Anxiety and Periods: How to Reduce Menstruation-Related Anxiety

The Link Between Anxiety and Your Menstrual Period

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, between the ages of 14 to 50, women are at double the risk of anxiety compared with men. Part of the reason may be the hormonal flux of the menstrual cycle, says Yael Nillni, PhD, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and a clinical research psychologist at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Health Care System.

“Right before your period starts, estradiol and progesterone are declining rapidly,” Dr. Nillni explains. “Researchers have speculated that rapid hormonal withdrawal might underlie those symptoms. However, reactions to these normal hormone changes are unique; some women experience mood changes across their menstrual cycles, while some experience minimal changes in their mood related to their menstrual cycle.”

RELATED: Period Proud: Real Women Tout Their Go-To Period Products

Is Feeling Anxious During Your Cycle Normal?

For some women, anxiety is par for the course, says Nillni. “A large portion of women will feel some sort of mood or affect change before their period. It’s not necessarily anxiety — it could also be feeling more irritable, sad, or having mood swings.” Or you could feel no different at all. Only a small minority of women, about 3 to 8 percent, will experience mood changes around the menstrual cycle that cause significant disruption in their daily lives.

RELATED: Women, Hormones, and Depression

Is Anxiety Part of PMS and PMDD?

“Some women with anxiety problems may experience a premenstrual exacerbation of their anxiety symptoms. Also, some of the factors that predict anxiety-related problems also predict PMS, suggesting a potential link between these two problems,” says Nillni. She adds that for a diagnosis of PMDD, you need to have one or more of the following mood symptoms: mood swings, depressed mood, anxiety, or irritability, along with other physical symptoms such as fatigue, appetite, and sleep changes. Additionally, these symptoms must occur during most menstrual cycles and cause significant distress or impairment.

RELATED: First Ever Guidelines Address Depression in Midlife Women

Getting Help for Your Anxiety During Your Menstrual Cycle

Are you experiencing PMS or PMDD? Nillni says you should ask yourself how distressing or impairing the symptoms are: Is it interfering with your ability to work or go to school, engage in your hobbies, interact with your family and friends, or socialize? Those are signs that something unusual is going on and you should seek help.

Home Remedies to Alleviate Feeling Anxious With Your Period

Laurie Steelsmith, ND, a naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health recommends the following self-care strategies.

• Exercise You don’t have to go to the gym. Dance at home, go for a walk or run. Move in all directions, not just up and down. “You increase your oxygen intake and circulation through movement, which increases blood flow to your liver. This helps your liver break down your hormones,” says Dr. Steelsmith.
• Restorative yoga This practice puts you into a parasympathetic (calm) state. “It takes you right out of that fight-or-flight anxious feeling,” she says.
• Avoid caffeine This stimulant can cause your heart to race, which mimics a panic attack.
• Magnesium The crucial mineral can balance the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid). The first is a stimulating neurotransmitter or brain chemical; the second is a calming one. Consult your doctor before you add this or any supplement to your regular diet.
• Vitamin B6 According to the National Institutes of Health, there is some preliminary data showing that this B vitamin can help with PMS symptoms.
• L-theanine Found in green tea, this amino acid has been shown to relax the mind without making you sleepy, according to research published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Medications and Therapies That Can Help With Menstrual-Associated Anxiety

If self-care doesn’t work, talk with your physician about prescription medications, says Thalia Robakis, MD, PhD, the codirector of the Women’s Mental Health Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

PMS and PPD | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA

What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder?
Symptoms of PMDD
Treatment
Other Resources
Trending Articles

What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder?

Many women may experience transient physical and emotional changes around the time of their period¹. These symptoms are usually mild and tolerable but when it becomes uncontrollable and debilitating, it may interfere with a woman’s quality of life.  The cause of PMDD is not clear but underlying depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are common in both PMS and PMDD.

Premenstrual Syndrome, or “PMS”, occurs typically before a woman’s menstrual cycle. PMS is common and affects 30-80% of women of reproductive age¹. If symptoms are more severe and begin to intefere with a woman’s daily life, it could be Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, is depression that is tied to a woman’s menstrual cycle and is sometimes a disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome other known as PMS. The mood changes in PMDD are much more severe and can disrupt social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. Learn more here. 

Signs and Symptoms of PMDD

• Anxiety or tension
• Feeling overwhelmed or out of control
• Increased depressed mood
• Extreme moodiness
• Mood swings
• Marked irritability or anger
• Sensitivity to rejection
• Social withdrawal
• Sudden sadness or tearfulness

Treatment

Antidepressants: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be prescribed to reduce symptoms of PMDD. You can take SSRIs all month or only in the interval between ovulation and the start of your period. Speak to your healthcare provider to make the best decision. 

Birth control pills: Birth control pills with no pill-free interval may reduce PMS and PMDD symptoms for some women. 

Diet/lifestyle changes: Exercising regularly can reduce premenstrual symptoms. Reducing caffeine intake, avoiding alcohol and smoking can also ease symptoms. 

Other Resources

Trending Articles

1. PMS and PMDD. (2018) – womensmentalhealth.org

Premenstrual Syndrome and Anxiety Disorders: A Psychobiological Link – FullText – Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 1998, Vol. 67, No. 2

Premenstrual Syndrome

The term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has been used for many years to describe disturbances of mood or physical symptoms occurring regularly 7–10 days before menses and remitting during menses. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III-R) included PMS among the ‘proposed Diagnostic Categories Needing Further Study’ under the name of Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder (LLPDD), and established among its diagnostic criteria the need for daily prospective symptoms self-ratings during at least two cycles, for confirmation [1]. The more recent fourth edition of DSM maintained PMS among the categories needing further study, adding the new category of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) [2]. PMDD is distinguished from PMS in several respects: It requires at least one mood symptom; the symptoms must be severe enough to cause functional impairment, and they must not be a mere exacerbation of another psychiatric disorder. Since no other diagnostic criteria have been proposed, many studies have compared the scores from the premenstrual and follicular phases: a 30–50% increase found in prospectively administered diaries is now normally accepted as an indicator of the diagnosis of PMS [3], no attention being paid to the quality of symptoms.

On the other hand, no specific hormone changes or other biological markers are able to distinguish between PMS sufferers and normal women [4]. Therefore, the absence of both a universally accepted definition and an objective biological or clinical marker makes it impossible to study the etiology of PMS. Accordingly, the therapeutic approach is presently indefinite. Steinberg [5] correctly stated that the time-honored medical adage maintaining that ‘in the absence of cure, treatments multiply’ seems to be appropriate to PMS.

Nevertheless, it is well accepted that the severe form of PMS, i.e. the one characterized by psychosocial impairment and thus requiring medical treatment, is present in 5–8% of women during their 40s. This implies that we should multiply our efforts toward the understanding of the disorder.

Anxiety Rather Than Mood Disorder

The comorbidity of PMS with mood disorders was a matter of numerous studies conducted mainly by Halbreich and Endicott [6]. The aim of these studies was to establish whether or not women with PMS are more vulnerable to mood disorders. However, a comparison between these different studies is very difficult, firstly due to the different methods used to assess PMS and secondly due to the different classification criteria of psychiatric disorders.

