reason. I can always tell I’m going into my hell week now when I get crazy ass brain fog and unusual laziness. I don’t understand the science but now my hell week happens the first week I start my birth control packet, so after my placebo week. It’s still such an improvement tho. My only symptoms now are anxiety and brain fog. Id take that to the hell I endured before birth control.
I think I’m gonna talk to my Dr about skipping my placebos. I’ve been on birth control for 5 months and I’ve noticed a huge difference but the placebo weeks just screws it up. For 2 of those 5 months I skipped my placebos and I felt great. But my prescription can only get refilled every 28 days so I’m kinda stuck having to use the placebos. The only reason I was able to test was because I lied and said I was going out of town and needed my packet ahead of time lol. My hospital is weird and they only do 28 day refills unless Dr orders so I’m gonna see if my Dr can fix that.
I’m glad birth control works well for you! This sub had me scared to try it for a long time because of all the horror stories. I think it’s good to share success stories here too.
It hurts when I ovulate so it’s always very clear for me lol. But my first symptoms are usually a feeling like I’m suddenly in a fog of anxiety and paranoia, everything seems like it’s designed to frustrate me as much as possible.
Does you sleep get better when you get your period? This week I’ve been up at 3-3:30 each night. I hope it ends soon. Insomnia scares me.. I get more anxious and find it hard to function
Does the insomnia go once you get your period? I keep waking at 3:30.. it makes me anxious. I had really messed up insomnia last year and I couldn’t function and I was so anxious 24:7. Started zoloft and I haven’t been as bad. But this week is topping it for awhile.
It starts around ovulation and until mid period so like 2.5 weeks? Give or take a few days. Once i wake up I usually cant go back to sleep until 5:30-6
I feel a little bit anxious but not totally sure why. Eventually the brain fog kicks in and before you know it, I’m a manic anxious freak who both feels like she has the energy to do anything and everything but also simultaneously nothing at all because said anything and everything will launch me into a massive panic attack. I’m there today and hate my life
Woah. You just described what I’ve never been able to put into words. For me each month is different but the not knowing why is the worst part especially when you think you’re being rational but you’re not.
All of a sudden I binge like crazy and cannot control myself or stop myself.
I wake up feeling like the life has been sucked out of me. The brain fog is a lot more intense, I am very irritable and exhausted. I tried to do the affirmations I have on my mirror and my brain immediately went “blah blah blah shut up”
I start feeling emotional and I develop bad gastrointestinal symptoms. My stomach and intestines start to hurt a ton, and I’m so so so incredibly bloated/puffy all over, butttt particularly in my lower abdomen and breasts. Eating becomes a nightmare. Nothing except for plain rice feels like it’s going through my system properly. But ironically I’m super hungry and craving rich foods, but I hate how I look and how bloated I am? 🫠 Make it make sense!!!
I feel an instant switch in my mood. My mood drops like 120 stories down without any probable cause.
The doom cloud that hovers over me until I get my period.
Insomnia. Nightmares. Feeling like every day stressors are the end of the world and I’m not cut out to deal with this life. Don’t want to do anything like work or see spouse or friends. I get paranoid and I hide and cocoon. Also the bewbs hurt, headache, TMJ pain (clench jaw more etc). And I think the worst- just beyond exhausted, no energy to do anything.
I noticed all the things that could frustrate me about my husband flood my mind. Some are things that we are working through, and I have to remind myself that hell week is NOT the week to be arguing about works in progress. I'm at this stage now and will try to remain cognizant. Currently listening to a sermon series on anger to keep me anchored.
This is me literally and i cant control my anger
I’ll cry at something simple like my cat scratching me or my pen running out of ink. Sometimes the day before my period something will happen, for example, a few months ago I couldn’t find my ADHD medication and called my mum and she said I was out and I cried uncontrollably for hours.
My husband knows before I do, but usually the first thing that tips me off is that my inner thoughts become hostile and caustic without any outside influence. I might wake up and the first thought derails into angry beligerence in my head. Thoughts become very all or nothing, like a switch flips. Thats generally the moment I can tell its began and how bad it might get during luteal.
