LADIES! In the past, I had bloodwork done during hell week. My FSH never got above 10.8. After another night of Olympic swimming I thought let me do a little test. Positive!

This test reacts when your FSH is 25 or higher! I think I can safely say I'm finally in peri menopause 🥳

The end is in sight, hopefully 😅

Got fired from my job that I liked In peak luteal.

I am having a really hard time just existing right now as money and housing security are the top things my brain obsesses about during this time (before this happened ), I feel so so scared and ashamed and hopeless.

I can't even really sleep and when I do I wakeup to the sick feeling. I can't get unemployment. I have a job lined up and an interview today and a tiny bit in a 401 k that I can't get to for about a month. I'm so so so scared and ready to lay down and give up . Thanks for taking the time to read this 💕

Does anyone else struggle with extreme lower abdominal bloating? I thought I had Endo for a long time. I got my tubes removed last year and they didn’t find Endo, but they found scar tissue (not sure why) and had to take down adhesions because my intestines were fused to my abdominal wall and my colon.

I’m dealing with so much bloating now and it hurts. It sucks. Top pic is fully compressed, inhaled, and flexed tummy. Lower is relaxed and at rest. All the pressure goes right down to the bottom.

I’m not sure if the adhesions have come back post surgery or if it’s SIBO or something else. I have so many health issues im trying to tackle at the moment and as much as this one sucks in general, it also makes me insecure :( PMDD is bad enough but im noticing now this in addition to other typical symptoms. Coming off my period and feeling SO overwhelmingly anxious.

Just wondering if anyone else deals with this same thing, and is sure it is not Endo. Thoughts and advice welcome </3

(im allergic to gluten and dairy, don’t drink caffeine, and am sober)

I have been putting notes on the wall and places I frequent in my house and especially my room. On lights switches, doors, above my headboard etc.

It's hard when you are in your head and can't think ahead. But this has helped tremendously.

I find it helps writing the actual names of people you can reach out. Don't mind my ugly handwriting haha.

I just wanted to share so that it helps others who go through intense suicidal ideation/thoughts. You are not alone❤️

this has been consistent for three cycles now. I typically have 4-5 days of my period. Days 4-5 (esp day 4) is always a horrible day emotionally for me. My anxiety and rumination is awful, my OCD gets bad, and I start having PMDD luteal level symptoms (like insomnia/trouble sleeping). Getting through the work day is hard, everything is triggering. Physically my flow is almost nonexistent but the emotional crash and dip is awful.

Does anyone else have this pattern? I’m 28 and feeling broken and need to know there are others out there 🥹

I’ve been experiencing this for a while, but it feels especially difficult now that I’m in a serious, committed relationship.

During the days leading up to my period, I notice a huge shift in how I feel about my relationship. Things that might normally bother me a little suddenly feel so much bigger. I become hyperaware of things that feel missing, things I wish my partner did differently, and little moments when I don't feel as loved, reassured or emotionally connected as I would like to.

It's not necessarily that I'm asking for grand gestures or constant pampering. Sometimes, I just want the little things to happen naturally, without having to explain why they matter to me. And when I don't feel those things, I start questioning everything.

The hardest part is that even when I communicate my feelings and my partner tries to understand me, I still struggle to shake that underlying sense of dissatisfaction or emotional disconnect. It's like my brain keeps finding something else to worry about, and no amount of reassurance seems to last.

I also have a lot happening outside my relationship, particularly family stress and everything surrounding marriage. So it's difficult to figure out how much of what I'm feeling is related to genuine concerns, how much is PMDD amplifying those concerns, and how much is everything piling up at once.

During these episodes, it genuinely feels like my relationship is falling apart. I feel anxious, hurt, disconnected and sometimes almost convinced that something is fundamentally wrong. Then I wonder whether I'll feel differently once this phase passes.

I hate how consuming it can be. I don't want to dismiss my feelings just because I have PMDD, but I also don't want to treat every feeling I experience during this phase as an absolute truth about my relationship.

For those of you with PMDD, how do you navigate relationship anxiety during the luteal phase? Do you experience this feeling that everything is wrong with your relationship, even when you love your partner? How do you distinguish between issues that genuinely need addressing and feelings that PMDD might be intensifying?

so i’ve been off birth control for almost two years. i think that’s how i rlly got to the bottom of my moods and energy levels being off bc once i started tracking my cycle it became very apparent the ups and downs every month were correlating with my cycle. and idk if it’s right to even be this way bc i am a total nightmare when im off and i have ptsd too so my brain just is not a fun place to be when im luteal. and like i have faith that in a day or two im gonna feel so good and like not even recognize the girl who was eating like garbage and too anxious/depressed to take care of herself or socialize and if i can let that girl take over and gain some momentum maybe next month i can be three weeks into a healthier routine that makes this whole thing easier. but i feel like i fell off so hard the past couple months after feeling pretty good. and im trying still, ive tried to walk more places and taken some classes at my new job. im trying to be gentle and not blame myself about certain things. im feeling so isolated and alienated following some harassment i faced this summer. i have no idea what to make of any of it and i dont want to know. death of a gc. it is what it is.