On the one hand it has been reported that women with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD) are more likely to report premenstrual mood changes than healthy women, or those who have experienced other types of mental illness [6, 7] and that women with premenstrual mood changes have greater prevalence of MDD than women without such a history [8]. Gaze and Endicott [9] documented that the assessment of premenstrual depression has validity in identifying women at risk for future MDD. Moreover a past history of depressive illness as defined in terms of treatment with antidepressants was found to be more common in women complaining of PMS [10].

In a study published by Fava et al. [11] the authors showed that current anxiety and mood disorders are very common among patients with prospectively confirmed LLPDD, and involve 66% of their population. Moreover, this percentage appears to be significantly higher than that observed among healthy, non-age-matched, female controls. In particular, anxiety disorders, either alone or with comorbid mood disorders, were present in 59% of the LLPDD patients, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia being the most common diagnostic groups. Neither marital status nor age was associated with such findings. These results partially concur with a previous study by Stout et al. [12] evaluating the lifetime prevalence rates of psychiatric diagnoses in clinic and community samples of PMS sufferers. It was found that 65% of women in the PMS Clinic met DSM-III criteria for phobia and 16% those for obsessive-compulsive disorder, with a greater frequency than in women from a community sample. Unexpectedly, none of the 223 women in that study was found to meet criteria for panic disorder. It should be noted that those subjects were simply seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms, whereas PMS was prospectively confirmed in the study by Fava et al. [11]. Furthermore, in this paper LLPDD patients with anxiety and/or mood disorders displayed a Menstrual Distress Questionnaire profile almost identical to that of LLPDD patients without these disorders. Although the relatively low sensitivity of the tool used (with a small score range) may account for these findings, this supports the view that it is impossible to distinguish patients with LLPDD alone from those with comorbid anxiety or mood disorders purely on the basis of premenstrual symptomatology.

Lactate Test

It is well known that patients with panic disorder are highly sensitive to lactate infusion [13]. Thus, in view of the comorbidity with anxiety disorders described above, two different groups examined the effects of lactate in patients with PMS. Facchinetti et al. [14] demonstrated that 63% of 35 women with prospectively diagnosed PMS developed a panic attack in response to lactate infusion, while only 12% of the control subjects showed a similar response. The prevalence of panickers in control subjects was basically identical to that reported by other studies [15]. Therefore, a subgroup of PMS patients appears to be prone to lactate-induced panic attacks, and is likely to share some biological vulnerability factors with patients with panic disorder. In addition, a similar rate (58%) was found by Sandberg et al. [16], although in a relatively small number of patients (13 cases).

In our previous study, lactate infusion induced panic attacks in all but 1 PMS patient with associated panic disorder, as expected. However, a similar response to lactate was observed in another 14 patients, 50% with PMS alone and 50% suffering from PMS with other anxiety/mood disorders. The PMS population without anxiety/mood disorders is similar to that described by Sandberg et al. [16]. In both studies, the rate of panic attacks during lactate infusion was higher than in controls. Moreover, when the behavioral, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine changes evoked by lactate were examined in patients with PMS alone, heart rate, panic and mood responses were still of higher magnitude than those observed in controls. This suggests that increased sensitivity to lactate is a peculiar feature of this population, even in the absence of comorbid psychiatric disorders.

This concept is further endorsed by the observations of Harrison et al. [17] that women with LLPDD responded to a 35% CO₂ inhalation with panic symptoms, while no panic attack was observed in controls.

Lactate Test and the Menstrual Cycle

Lactate infusion (as previously described) was administered in both the mid/late luteal phase and the follicular phase of the cycle to 8 women meeting criteria for LLPDD. Retrospectively, lactate infusion was administered on day –5.4 (mean), in relation to the following menses and on day +6.3 (mean) in relation to the onset of previous menses. In 4 cases, the infusion occurred first during the premenstrual period. A panic attack was triggered in 2 and 5 cases, in the follicular and premenstrual periods, respectively. Given the small number of the sample, there was no significant difference in the frequency of the panic attacks in the follicular and premenstrual periods [18]. However the responses of vital parameters and affective symptoms to lactate changed according to the phase of the menstrual cycle (fig. 1). With the exception of heart rate, all measures investigated showed a significantly higher response in the premenstrual than in the follicular phase. These findings confirm that patients with PMS are characterized by sensitivity to lactate, since they develop a panic attack during the infusion. Interestingly, however, this sensitivity is differently expressed in relation to the menstrual cycle. Indeed, the lactate-induced activation of sympathetic nervous system is of higher magnitude during the premenstrual period than in the follicular phase. Similarly, the psychological/affective reactions to such arousal are increased during the premenstrual period.

Fig. 1

Mean ± SD of the area under the curve (AUC) of heart rate (HR; beats/min), systolic blood pressure (SBP; mm Hg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP; mm Hg) as well as mood and panic scores in response to lactate infusion performed both in follicular (shaded bars) and premenstrual (black bars) periods in patients with PMS.

Conclusions

These data support the view that the premenstrual period may predispose individuals to a generally poor adaptation to stressors. This conclusion is closely linked to the ‘coping – ineffectiveness of coping’ concept derived from the theory elaborated by Lazarus [19]. The menstrual cycle is a source of variation in the activity of several systems (neuroendocrine, metabolic, behavioral, etc). Hence, women adopt their usual coping style in order to attenuate and/or prevent effects. Thus, a physiological arousal toward such potentially detrimental changes occurs. The ineffectiveness of coping strategies results in the development of distress. Therefore, when considering lactate infusion as a laboratory stressor mimicking those of everyday life, we may conclude that the PMS patients are unable to cope with stressors only in the premenstrual period. It may also be that tachycardia induced by lactate in two phases of the menstrual cycle results in a catastrophic interpretation only during the premenstrual period, allowing the onset of a panic attack.

In a therapeutic perspective, it is worth nothing that a low-dose alprazolam treatment was found to be more effective than placebo in reducing nervous tension, mood swings and irritability in women with PMS without previous or current psychiatric illness [20]. Similar results have been obtained with the nonsedating, non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug buspirone [21]. It is possible that buspirone could act through the serotonin system. In both studies, physical symptoms like pain, cramps and aches were also relieved by the anxiolytic treatments, suggesting the existence of a domino between the conditions.

In conclusion, we believe that PMS is a psychobiological disorder sharing several clinical features with currently diagnosed anxiety disorders. This view is supported by: (1) the lifetime presence of panic attacks, as well as the comorbidity with panic disorder, which suggest the existence of common ‘traits’; (2) the reaction to both lactate infusion and CO₂ breathing, which confirms that the negative interpretation of the somatic symptoms induced by these challenges, and typical of patients with panic disorders, are also present in patients with PMS apparently free from any other anxiety disorder; (3) the reported responsiveness of PMS patients to treatments with anxiolytic drugs. However, such conclusions require further investigations since similar biochemical changes could be related to apparently different clinical conditions, like in the case of anxiety and depression disorders.

Acknowledgements

We are indebited to both Dr. G. Sances and MP. Verri, of the Department of Neurology, ‘Fondazione Mondino’, University of Pavia, for their contribution in discussing some ideas reported in the present paper.

