“My uterus is shedding, I will not hesitate to stab you.”
Most of us are aware of PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) as its symptoms affect more than 90 percent of menstruating women. Let’s be honest, no one loves periods, and to top it off the mood swings that are accompanied by it are the worst.
All this is contributed by our ‘lovely-lady’ hormones- Estrogen and Progesterone. They disturb the neurotransmitters. Starting with low serotonin levels right before periods resulting in sleep problems, depression, irritability, and the crazy food cravings. As if PMS wasn’t enough, there two more conditions that may be the cause for your out of control moodiness:
Premenstrual Dysmorphic Disorder (PMDD):Â This is a more severe form of PMS. All of the symptoms are severe fatigue, mood changes, including irritability, nervousness, depression, and anxiety, crying and emotional sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, paranoia and issues with self-image, coordination difficulties, forgetfulness, abdominal bloating, increased appetite and gastrointestinal upset, headaches, backache, muscle spasms, numbness or tingling in the extremities, hot flashes, dizziness, fainting, sleeplessness, vision changes and eye complaints, respiratory complaints, such as allergies and infections, painful menses, decreased libido, easy bruising, heightened sensitivity, acne, breast tenderness, decreased urine production, swelling of the hands, feet, and ankles, and temporary weight gain.
The main difference between PMDD and PMS is that PMDD disrupts daily routines, relationships and create issues with work.
Premenstrual Exacerbation:Â Worsening of the symptoms of another disorder, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, or depression in the weeks or days leading up to your period.
The exact causes for these syndromes aren’t established yet, it could easily be nature or nurture or both. What we can do about it is to try to fix our lifestyle physically and internally. Going to the doctor can be our first step… you are not alone.