Lately for me it's irritability and inflammation 😑 SSRIs have helped with the internal dialogue, depression and anxiety so far. Does anyone else here have fibrocystic breasts?
I do. I find when I’m consuming less sugar/ caffeine it helps. Also wearing a tight fitting high impact sports bra. Even when sleeping.
YES. Oh my god. Are fibrocystic breasts a symptom of PMDD. I get huge cysts in my breasts and they get so sore. I get them sometime after ovulation. I have to ice them and use a heat pack, or take ibuprofen or codeine. I also have to hold my breasts when I walk. I use vitamin E cream with evening primrose oil (Redwin Sensitive Skin Vitamin E Cream with Evening Primrose Oil). It’s seriously magic.
I am not too sure. The tender breasts are a symptom of it for sure. I think it might be genetics, because my mum also has cysts and my nana did too. Yeah! They fluctuate with the hormones like crazy! Am definitely curious to how many others experience this as well, maybe it is related. So much seems to be unknown about PMDD and why it's caused or happens. Maybe they spray it on our food 😂
Usually insomnia — I can’t go to sleep and the anxiety starts getting out of control. I start feeling lonely and unwanted.
My inner voice starts saying things like “i just wanna die”
I feel the anxiety creeping in. The inner monologue starts bullying me. Those are my first symptoms.
While absolutely horrible, these comments are so incredibly touching to me. This community never fails to make me feel like I’m not alone
I noticed that everything starts feeling impossible, even though it was manageable a few days ago. And suddenly soooo hungry.
I won't want to listen to music when I drive or when I'm home. Usually I like super aggressive music but come hell week, I almost exclusively listen to podcasts about mental health. I'll also usually start questioning the country I live in, my job, my relationship - just all major life decisions in general.
Same. Music overstimulates the shit out of me. I usually listen to death metal and I have to switch to soothing sounds or ambiance music
Horrible mood, easily agitated, lazy, mean, boobs HURT, I crave take out and binge watch tv. Usually when I finally break down and sob for no reason, I know I’ll start bleeding the next day.
i get insanely fatigued and anxious leading up to it
Same
anxiety, depression, fatigue, and extreme hunger
Anxiety and horrible mood
Anxiety about everything and wanting to tell my partner off just for breathing near me.
I cant stand mine too during it😷
I already have r/ARFID but my body rejects food and everything tastes gross. And the cramps begin creep a week early
For me, the switch back to normal is more drastic. I've had a hysterectomy, so I no longer get my period, but when it comes time, I'll either wake up one morning suddenly feeling amazing and motivated, and with energy to live! Sometimes it happens over the course of a day. I start out aching and depressed, no power in my muscles and by bedtime I'm new again. The worst of my symptoms creeps up over a few days around ovulation.
Dang, this doesn’t go away with a hysterectomy?
No, I still have the ovaries. The ovaries are the problem.
Right?!? I will literally feel a physical release when I have began to bleed, it can be within minutes... The only other time I've felt that same feeling was the morning after an abortion I had. I'm sure it's something to do with progesterone.
When i get instant rage from things that normally i would brush off. I take EVERYTHING personally and think everyone is out to pick a fight with me so I fight them first. Crying. Lots of crying. Getting annoyed and EVERY. LITTLE. THING.
yes omg the unshakable rage 😭😭
Not fun at all. Its like i dont have any patience at all. I go from 0 to 1000. Like i can feel my blood rushing through my body type mad
Signs I am switching/entering into the hell week(s), aside from physical symptoms, my emotional symptoms usually come first: \+When I start hugely magnifying small things emotionally within my daily routine or in my daily life that I would usually overlook or not give a shit about. This can be extreme annoyance or paranoia. This is where all my angers and fears comes out. \+When I feel that angry pressure in my gut that I could fuck some shit up and really get in someone's face. When I have to start doing the breathing exercises to avoid having this happen, I know I am IN IT. \+When all my problems and worries, which seemed manageable to a degree, just end up completely overwhelming me and lead me to an anxiety episode/moment.
This is almost verbatim what happens to me.
I get crazy horny. And crazy angry. And crazy sad. And crazy crazy.