References

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   Facchinetti F, Genazzani AD, Martignoni E, Fioroni L, Sances G, Genazzani AR: Neuroendocrine correlates of premenstrual syndrome: Changes in the pulsatile pattern of plasma LH. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1990;15:269–277.
   




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   Steinberg S: The treatment of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder. Life Sci 1991;49:767–802.
   




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   Halbreich U, Endicott J: The relationship of disphoric premenstrual changes to depressive disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1985;71:331–338.
   




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   Endicott J, Halbreich U, Schacht S, Nee J: Premenstrual changes and affective disorders. Psychosom Med 1981;43:519–529.
   




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   Warner P, Bancroft J, Dixon A, Hampson M: The relationship between premenstrual depressive mood and depressive illness. J Affect Disord 1991;23:9–23.
   




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    Cowley DS, Arana GW: The diagnostic utility of lactate sensitivity in panic disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1990;47:277–284.
    




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    Sandberg D, Endicott J, Harrison W, Nee J, Gorman J: Sodium lactate infusion in luteal phase dysphoric disorder. Psychiatry Res 1992;46:79–88.
    




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    Harrison WM, Sandberg DP, Gorman J, Fyer M, Nee J, Uy J, Endicott J: Provocation of panic with carbon dioxide inhalation in patients with premenstrual dysphoria. Psychiatry Res 1989;27:183–192.
    




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Author Contacts

F. Facchinetti, MD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Pediatric Sciences

via del Pozzo 71

I–41100 Modena (Italy)

Tel. +39 59 422512, Fax +39 59 424394, E-Mail [email protected]

Article / Publication Details

Published online: March 13, 1998

Issue release date: March – April

Number of Print Pages: 4

Number of Figures: 1

Number of Tables: 0

ISSN: 0033-3190 (Print)
eISSN: 1423-0348 (Online)

For additional information: https://www. karger.com/PPS

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Anxiety and PMS – Find out why PMS can cause anxiety

One of the reasons is that women affected by PMS (premenstrual syndrome) are generally less able to cope with stress during the week or so before their menstrual bleed and because of this, are more prone to feeling anxious.

Associated symptoms of anxiety can include being more worried or irritable than usual or feeling low in mood. If anxiety is more severe, a feeling of panic may arise.

Typically, anxiety symptoms worsen in the week or so before a period is due and improves once menstrual bleeding starts.

The reason why women suffering from PMS become more prone to stress and anxiety is not clear. What we know is that the changing level of the female hormones responsible for PMS make women cope less well psychologically, leading to a variety of emotional symptoms.

In addition, the hormone cortisol which is linked to anxiety, increases rapidly in the days immediately before menstruation starts. This makes it more difficult for you to manage the stresses in your life, making you feel more anxious.

Women troubled by anxiety with PMS generally fall into two groups:

• Symptoms of anxiety may be obvious only in the few days before a menstrual period
• Women who are generally prone to feeling stressed find that PMS exacerbates symptoms of anxiety.

These can be made worse if:

• Physical symptoms of PMS such as period pains or bloating cause you to dread their onset each month
• Disturbed sleep causes you to feel tired and irritable, increasing anxiety levels.

As
it is with stress, it is important to develop coping strategies for
anxiety. This can be as simple as talking a ten minute walk in the fresh
air each day, and for others, dietary changes can be helpful.

It is
important that both your body and mind are fit, happy and healthy so
that you can cope better when you are faced with problems you have to
tackle.

• Diet – eating healthy a few days before your
  period will not help. You will need to maintain a healthy diet
  throughout the month as this will keep your digestive system healthy. If
  your digestion is working well, your brain functions better. This
  allows you to cope better with stress and experience less anxiety
• Exercise – having moderate amounts of exercise weekly has also
  been shown to improve mental function. Aside from the scientific
  evidence, getting into the fresh air can do wonders to help clear our
  heads, put aside our worries and approach the rest of the day with a
  much more positive attitude
• Relax – make sure that you take
  time each day for yourself, either to do nothing or with an activity you
  enjoy. Taking time-out to relax will benefit your mental wellbeing and
  allow you to face the day ahead with more energy and positivity
• Make lists – feelings of anxiety are generally made worse if you
  are disorganized and overwhelmed with niggling tasks and chores. Lists
  help you order your thoughts, and working through these systematically
  can help reduce your stress levels. Not feeling harassed also means that
  you can get through your work and household chores faster and better.

Herbal remedies have long been used to help women with the symptoms of PMS.

• If you experience a number of PMS symptoms as well as anxiety, then tackling the root of the problem is likely to be the most effective approach. The herb Agnus castus (Chaste Tree or Chasteberry) has been used for many years as a general remedy to relieve PMS symptoms. It works by influencing and ‘balancing’ the female hormones. You will need to take the herb all through the month and to give it 3 months for its full effect to take place.
• If feelings of stress and anxiety are your main problems, you may also wish to address these aspects specifically. Here you have a choice of several herbs. If your symptoms are mild, start off with Avena sativa, more commonly known as oats. Rather than the seeds which are used in foods such as porridge, it is the oat plant (leaves and stalks) which is used medicinally. It works as a tonic for the nervous system
• Valerian containing products are very popular to help people cope better with general stress and anxiety. It is the root of the plant which is used and this is often combined with other herbs, such as Hops, as found in A.Vogel’s Deep-Sleep drops

Again, hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle get the blame. It seems that mood and oestrogen go hand in hand, and when the level of this hormone drops just before menstruation, so does your mood and ability to cope.

Usually, the first approach by your doctor will be to treat your PMS symptoms in a general way using the oral contraceptive pill which helps by suppressing ovulation and controlling the timing of the menstrual cycle. The combined pill, containing progesterone and oestrogen, appears to be more effective when treating PMS.

The use of anti-anxiety or sedative drugs, or anti-depressants, are usually the last resort. They may be appropriate if symptoms are severe and other forms of treatment have failed to bring about benefits.

Keep track of your symptoms with our PMS Diary to identify patterns & help discover ways to minimise them.

Anxiety and Depression During Periods: Causes, Detection, and Treatment

Kate Shkodzik, MD — Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Former Medical Advisor at Flo

Depression and anxiety during periods are both common. These symptoms are often part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS is a combination of physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that occur during the premenstrual phase of the cycle and go away after the period begins. PMS can cause depression before and during periods, along with food cravings, headache, fatigue, and tender breasts, among other symptoms.

However, severe depression during periods (or before) may be caused by premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). If you are already experiencing depression, it may be that your depression worsens before and during periods.

Why You Feel More Stress Around Your Period

Like 90 percent of women who menstruate, I experience PMS. I’m pretty sure I have been blessed with every possible PMS symptom: bloating, moodiness, cravings, headaches, weepiness, irritability, tender boobs, nausea, clumsiness, fatigue, diarrhea. I’ve been blessed with all of these, respectively and together, every month.

I honestly thought I’d seen it all until a few months ago, when I began to experience some of the worst anxiety and panic I’d ever felt right before my period.

I didn’t immediately notice a correlation between PMS and my spiking anxiety. I was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder when I was eight years old and I’m used to experiencing bouts here and there; it’s just one of those things that’s always in my life. But after the third consecutive month of it, I realized that there was a connection between my anxiety and my cycle.

Part of what tipped me off was that there was more of a physical aspect to my anxiety and panic. Usually when I experience anxiety, it starts with racing thoughts, then progresses to physical signs like sweating, queasiness, and a rapid heartbeat. In this case, I walked around the house and suddenly felt my heart beating loudly out my chest, or woke in the middle of the night, my heart and gut doing somersaults.

Chatting with a few friends, I found that I wasn’t alone. Many of them had experienced heightened anxiety during PMS. When I Googled “anxiety and PMS,” there was a ton about irritability and general crankiness, but not so much about full-blown anxiety.

Luckily, just as the symptoms emerged out of the blue, they left after a few cycles, so I didn’t feel it was necessary to bring the whole thing up with my doctor (although if they return, I most definitely will). However, on doing some research, I learned that PMS-related anxiety is a relatively common experience among women, albeit one that is rarely discussed. It turns out that, for some women, there is a correlation between the fluctuating hormones in the menstrual cycle and the chemistry of anxiety and panic.

Mary Jane Minkin, an OB-GYN and clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, said anxiety is a “core symptom” of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a more severe version of PMS that affects about five percent of people who menstruate. Although it’s not entirely known what causes PMDD, it may involve a decrease in serotonin, which does correlate in certain cases with increased anxiety.

According to Minkin, it is not PMDD if the symptoms are “an exacerbation of symptoms already present.” Rather, the clearest cases of PMDD are where one is “totally symptom-free in the first part of the cycle.”

Minkin cautioned against self-diagnosing PMDD, and said that you only really have PMDD if your symptoms only occur during the second half of your menstrual cycle (yeah, not at all the case for me). She recommends keeping a chart of the menstrual cycle so you can clearly observe any correlation between PMS and anxiety.

Tristan Bickman, an OB-GYN in Santa Monica, agreed that a drop in serotonin during the second half of the menstrual cycle is what causes most PMS symptoms. Bickman explained that, for women who experience PMS, declining estrogen also causes the serotonin to drop, which causes PMS symptoms.

It’s not only hormones that are at play here: Having anxiety in general is a prerequisite for PMS-related anxiety. “Pre-existing anxiety or depression is a risk factor for PMS,” Bickman said. “Other risk factors for PMS are a family history of PMS, high stress, lack of exercise, increased caffeine consumption, and poor diet.”

Bickman also cited stress, which can crop up in your life whether you have an anxiety disorder or not, as a potential cause of PMS-related anxiety. “Stress is directly correlated with PMS,” she said. “Higher stress levels are a risk factor for the development of PMS.”

Could having heightened stress in general—not just when you’re PMSing—cause your PMS to be overall more panicky and anxious? Most definitely yes, said Iram Kazimi, an MD and psychiatrist with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston. “Any chronic stress and anxiety is believed to make PMS symptoms worse,” Kazimi said. “If you’re experiencing a period of stress and anxiety before your PMS symptoms occur, this may increase your PMS symptoms, which in turn will increase your stress and anxiety symptoms. ”

BINGO. The months I had wicked PMS-anxiety were also the months that my husband was waiting to find out about a job, our car was wrecked in an accident, my kid was rushed to the ER with an asthma attack, and we put an offer on a new home.

Kazimi believes one major factor is the rise in cortisol levels, which occurs right before menstruation. “It’s possible that women suffering from this type of PMS anxiety have lower levels of anxiety throughout the month that are simply exacerbated by cortisol, rather than PMS,” said Kazimi. She added that, in some cases, PMS anxiety might stem from a fear of PMS itself. Some of us get such bad symptoms during PMS that we dread and fear that time of the month (*raises hand*), which contributes to our anxiousness.

OK, so regardless of where the anxiety comes from, how can we make it better? Obviously, an OB-GYN or other healthcare professional is your best bet for advice on this, but the experts pointed to a few general guidelines.

Since your overall stress levels can affect the intensity of your PMS symptoms, de-stressing throughout your menstrual cycle is key. Minkin recommended mindfulness, journaling, therapy, and exercise. Bickman said that dietary changes, like reducing caffeine and eating more omega-3 fats, are a good idea. If lifestyle and dietary changes don’t help, said Bickman, and your PMS-related anxiety is particularly intense, speak to your doctor about trying a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor (SSRI) or an oral contraceptive to balance your hormones.

Interestingly, more than one doctor mentioned vitamin and mineral deficiencies can contribute to this issue. Bickman said that deficiencies in calcium, B6, and magnesium have all been linked to PMS.

The causes and cures of PMS anxiety aren’t always cut and dry, Kazimi reminded me. “Both premenstrual syndrome and anxiety are incredibly complex,” she said. “What may cause anxiety in one woman may not cause anxiety in another, or may cause anxiety in a completely different way.”

Either way, anxiety is most definitely a legit PMS symptom, and while it may not top the list in the same way that moodiness and cravings do, it’s quite common. I’m not very happy about adding yet another potential PMS symptom to my list, but knowing that what I’m experiencing is real may be the first step toward reducing my stress about and finding help for it.

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Mental health, PMS, menstrual cycle

This article is also available in: português, español, Deutsch, français

FYI: Perimenstrual is a more accurate term to describe the broad experiences people may have before and during the time of menstruation. Premenstrual implies there’s a cessation of symptoms once the period begins, which isn’t the case for everybody.

I’ve suffered from anxiety for over a decade and with depression for about a year. I only started paying attention to my cycle when I began practicing the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)†. FAM gave me an acute understanding of my body. After tracking many aspects of my health for a while using Clue, I noticed some clear hallmarks of cycle phases: I was extra motivated during my follicular phase and felt horny and glowy around ovulation.

Then I noticed my premenstrual experience changed.

I had always experienced cramps, swollen breasts, acne, and irritability—but my energy and emotional symptoms began to worsen before my period, each cycle. Intense mood swings, sheer despair, lethargy, and a lot of crying. I started to think I had PMDD, but as depression crept into my life and my anxiety grew, I noticed fluctuations in my mood and energy across my cycle. How I would feel and function each day was a gamble, and in the days before my period I noticed the feeling of being utterly overwhelmed was amplified.

Track your period, PMS, cravings, and more in the Clue app.

4.8

2M+ ratings

PMS is an understudied and largely misunderstood experience. It’s too often humorously
generalized despite the unique occurrence it is for each person. There’s an inaccurate notion ascribing negative premenstrual moods to the general population. This ubiquitous belief needs challenging, as it perpetuates harmful concepts associating innate female biology with negative emotionality (1). Not every woman or person with a cycle has a bad perimenstrual experience. Yes, for some people PMS can be summed up by getting into a crying argument with their partner over what type of non-dairy milk to purchase and 15 minutes later sipping an oat-milk cappuccino, comically saying, “Oh, PMS!”

But it’s not so lighthearted for other people. When my mental health worsened, such trivial quarrels weren’t relative to a time in my cycle—and during my premenstrual phase they seemed way more serious and harder to shrug off.