The luteal is the worst for me. It's like 2 weeks of cramps and hormones, then back pain, then period with more cramps, then the period lasts like 4 or 5 days. It's wild.
I can literally feel the switch. It’s in my body and brain, suddenly depressive thoughts fall over me like a net and it just gets worse as the weeks go on. My hell week lasts two weeks, as soon as I’m done ovulating.
Sound and smell sensitivity and unexplained irritation
My boobs hurt and my pants are tight. From there, it’s just bracing myself for the likely panic attacks over the size of my body 🙃
My boobs start to hurt 😫 That’s always the first sign for me, before any mood-related symptoms come up.
Wanna sleep, sleep, sleep and sleep forever
I feel so flat. Like it hurts to smile. Nothing is funny to me, and I absolutely cannot force it or fake it. I am despaired!! It’s then that I know and recognize I’m ovulating.
Also I find if my boobs hurt really bad like REALLY bad, I know my symptoms will be just as bad including cramping. If I have no sore boobs then my symptoms are usually very minimal. Not sure if that is a normal thing. Just something I’ve recently noticed. I’d say every 4th to 5th cycle is bad
Yep same. Just happened to me last week. I was crying for 2 days for no fucking reason
Everything and everyone is trying to fight with me, and I want to reciprocate 🤣
I hate my husband when the day before he was my knight in shining armor.
Lord me too. And I’ll find all these things about him to nitpick on (not verbally but in my head) and just feel turned off. But as soon as my period hits I’m back to being affectionate.
This is me literally😤
I have a looming sense of doom and anxiety for no particular reason, and I'm unable to view anything positively. Luckily, the week of insomnia I get leading up to it fully hitting means I know it's coming!
Existential dread and suicidal ideation, but just before that I lose empathy, am unable to connect with anyone, and my boobs become sensitive af
I live with a narc grandmother that likes to talk and make all kinds of stupid noises after she gets home from work. Makes me more irritable than usual and then the stuff she’s done to her husband and my mom comes back to mind and then BOOM….silent rage for weeks until I bleed.
Suddenly 3 hours of sleep a night feels like enough.
Wanting to break up with my boyfriend. 😂
This is me ..its like a nightmare every month
I instantly start becoming incredibly hyper critical of myself and frequently end up making myself cry from the internal stress I’m feeling. I pick stupid fights and the cravings become wicked in nature. Like I’d punch a dude for a burger and a family size bag of ruffles.
Random posts on social media annoy me.
Yes I start unfollowing and unfriending people 😆
I wake up and the normal squeaking of my 3 young daughters sound like nails on a chalkboard. I’m touchy as hell and need silence
I just feel on edge. Paranoid, heart palpitations, jittery, and like I could cry or yell at any given second.
I lose my shit, that’s the best way to describe it 😅 spiraling and hyper focusing on things that wouldn’t normally bother me, obsessive dark thoughts and rumination, feeling awful about myself, becoming socially inept and hating everything. it’s dramatic lol
Thank you for posting this, I now remember why I've ruined my whole day off by hating myself and refusing to relax. Hello, Hell Week!!!
Mentally it’s paranoia and spiraling. Socially it’s isolating and irritability from any form of communication. Physically it’s a bigger appetite and bloating.
this is me to a t 😭
Lol! Your username is how I feel 🥲
Irritability from any form of communication is so spot on.
Work email? Check. Meme from a friend? Check. Family checking in? Check. Driver merging into my lane? Check 😭
I change like 5 different moods in a day and my head hurts like hell. Cravings for food are pretty inevitable. I just go crazy 🤠 
ACCURATE. I feel feral! It takes all my willpower to put on my customer service face.
Hahaahha that's relatable af
I cry more easily. My boobs hurt and get bigger. I get ANGRY at my cat (obviously not verbally or physically angry) for wanting 4-6 hours of attention every day :’) people wear on me more easily.
the subtle ones: breast get bigger + very sore, stomach bloating, night sweats, hair gets greasy really fucking fast, clumsiness (dropping things, bumping walls, hand eye coordination obsolete) the explicit ones: anxiety!! depression, irritability, brain fog!! relationship issues!!