Am I exhausted because of PMS or depression? Am I debilitated with a sense of doom because of anxiety or PMS? Am I sobbing from depression, PMS, or anxiety?

This is the confusion of having mental health conditions and a cycle. Feeling worn out and unstable isn’t specific to the premenstrual phase, but for some people these states can really worsen during that time.

It can seem sexist and degrading to be struggling with emotional upheaval and then be subjected to the question of “PMSing” from yourself or another person. It can also be bothersome when you’re down, you do suffer from premenstrual mood variability and—shocker—yes, you are in the perimenstrual phase. Add depression and anxiety into the mix, and this time is a complete puzzle.

I finally felt my uncertainty explained when I discovered the term “premenstrual magnification”: I’m soon to get my period and the symptoms of my mental health conditions are in overdrive.

Premenstrual magnification is when mental and physical health conditions are premenstrually aggravated.

Premenstrually magnified symptoms of anxiety, depression, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and other mental and physical health conditions may be exacerbated, overlap with, and/or be confused for menstrual symptoms (2–4).

Practicing mindfulness has helped me become more aware of what I’m experiencing in my brain and body. Just as FAM requires heightened awareness and diligent tracking of your bodily processes, mindfulness requires heightened awareness of your consciousness.

When I enter the luteal phase, I acknowledge I may be more prone to negative mental and physical symptoms. I’ve learned to give myself the extra personal time and care I require during the premenstrual phase. By honing my consciousness through meditation (without any religious or subculture affiliation), I’ve started to thoroughly recognize pains and patterns of dismal thoughts and accept them as temporary in degrees of severity. This helps slow down the spiral of chaos I used to frequently get lost in.

Being patient and present with myself has eased my suffering. Not judging myself and achieving the sense of being present in the present hasn’t been easy; it takes a lot of meditation practice (and can sound like hippie jargon), but it’s scientifically proven to bring a lot of relief (5–7). Exercise, therapy and nutrition have also immensely helped in improving my mental and overall health.

Treat your mind with great care as you would with the rest of your body.

Emotions and PMS shouldn’t be so inseparable. You don’t have to assume PMS for a justification of a bad mood. Daily stress, physical health, mental conditions and social life are frequently better explanations for mood variability than menstrual cycle phase (1).

It’s important to not make sweeping claims and shallow excuses for changes in a person’s temperament. Remember and respect everybody’s unique experiences. The perimenstrual phase can be a seriously challenging time for some, or an overused basis for misogyny and rationalizing acting-out.

When your experience of mood symptoms regularly impacts your well-being, it can be helpful to talk to your healthcare provider. It can be difficult to come to terms with a mental health condition, but acknowledgement is the first step towards alleviating suffering.

Know your body. Track your mental states, emotions, meditation, and more in Clue.

†Clue’s predictions are not suitable for preventing pregnancy, and are shown for
informational purposes only. It’s not possible to create accurate predictions of
ovulation and the fertile window for every cycle, based only on the statistics
gathered by Clue.

90,000 Treatment of anxiety conditions before menstruation and during menopause – CMH “Alliance”

As you know, women are more prone to anxiety disorders than men, due to the greater lability of the nervous system.

For many, anxiety before menstruation is common. Sex hormones have a huge impact on a woman’s psyche, and natural mood swings throughout the cycle are normal. Elevated mood in the first phase of the cycle, reaching a peak in ovulation, is replaced by a decrease in the emotional background before menstruation.

It’s one thing – minor mood swings and another – when PMS turns into a little “hell”. In this case, the situation requires the intervention of a doctor.

If at the end of the cycle, low mood and anxiety are caused by a physiological decrease in the amount of sex hormones, followed by growth with the beginning of a new cycle, then with menopause, the decrease in the level of female hormones is persistent. And anxiety in women in menopause, respectively, is also persistent and can significantly reduce the quality of life in this already difficult period.

Why do some women have periods of hormonal decline smoothly, while others are accompanied by anxiety disorder?

There are several reasons for the development of anxiety:

• Disruption of the hormonal background with its sharp fluctuations;
• emotional instability;
• overwork, stressful situations;
• expectation of pregnancy, fear of infertility;
• for women of climacteric age – fear of old age, fear of losing attractiveness and femininity.

How can a woman get rid of anxiety disorder?

Anxiety during menopause and before menstruation darkens a woman’s life. Many people are embarrassed to see a doctor and go through a crisis alone, trying to drown out anxiety with sedatives. You do not need to try to cope with the problem yourself, you need to seek help from a doctor.

If the issue of hormonal interruptions should be monitored by a gynecologist-endocrinologist, then a psychotherapist will help improve the mental state and defeat anxiety.

Having identified the root cause of the anxiety disorder with your doctor and working it out, you will get rid of this problem forever and will feel calm and confident, no matter what hormonal storms agitate your body.

Our Center employs doctors who specialize in helping women with anxiety disorder. A delicate approach, identifying the cause of anxiety, psychotherapy in combination with rehabilitation procedures and relaxation sessions help a woman get rid of anxiety without taking sedatives, gain self-confidence and live a harmonious life.

“All the things in the house want to kill me.” What problems occur during PMS and how to avoid them

“I am glad that I survived again”

Anastasia:

“It all starts at three or four in the morning, from that time I don’t sleep anymore. The most “fun” happens in the first six hours. In addition to terrible pain and heaviness, as if a five-kilogram weight is in my uterus, I have diarrhea and constant vomiting. It is impossible to lie in bed, so I move to the bathroom, already prepared: I take a blanket, a pillow and lie down on the rug.The main thing is to survive these few hours.

Painkillers or other pills do not help: I ​​simply cannot drink them, because the water immediately makes me sick. Vomiting is not the quietest and most enjoyable process. And every month in the morning, everyone in the house has to listen to it.

Of course, the family is already used to the fact that I spend my time this way. Sometimes they even drop in and ask carefully: how am I there, am I lying on the rug normally, how long have I been hugging the toilet?

If there is a telephone and the Internet nearby, I try to be distracted by watching movies, TV series.I can’t read: the pain is too strong and it throws it into the heat, then into the cold.

But it’s not that bad. After these five or six hours, I am the happiest person in the world. Every time I am full of energy, I jump, I want to move mountains. I’m just glad that I suffered again and survived again. ”

“

How many years have I been created?”

Eva:

“Problems usually appear a week before your period. Some one emotion begins to prevail – for example, anger towards everyone around, irritation or guilt, an obsessive thought that I greatly offended someone close to me.It is impossible to control this.

The worst thing is when the unwillingness to live is attacked sharply. This also happens periodically – in the first 1-2 days. At this time, I can not do anything, lie on the floor or stare at one point.

The last time it seemed like I was created for exactly the amount of time I had already lived. Further I have not and cannot have plans.

And once I was sure that I could not live in this world, because I do not experience the same emotions as other people.Everything becomes overwhelming, and I cannot cope with it.