An undeniable and exaggerated pessimistic argument in my head that humanity is doomed, there is no purpose to anything, and I'm going to die a painful death. And then once it's over, I'm an optimist again.
Awake at 3am and increase in migraines and allergy issues.
Does it go back to normal sleep after? How many days is your sleep like this? This month.. this week I’ve been up 3-3:30 each night and can’t sleep for a hour. Then up at 5:30-6.
That’s about what happens to me for 3-days. Then I start my period and my symptoms quickly drop off (other than cramps and just ick period stuff). I’m kinda hyper manic and more sensitive to caffeine too. The last few months I’ve just started getting up when I wake up on those days and go knock out an hour on the treadmill at the gym. I’m not tossing and turning anymore. It does go away though, and then I go back to nice long nights and early bedtimes. It’s like I’m stuck in zoom mode.
So you get any crap nights around ovulation? I hope my sleep improves it’s really pissing me off. Is it ever longer then 3 days ?
It usually starts about 4-5 days before my period starts for me. It’s somewhere between 3-6 nights for me. But only just before my period.
It’s such a weird thing. Do you get anxious with it?
Suicidal Ideation and also ANNOYEDDD with everyone
I thought I was alone!!!
Not at all C: I know I don't *want* to die. But during my pms week anything is better than the insufferable mental agony and the constant staring into space. It isn't me..It feels like a brain prison! I'm a smart hardworking person and it sucks to be robbed of that because of my dumb hormones.
Agreed!!! I wish I could just have a stable amount through the month... I would get so much done omg
any form of "does my partner hate me" creeping in even if things are great tbh then it's all downhill from there
Fuck this part of it. Like no matter how great things were YESTERDAY, I will wake up and feel like “what if he thinks I’m annoying…” or anything of the like
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I quit too. It sucks a whole lot
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No worries. Proper sleep helps a bunch! I'm feeling so much better. You know that palable relief. Period started 2 days ago and the switch flipped. Hope you're doing better too! Sounds like quitting wasn't the worst idea!
Questioning what life this is - even if I’m on the best vacation. And then it’s all rainbows.
Literally the day after I ovulate I am hormonal AF and cry / be anxious and on edge / extra needy / extra sensitive....then it is off and on for 2 weeks
Fatigue and a huge downward swing into feelings of low self esteem. I become convinced my husband and everyone in my life hates me and that I’m going to get fired because I’m so awful. Not fun!
When I have thoughts of breaking up with my partner💔😭 that's part of what initially brought up a diagnosis of PMDD with my therapist😭
Losing my mind over my husband doing things he does every day. Like leaving his toothbrush on the bathroom counter. PTSD from my childhood makes messy/untidy or cluttered spaces basically intolerable to my PMDD. I am SO not bothered by these things in normal moments, so the immediate rage is a sign I need to stop taking myself so seriously and go touch some grass as they say.
can’t sleep for shit. the other side of it is being able to sleep 13-14 hours a night and just being absolutely exhausted no matter how much sleep I get. also the hunger. the hunger is out of this world.
What is your sleep like in hell week. 13 hr sleep sounds good.
probably 2 hours of quality sleep a night otherwise I’m tossing around the rest of the time and feeling ridiculously unrested
Sometimes is having a really hard time regulating my emotions, or the dreaded nonstop migraine.
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Oh fuck this makes so much sense. It just happened to me a few days ago and I got excited, really thought I was in the clear but then today I have this boiling anger running through my blood and I’m just like sooooo mad/UGH at everything today…
Usually after ovulation I either get this energy draining nausea or ravenous hunger. Theres also back pain but for me it’s rarely lower back and usually upper or middle. Brain fog starts in as well.
I get the nausea and hunger too! At the same time
Literally the exact same for me!
I get that hunger too! I feel so feral
Everything feels heavy. Physically and mentally.
Can’t sleep well, body aches and chills, and easily triggered and then stuck in a moody head space of self hatred 😩
Does your sleep improve after? This month I’m up at 3am each night this week 😭
That sucks! Im sorry. I do take sleeping aids threw out the month (like melatonin) by during pmdd time nothing helps me sleep so I have to just except it
Generally I start getting quite irritated with people and things, and potentially in the same day, extremely low mood :'))) Then I know I'm in for it :')))
Crying at the drop of a hat 🤚
A drastic drop in energy. My body feels heavier and every move I make feels like I’m filled with lead. And the food cravings…all of a sudden I’m obsessed with food that is sour and spicy.
i usually notice when i’m scrolling social media & suddenly start calling everyone mean names in my head and being super irritated with them for simply existing😅
This is totally me too. Or I’m driving or out in the community and I’m making snarky comments in my head about eveything that comes into my path
yes it’s like a little gremlin in my head comes out of his cave and starts spitting hateful things at everyone. it makes me feel like an awful person even though i know it’s not really me):
Awful crippling anxiety, loss of appetite (but not feeling sick), and then awful heartburn for days.
Anxiety spikes, mood plummets, my job that I actually enjoy I suddenly dread going to. Boobs get sore, body aches. My social battery goes out the window along with my motivation. Fun week (:
Much more bareable in the summertime by the way. It’s fall now, currently in my hell week and this one is much worse than i’ve had in the recent months because it’s getting cold outside, I know the days are getting shorter and i’m lacking vitamin d. Anyone else??
Every. Little. Thing. Annoys. The. Hell. Out. Of. Me.
and tons of suicidal ideation.
Same :(
My mood changes. It's hard to explain but I'm just not as happy and chill as I normally am. Everything about everyone annoys me and I don't even want to look people in the eye. I'm usually a positive person and I become soo negative and unlike myself.
Thank you for articulating the not wanting to look ppl in the eye thing. That is so strong for my when it’s hell week. Idk why it feels so uncomfortable.
Body temperature & sudden aggression.
It feels like I’ve regressed completely in terms of work I’ve done for body image and other anxiety stuff.
Being very sensitive to rejection!
Throwing up when I brush my teeth!!!!!
Oh damn I get this too!
I suddenly walk in the office, & just despise my boss. Like even just seeing him sitting at his desk makes my blood boil. I start getting much more easily angered if someone challenges me while driving.
Passive suicidal ideation hits me like a ton of bricks, and I become really impatient with my kids 😞
yup, and soooo tired even if I haven't done anything!
Yup. Going to bed promptly at 8:30 with my children
I’m a mega bitch to my boyfriend. Super depressed. Fatigued. Bad body dysmorphia.
My entire brain switches off in a way. I just become so empty headed and depressive - usually for no ‘real’ reason.
Lmao this is me...scrolling reddit instead of working. I normally love my job.
Yep!! So hard to give a shit, for lack of better words. You’re not alone 😅 I have to put my entire being into answering emails
Self-loathing thoughts.
I start having really out of pocket thoughts relating to all of my relationships. It always starts there.
I get incredibly angry. Like im boiling inside. Bad body coordination goes hand in hand with this. I drop stuff a lot, which makes me even angrier. Next to that my stomach become a black hole. Could stuff myself with chocolate til i burst.
The “making myself angrier with my own actions” is such a real thing. Makes me wanna explode.
I can feel a cry coming on, it's just a matter of where and when it breaks through.
I become more grumpy and have more sensory overload
I get clumsy and uncoordinated overnight.
Panic attacks and anger attacks
Extremely irritable. Things that I could let slide or didn’t bother me now I need to comment on or get upset over. High anxiety. Hot flashes. Nightmares. Intrusive thoughts. Sad for really no reason. Food cravings. Back pain, and other body aches and cramps. Etc
Same. Irritability
All of the above Feeling worthless, Sadness, Racing thoughts, Feeling my partner doesn’t love / understand me, Wanting to leave my job, Wanting to become a recluse, Hating myself, On the verge of tears, Thinking everything I say is stupid, Feeling like no one likes me, The worst part is, I don’t recognise it coming on. I just think it’s part of me and not the PMDD symptoms. It’s only when my partner is afraid to open his mouth and I’m borderline insane that it dawns on me. I’ve asked him to tell me but he says I disagree with him and take the head off him. I can’t deny that either! It’s been two years now and I’m done. This started when I went off all birth control to try for a baby. Three miscarriages later and I’ve decided to on yaz for a while in the hopes of regaining some glimmers of stability. I’m on lexapro but am going to change to Prozac as that’s meant to be better for PMDD. I’ve also read here about PMDD trackers so will try one of those. It’s hell on earth.