The situation improved slightly when I started taking the pills prescribed by the neurologist. Such states, of course, still happen, but it became easier to move away from them. ”

“Things want and can kill me”

Ekaterina:

“Every period I become more nervous, receptive to everything. Any little thing can freak out. And a few months ago, a couple of days before the onset of menstruation, there was a panic attack.Then I did not yet know what was happening to me. As usual, I went to bed with a young man, we were joking, and at some point I realized that I could not control my laughter.

I’m starting to laugh more and more, although I don’t want to. Then laughter is abruptly replaced by tears – hysterical, also uncontrollable. I was afraid of everything around me. It seemed that every thing in the house can and wants to kill me.

It seemed to me that even a young man who tried to calm me down and gently stroked my hair would hurt me.This state lasted for about two hours. Then it gradually let go.

In the morning I remembered what had happened at night, and did not understand what to do. To whom and how to tell, which doctor to go to? Then I had two more panic attacks – also at night and a few days before my period. But it was a little easier: at least I knew what was happening to me, tried to be distracted and repeat to myself that it would soon be over. ”

Alena Shchekotova, psychologist:

A panic attack is an acute attack of panic and fear.In the body, it manifests itself as follows: the heartbeat and breathing increase, the pupils dilate, the knees become bent. There is a feeling that you have suddenly lost control of what is happening. Everything around seems unreal, a person can be sure that now he will definitely die, while he does not understand from what.

At such moments, you need to help yourself to return to reality:

• Exhale deeply. With anxiety, a person inhales air too often, this increases dizziness;
• Look in the mirror – you will see from the side that nothing terrible is happening;
• Pick up something tangible: a book, a pillow, a necklace – and iron, sort it out.

If there are friends or relatives nearby, they can also help – be there, take the hand, say: “I see that you are not dying now. You won’t die of anything in the near future. ”

If there was a panic attack, including during menstruation, you need to contact a psychologist. This is a purely psychological problem.

Another common symptom of PMS is anxiety. Usually, anxiety covers those who are used to not noticing and suppressing their feelings: bitterness, anger, envy, shame.To influence the degree of your anxiety, you need to learn to handle all your feelings carefully and effectively. If a person is in a crisis state (there is so much anxiety that sleep, appetite, and well-being spoil), it is necessary to turn to specialists – a psychologist and a psychiatrist. The first will help to find and eliminate the cause of anxiety, the second will prescribe a drug.

What does PMS depend on and how to relieve it: the opinion of gynecologists

Julia Kucheryavaya, gynecologist-endocrinologist:

PMS has many symptoms that affect both the physical and psychological state of a girl.Some have headaches, vomiting, dizziness, irritability. Others develop swelling: fluid is retained in the body, weight increases by several kilograms, and the chest becomes painful. Some do not experience any discomfort at all.

How PMS will manifest itself depends on various factors:

• lifestyle: if a girl is overweight, eats poorly, moves a little, it is more likely that she will have PMS;
• the presence of other gynecological diseases: various infections, inflammations can provoke symptoms;
• emotional state: if there is constant stress in life, a woman does not sleep well at night, is nervous and irritable, she is likely to experience PMS.

Normal menstruation, contrary to popular belief, is painless. There may be minor pulling pains in the lower abdomen or in the lower back, but they should not disrupt the usual way of life.

If, because of the pain, a girl cannot get up or change position, loses consciousness, is not able to go to school or work without an anesthetic pill, is forced to change the pad every two hours – this is definitely not the norm. The help of a gynecologist is needed.

Olga Fetisova, obstetrician-gynecologist:

Follow these guidelines to stay healthy and relieve PMS.

1. Keep a menstrual calendar. Every girl should know the last date of her period and the approximate length of her cycle (the period from the first day of one period to the first day of the next).

Normal periods are 3-7 days, painless and moderate (about 10-12 pads used).

The normal duration of the menstrual cycle is from 21 to 42 days, it can be shifted by 1–5 days. Conveniently track your cycle using mobile apps like Flo or Clue.

2. Visit the gynecologist and therapist at least once a year for a routine examination.

3. Use condoms with every intercourse, even if you are taking birth control pills, to avoid contracting sexually transmitted infections and to keep the vaginal and cervical mucous membranes healthy.

4. Maintain a healthy body weight. To calculate your BMI, you need to divide your body weight (in kilograms) by your height (in sq.m), squared.

For example, if you are 173 cm (1.73 m) tall, you weigh 68 kg.

BMI = 68: 1.732 = 22.72

Body mass index is normal – from 18 to 25, with overweight – up to 30. Index less than 18 or more than 30 can cause problems with the cycle or manifestation of PMS.

5. Monitor your power supply. It should be balanced in terms of fats, proteins and carbohydrates (with mono and keto diets such as Ducan, this balance is disturbed. – Ed.).

6. Do not overcool.

Keep your feet warm at all times, especially during your period. Then oxytocin will work properly and prevent painful contractions of the uterus.

7. Do not lift anything heavier than 10% of your body weight.

8. Take B vitamins regularly. They are found in fish, pistachios, legumes, carrots, beets, garlic, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, chicken, turkey and other foods. additives).

9. Choose a constant physical activity: gymnastics, dancing, sports. This will train your pelvic floor muscles and prevent venous stasis.

Oral contraceptives – a remedy or a cure for PMS?

Some gynecologists recommend taking combined oral contraceptives (COCs) for painful periods and edema. But not everyone follows this advice: there are many articles on the network about the terrible consequences of hormonal drugs – there is weight gain, and acne, and even discomfort in the eyes.

Julia Kucheryavaya, gynecologist-endocrinologist:

COCs are prescribed primarily to protect against unwanted pregnancies. However, many of them have additional effects that doctors often use medicinally to reduce pain and swelling. Each method or drug has its own indications and contraindications, as well as with COCs. They should be prescribed only by a gynecologist based on analyzes.

If you are using hormonal contraception, it is important to follow the rules specified in the instructions for the drug.Otherwise, there can be serious consequences – from headaches and hair loss to severe complications associated with changes in the composition and properties of the blood (increased sugar, sudden pressure surges).

Remember that oral contraceptives do not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, if you do not have a permanent partner, it is better to choose condoms.

90,000 Premenstrual Syndrome. How to Relieve PMS – Culture

The girl has her first menstruation and accompanies her monthly for many years until menopause.Menopause is the end of your period. Menopause begins at about 45-55 years of age, and starts at a different time for every woman.

Critical days in a woman’s life are inevitable. But for most women, these most critical days become simply creepy, unbearable, causing a lot of suffering. This and poor health, joint and headaches, pain in the lower back and lower abdomen.

These are mood swings, excessive touchiness and tearfulness, unreasonable restlessness and anxiety.

This is the appearance of acne and severe greasy hair and skin, bloating and swelling of the mammary glands, and their increased sensitivity. This is severe fatigue, weakness, insomnia, depression.

All these ailments occur in many women about a week before the onset of menstruation and are called premenstrual syndrome or PMS.

What is premenstrual syndrome or PMS

Premenstrual syndrome is a complex set of symptoms that occurs every month in many women before menstruation.It is characterized by vegetative – vascular disorders, emotional disorders, endocrine and metabolic disorders. Modern medicine identifies such clinical forms of PMS as – atypical, crisis, neuropsychic, edematous, cephalgic.

Atypical form – characterized by an increase in body temperature, attacks of bronchial asthma and headache.

In a crisis form – a woman’s blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, pains appear in the region of the heart, more often at night, the woman has a feeling of fear of death, it seems to her that she is having a heart attack.

The causes of the crisis are stress, extreme fatigue or infections, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney and cardiovascular diseases. The crisis form of PMS is observed most often in women before menopause.

The neuropsychic form is characterized by increased irritability, weakness. Some women are annoyed by everything around them, they become angry and aggressive, enter into conflicts with the people around them, quarrel with everyone, find fault with relatives for no reason, make scandals, shout at children.

Others, on the contrary, become touchy, shed tears without reason, fall into a depressive state.

The edematous form of PMS is accompanied by an increase in body weight, which appears as a result of the accumulation of excess fluid in the body, sometimes the weight increases from 2 to 5 kg, swelling of the arms and legs, face. Many have an enlarged belly, the mammary glands swell and become painful, even their clothes become tight. Some women sweat a lot and react to odors.

The cephalgic form is accompanied by severe headache, and the headache is of a pulsating nature and is given by pain in the eye sockets.In this case, the woman experiences bouts of nausea, and sometimes vomiting. Many women complain of pain in the region of the heart, numbness of the hands, excessive sweating, and there may also be a dull, depressed mood, depression.

Causes of PMS

There can be several reasons for the onset of premenstrual syndrome – this is the influence of a hereditary factor, hormonal imbalance, abnormalities in the development of genital organs, various chronic diseases and sexually transmitted infections, stress and family conflicts, as well as difficult working conditions or lifting heavy objects and many other reasons.

How to relieve PMS

Each woman has a different course of premenstrual syndrome, some women easily tolerate both PMS and menstruation itself, and some poor things suffer and suffer, as PMS is severe.

And in order to alleviate the condition, it is recommended to revise your daily routine. These days, try to reduce your workload, sit at the computer less, postpone active sports, but light physical exercises will be beneficial, try to sleep more, walk in the fresh air, do not conflict, avoid stressful situations.

You should also pay attention to your nutrition, it must be correct and balanced.

During PMS, do not eat meat and smoked meats, fried foods, fatty dairy products, spicy and salty foods.

Give up alcoholic drinks, carbonated drinks, strong tea and coffee, coffee – it is stimulating, causes palpitations, irritability and insomnia.

Limit the use of foods made from white flour, sweets, and if the body requires sweets, give preference to nuts, dried fruits, jam or honey.Honey will help you calm down and improve sleep.

Smoking also has a negative effect on PMS, so try not to get addicted to cigarette products.

To make your critical days pass easier, try to drink more pure water – drinking or mineral, up to 2 liters a day, natural juices. Herbal teas and herbal infusions – lemon balm, chamomile, mint, St. John’s wort and others – also help perfectly, they will have a calming effect on the body, help relieve irritation and depression, and lower blood pressure.

Eat more fish, greens, fruits and vegetables that contain healthy vitamins and minerals that your body needs during PMS.

Take complex vitamins, they will help you cope with premenstrual syndrome, relieve your condition and reduce pain.

In case of severe headaches and high blood pressure, medication is indispensable, and in order to reduce nervousness and irritability, sedatives are needed.

But do not self-medicate, consult your doctors. For insomnia, take a soothing bath with valerian or lemon balm.

If critical days bring you unbearable suffering, severe pain, anxiety and fear for your health and life, you just need to undergo a medical examination, because the causes of severe pain can be various diseases, inflammation, and the sooner you seek medical help , the sooner you get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of PMS.

Lovely women, take care of yourself and be healthy!

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common cause of physical, psychological and social problems in women of reproductive age. PMS differs from “normal” premenstrual symptoms in the degree of distress and the disturbances it causes. Symptoms begin before the menstrual period and are better when menstruation begins.Irritability, depression, anxiety, and weakness (apathy) are common symptoms. The clinical diagnosis of PMS requires that symptoms be confirmed prospectively (symptoms are recorded as they occur) for at least two menstrual cycles and that they cause significant distress or impairment in daily life. It has been found that approximately every fifth woman of reproductive age has PMS. PMS can seriously disrupt a woman’s daily life, and some women seek medical attention.Researchers at the Cochrane Collaboration analyzed the evidence for the efficacy and safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of PMS. They reviewed studies up to February 2013.

The review included 31 randomized controlled trials comparing SSRIs with placebo; The trials were conducted with a total of 4372 women who were clinically diagnosed with PMS. SSRIs have been found to be effective in reducing PMS symptoms in general, as well as reducing certain types of symptoms (psychological, physical, functional symptoms, and irritability).SSRIs were usually taken about two weeks before the onset of the menstrual cycle (luteal phase) or every day (continuously). Both regimens have proven to be equally effective, but more research is needed to confirm this.

Adverse effects were more common in women taking SSRIs than in those taking placebo. The most common side effects were nausea and decreased activity (energy). The review authors estimated that nausea can occur as a side effect of the drug in about one in seven women with PMS taking a medium dose of SSRIs, and that decreased activity (lack of energy) can occur as a side effect of the drug in about one in nine women.

Overall, the quality of the evidence was rated as low to moderate, with the main drawback being poor reporting of methods in the included studies. At least 21 studies were funded by pharmaceutical companies.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder – symptoms and treatment MPDD

PMDD can be disheartening and difficult to deal with, especially if you don’t understand what’s going on or there is no one to support you. If what we have described is similar to what you are experiencing, or if you suspect you have premenstrual dysphoric disorder, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it.Then it will be possible to diagnose your condition and help you better cope with symptoms in the future, so that you do not have to wait for your period with fear.

PMDD can be intimidating, especially if you are going through it alone, so try to be close to people who can help you. If you notice suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately, talk to someone you trust, or call the hotline.

There are many treatment options for premenstrual dysphoric disorder and ways to relieve symptoms.Psychotherapy, antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives, or pain relievers can help. But keep in mind that any drugs should be prescribed by your doctor.

To determine if your symptoms coincide with your menstrual cycle, you can track your periods, write down your symptoms and how you feel during different phases of your cycle. Collecting all this information will help establish a pattern.

Once you learn to anticipate the onset of PMDD, you can plan ahead what to do.For example, reschedule important events or activities that might be stressful for later, and instead devote time to things that calm you down.

It is important to look after both your emotional and physical health, whether it is getting enough sleep, doing light exercise, spending time in nature, or relaxing meditation. Check out our tips on how to deal with PMS for ideas on how to change your lifestyle that can help you.