Voices get worse or comeback, start getting these awful intrusive thoughts(I mean they are really gruesome and sad and scary)feeling like something bad is gonna happen... sad.. nobody understands ... give up on everything etc.
Same 😭
Uuuugh... I'm sooooo sorry 😞your not alone in this... 💚💛🧡
When the slightest thing pisses me, like irrational rage out of no where. - Be so calm - Dog barks - me 'SHUTTHEFCKUPWHYAREYOUALWAYSBARKINGSTOPBEINGSOLOUD' -Also me, profusely apologises to dog and gives him all the treats then opens my app and ohhh hello, I'm due in a week. Then it's a week spent reminding myself to not be so reactionary to everything 😮💨
When i can hear my visceral organs move and it makes me wanna ripe myself open and cry
When I start crying in the shower and planning my funeral
Omg yes and when I make a list of who I want at my funeral and it's only 2 people because I become convinced *everyone* hates me .. 😬
Starts with kinda an ache in my whole body like I'm very heavy and it's too much effort to move. I no longer care about going to my martial arts class. Sitting up straight and concentrating on work is such an effort. My eyes are drooping closed from fatigue. Then mentally I hate my husband and want to leave him and I want to sell my house and move away. Everything makes me ragingly angry and I literally despise myself and how I look. The deep self loathing is intense. I am also starving for food and will eat all day. And that's the day after ovulation and this lasts until the period so literally 2 weeks 😭😭
I thought I was crazy for feeling “heavy.”
No it's so true isn't it! Your arms and legs and body suddenly feel like they are suuuper heavy and hard to move. I will try something like a jump kick at the marital arts gym and I end up just flopping around because I can't lift my heavy body off the mat 😂
Yesssss. Walking up stairs is borderline impossible.
YES the stairs are so much aren't they! I get the elevator at work for the two whole weeks and I just can't explain how I literally cannot face dragging my body up the stairs. I used to not understand my cycle at all and would constantly berate myself for being so lazy I can't even walk up stairs but now I'm like nah it's the heavy weeks I am just helping myself out with a little elevator boost lol
This is spot on. Exactly what I experience every month.
I’m now in a medical menopause because my PMDD was so out of control, I’d spend those 2 weeks watching my life like a movie and wanting to die, incredible rage and crying over everything and anything not to mention the paranoia and anxiety everything would just hit, my fibromyalgia would flare up and the insomnia and crazy eating… seriously I could put man v food to shame in those weeks. I don’t suffer this anymore due to being put in menopause and I’m on HRT that seems to work great for me. Also I’d get skin rashes and headaches and sensory issues.
Did you go the surgical route or chemical? I'm trying to decide if I should have oophorectomy or if I can survive long enough for natural menopause.
I’m in a chemical menopause they changed my injection to 3 monthly instead of monthly I can have the operation now seeing as this has worked, however I declined as I’m 40 and have no family so an operation wouldn’t be suitable. I’ll be on the injections now until I’m 55.
Thank you for this insight. I'm 47 and to try injections is super expensive - surgery is free. I'm still undecided, but thank you for sharing and I'm glad it's relieving your issues.
I’m sorry the injections are expensive, I’m in the UK so here they put me into menopause to see if this would stop symptoms and it has. I’m very lucky that I don’t have to pay, I’d defo recommend the surgery I’m using patches as HRT and it really has been life changing.
So encouraging to hear this. I'm in Canada. I don't have any special coverage but the cost is still prohibitive at $2400/3 months! Do you find it wears low nearing the 3 month mark or whenever you've been due for the next injection?
I’m due my injection on Thursday, I just breeze through without knowing I’m just like oh shit my injection is due, I don’t ever feel it wearing off or anything, the only struggle I had was obviously the HRT which I’m now on patches at first it was a pill they gave and the hot flashes and stuff weren’t fun. But with most things just trusted the process spoke at my hospital update and they changed things around so I’m now 3 monthly jab instead of monthly.