[Links:]

^[1] https: // www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome

^[2] https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder- pmdd / about-pmdd /

90,000 Living with my enemy. / Articles

Have you ever felt sad, angry, and annoyed for no real reason? Have you ever seen your body swell and ache, your clothes don’t fit? Have you ever found yourself distracted and distant, unable to perform any mental activity? Do these symptoms appear a few days before your period?
So now it all makes sense…
Every third woman monthly experiences some annoying premenstrual symptoms (PMS), 1-2 weeks before menstruation, which can be psycho-emotional (depressed mood, outbursts of anger, irritability, crying outbursts, anxiety, confusion, social withdrawal, poor concentration, memory ) loss, insomnia or drowsiness, and changes in libido) or physical (changes in thirst and appetite, characterized by craving for certain types of food, engorgement in the chest, bloating and weight gain, swelling of the arms and legs, headache, musculoskeletal pain , fatigue, skin problems).Symptoms disappear in the first days of menstruation. For different women, PMS causes very little discomfort, for others it is a factor in antisocial behavior and a deterioration in everyday life. This explains why so many women at this stage of their menstrual cycle can be aggressive, absent from work, or exhibit low self-esteem. In any case, if you are one of them, you should not let this dominate your life. It is best for you to start recording symptoms, their intensity (mild, moderate, severe) and duration in a diary for 2-3 months, which can help your doctor in determining the tactics.
Syndrome without a cause
The cause of premenstrual syndrome has not been fully determined, but there are several factors that contribute to its manifestation, namely:
1. Overreaction to normal changes in hormone levels throughout the cycle.
2. Changes in the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, causing depression, fatigue, appetite disorders and desire to sleep.
3. Any intense stress that can aggravate the syndrome.
4. An unbalanced diet that leads to a lack of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and calcium, salty foods that contribute to fluid retention and swelling, and coffee and alcohol, causing mood disorders and fatigue.
There are cases that mimic premenstrual syndrome and it is important to get a correct diagnosis because they require different treatment. These include depression, anxiety neurosis, perimenopause, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and thyroid disease.Often the aforementioned conditions are aggravated before the onset of menstruation, and this can create a diagnostic problem, but they usually occur within a month. In addition, some health problems such as asthma, epilepsy, migraines, and allergies may worsen in the days leading up to your period, but this is not considered premenstrual syndrome.
Don’t let PMS take control of your life.
Try some lifestyle changes that can help ease mild to moderate symptoms.For example, it would be very beneficial to manage stress with aerobic exercise (at least 30 minutes a day), relaxation (yoga, stretching, massage, etc.) and a good eight hours of sleep. Eat small, frequent meals. The diet should contain enough complex carbohydrates, such as wholemeal bread and pasta, cereals, brown rice, and legumes.
Carbohydrates have a sedative effect on premenstrual mood by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Reduce fat, sugar, and salt, and avoid alcohol and caffeine.Foods high in calcium, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, are beneficial. Recommended 1200 mg calcium per day from food sources and supplements, vitamin B6 in doses of 50-100 mg / day. Other supplements such as magnesium, vitamin E will also be helpful. Agnus castus plant capsules (chaste berry) reduce swelling and chest pain. Of course, since no one solution works equally well for everyone, you can use more than one of the proven natural approaches.
If the above does not help to eliminate the symptoms of PMS or reduce their intensity, then you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist-endocrinologist.

90,000 “These days”, or irritated man syndrome

Photo: Anastas Maragos, Unsplash

We are often asked questions: “Do you have these days again?”, “PMS or what?” or “It’s all hormones, right?” But now we have our own ace up our sleeve, which will allow us to win the game against the lines that disparage our intellect.Men also have periods.

Menses in men ?! What do you mean!

When I said that “men also have periods,” I did not mean blood loss as such. Men have a hormonal cycle that lasts about a month. Science has proven that hormone levels rise and fall over days, weeks and months in both men and women. Studies have shown that testosterone levels in men fluctuate with the seasons. Psychotherapist Jed Diamond called this phenomenon irritable male syndrome (SRM).

Factors that lead to hormonal fluctuations include, among other things, stress levels, age, sleep quality, eating disorders, etc. According to sexologist Janet Brito, these characteristics, in turn, can affect a person’s psychological well-being.

In the text, the words “man” and “woman” are understood as concepts from the binary gender system. Photo: Vidar Norley Mathisen / Unsplash

The symptoms of “these cases” in men are similar to those of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).For example: showing anger, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and mood swings. Testosterone deficiency may be the cause of all of the above. Plus this hormonal cycle is regular enough to be called a “male period.” Both sexes go through the same biological process. But if we consider this only through the prism of physiology (the presence of endometrium, ovaries, eggs and uterus), then opinions differ. So, for example, people who have a uterus and ovaries suffer pain in the lower abdomen and blood loss every month, while people with a different structure of the genital organs have passed this.

In middle-aged people, testosterone levels usually decrease. By analogy with menopause, this condition is also called “andropause”, popularly referred to as “male menopause”.

Photo: Alora Griffiths, Unsplash

Irritable Male Syndrome (CRM) is not a recognized medical condition. In 2002, endocrinologist Peter Celek of Comenius University published a study that showed that testosterone levels in both men and women are based on the lunar cycle. In men, the jump in testosterone occurs on the eighteenth day of the thirty-day cycle.But the scientist’s conclusions were not accepted by the scientific community. Celek believes that if women did not have bleeding, they would also be skeptical about their monthly cycles. Thus, CPM treatment focuses on mitigation and adaptation – exercise, healthy eating, avoiding alcohol, and finding ways to relieve stress.

Negation

We all have bad days and everything around us is annoying. But constant mood swings are not the norm and may be a sign of a possible medical condition that should lead to a doctor’s appointment if necessary.

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Symptoms of “these cases” in men are similar to PMS. For example: showing anger, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and mood swings. Both sexes go through the same biological process.

The main problem of men who seek help or simply raise the topic of CPM is the denial that the work of their bodies is similar to the work of a woman’s.Men have been taught to consider themselves superior and physically stronger sex. They are taught that he “should be” more rational and less subject to emotions, from the category of “men do not cry.” Patriarchy is cultural violence. He gave rise to a physiological-based toxic masculinity that is harmful to all of us. It aims to reinforce rigid gender norms. But there are non-binary people, and gender fluidity is already a generally accepted term. Being a man does not mean having a certain set of genitals.We are all people who have certain biological functions, but these functions should not highlight a certain identity, serve as a background to discrimination or establish the superiority of one over the other.

Photo: Darius Bashar, Unsplash

Patriarchy contains the idea of ​​aggression. Men are taught to deal with “emotional bondage,” thereby preventing them from expressing their emotions at all. But homo sapiens is a species that tends to express feelings. We have evolved to better convey our feelings, and the development of language and art only proves this.Patriarchy forces people to go against what is natural for them. There are opinions that violent actions, such as mass murder, are the result of such an impact. Suppression of one’s nature leads to mental health problems, culminating in suicide. If we replace toxic masculinity with cultural openness and acceptance, then something good can come of it.

Nineteenth November 2019 was International Men’s Day. Of course, it is commendable that many openly thanked the men in life for their constant support.But with this article I want to contribute to the support of the men themselves. Congratulate your men, but also don’t forget about their mental health. This is not a responsibility dictated by your gender stereotype, but just a human instinct.

Text published with the kind permission of the Belorussian edition Makeout translated by Ani Nagaeva, first published in Feminism In India.

Makeout – is a Belarusian feminist anti-discrimination project on gender and sexuality aimed at increasing awareness and awareness, as well as strengthening LGBTQ and other vulnerable groups facing discrimination on the basis of sexual and gender identity.

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