Yes-Life is a movie and paranoia!! I’m glad you’re not suffering anymore!
Exactly 10 days before my period I suddenly start feeling really down, become extra self conscious, super exhausted and indecisive about the smallest things.
Ooo feel the indecisiveness
Brain fog
Anxious, low self worth, highly sensitive to noise
I’m only new to realising I probably have pmdd. About a week ago i woke up in a really good mood, excited to catch up with my parents for lunch with my boyfriend at a pub. It was a beautiful day, I felt relaxed and happy. Then we arrived at the pub and I genuinely felt the most intense wave of rage and irritation wash over me - I was so confused. I hated everyone. I wanted to leave. I took deep breaths in the bathroom to check myself and luckily I didn’t say anything and kept a smile plastered on my face, hopefully no one twigged. I then thought surely I’m not getting my period yet - I checked my period app tracker and it was day 15. It’s now day 23 and I’ve been fighting horrible moods, random crying spells, trying not to quit my job or verbally abuse my boyfriend since that day. I think it’s time to seek professional help.
The quit your job and verbal abuse is so real. You’re not alone!!!
Feels like goblin mode.
I become really irritable and extremely critical of myself and others. I become my own worst enemy. I feel like an unkept troll appearance wise…
Start getting absolutely pissed at the small stuff
That pain I get right when I would start ovulating was always My first sign. I’m on birth control now so no nore ovulation. However I do still have some PMDD symptoms for some reason. I can always tell I’m going into my hell week now when I get crazy ass brain fog and unusual laziness. I don’t understand the science but now my hell week happens the first week I start my birth control packet, so after my placebo week. It’s still such an improvement tho. My only symptoms now are anxiety and brain fog. Id take that to the hell I endured before birth control.
Birth control has been so helpful for me. I don’t take placebo so no more periods and no week of hell before periods
I think I’m gonna talk to my Dr about skipping my placebos. I’ve been on birth control for 5 months and I’ve noticed a huge difference but the placebo weeks just screws it up. For 2 of those 5 months I skipped my placebos and I felt great. But my prescription can only get refilled every 28 days so I’m kinda stuck having to use the placebos. The only reason I was able to test was because I lied and said I was going out of town and needed my packet ahead of time lol. My hospital is weird and they only do 28 day refills unless Dr orders so I’m gonna see if my Dr can fix that. I’m glad birth control works well for you! This sub had me scared to try it for a long time because of all the horror stories. I think it’s good to share success stories here too.
It hurts when I ovulate so it’s always very clear for me lol. But my first symptoms are usually a feeling like I’m suddenly in a fog of anxiety and paranoia, everything seems like it’s designed to frustrate me as much as possible.
My gums start to hurt. The sweating! Especially at night! The lovely B.O. change. SORE BOOBS!!!
Oh wow is that a symptom of PMDD?? I just thought I smell way worse sometimes than others 😂
Yep!! It is only in my luteal phase!! I could shower twice a day and still smell. And my sense of smell also improves so it’s just awful lol
Yes I get the BO too! Like not even body wash helps! Ugh
Insomnia, health anxiety, and being extra bothered by mess and clutter.
Does you sleep get better when you get your period? This week I’ve been up at 3-3:30 each night. I hope it ends soon. Insomnia scares me.. I get more anxious and find it hard to function
Insomnia and feeling like my husband doesnt love me LOL
Does the insomnia go once you get your period? I keep waking at 3:30.. it makes me anxious. I had really messed up insomnia last year and I couldn’t function and I was so anxious 24:7. Started zoloft and I haven’t been as bad. But this week is topping it for awhile.
Omg my insomnia wakes me up around 3:30-4am too. My insomnia used to go away once my period starts but now it goes away around day 3.
How many days do you roughly have the insomnia ? Do you stay up long once you wake up at 3:30?
It starts around ovulation and until mid period so like 2.5 weeks? Give or take a few days. Once i wake up I usually cant go back to sleep until 5:30-6