i just dont know why life has to be so hard. and like my body doesn’t want me to get better. and i hate ppl for insisting on giving me more to heal from. i stg i rlly think im autistic bc i never can rlly have like a good group of solid friends. i get to exist on the fringe of it and if i step one toe out of line im dragged through the coals and ganged up on relentlessly until i have no choice but to remove myself from the situation. i am just so grateful to be able to protect my energy from people like that. maybe i’ll never fit in with anyone. idk if anyone will ever love me. maybe i was stupid to try. i just wanna feel ok for myself again. i hope i feel better this week and do better.

the fog finally lifted for me a couple days ago about 2 days into my period and i felt so relieved after a really bad month. Haven’t been able to sleep due to racing thoughts and just feeling too depressed to even go to bed and exist in the dark and quiet.

And listen, i’m not tryna complain about feeling good, but oh my god. now i feel like i can’t sleep cos all i wanna do is stay up all night and draw, craft, work out, improve myself in every possible sense, write a book, start a frickin business and actually i could just do with a good nights sleep🙃.

i’d take this over the depression any day but it feels absolutely wild to me that i’ve gone from not being able to sleep from being so low, to not being able to sleep from being on such a high. i legit feel like i could pull an all nighter no problem.

i also know being up super late will negatively impact me tomorrow so im stuck between taking advantage of the feeling and just riding the wave or forcefully trying to suppress it and calm down so i can get at least a few hours of sleep. i’ll ultimately attempt the latter but i feel like i got zoomies to get out first.

packing then unpacking boxes through neverending tears. and that’s if
i can even drag myself to
do anything. sleeping for hours and hours after every tiny task. begging to go back to a comfy home that no longer exists. swearing i’ve made the worst mistake of my life. 0/10.

My symptoms usually being 7-10 days prior to the onset of my period.
This month has been a bit weird for a few reasons. My activity levels have been extremely high recently, and my sleep has been very poor. I know these probably contribute. My period was a couple days late, and I didn’t really feel symptoms until about 5 days prior.

Now that I’m on day 5 of my period, I feel like every single PMDD symptom has hit me at once. I have been extremely tired, apathetic, and achy all over. I also have an overwhelming feeling of just being “off”.

Yesterday, I was preparing something to eat, and suddenly felt a wave of dp/dr wash over me and my vision started to blackout. I had to call my brother and he came and sat with me and made me dinner. I felt a little better afterward, but woke up this morning feeling extremely off and like my body has been hit by a truck.

I’m wondering if this is PMDD related or if it’s something else. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? If so, how do you handle it? The hardest part for me rn is knowing when it’s going to end. Or if it’s something completely unrelated to PMDD. Anyway, thank you for reading🫶

I'm already depressed as it is, but then the luteal phase hits and somehow it gets 100x worse. I'm stuck in a foreign country with no real friends, a chopped as fuck haircut, clothes that don't fit because I've gained weight, a shitty part time job, locals who look at me like I'm super scary because I wear eyeliner sometimes. There's nothing. I can't give up because I love my boyfriend and my mom but how do I keep going with a brain and a body and a life like this? I hope a car takes me out.

I'm not sure if these two are related, but I've been suffering from PMDD (undiagnosed) for quite a bit - I would say starting in my late 20s. I also suffer from anxiety. For the past couple of years, I've been able to manage both PMDD and anxiety with exercise, quality sleep, and nutrition. However, my health took a turn after a triggering event back in August and haven't been able to recover since. My sleep has suffered the most, and have been more anxious. I've noticed my PMDD getting worse, too.

I was recently prescribed Lexapro by my PCP and was extremely scared to try it. However, I was encouraged by my PCP, my therapist, and my mom (bc she's also on it LOL), to try it out sooner rather than later. For some context, I was a week away from my honeymoon, and they all said taking Lexapro might help me relax on my honeymoon.

Long story short, I took it about 4 days before going on my honeymoon and experienced different things while on it. Mind you, I was also in my luteal phase. I started on a 2.5mg dose bc it's my first time. First day i took it, i gave myself a panic attack and did not sleep well that night. Next day, I took it earlier in the morning (bc I'm worried about my sleep), and I felt calm-ish? Maybe even sleepy? However, that night, I woke up at 3am in a panic - I have never experienced this before. The following day, I took it again in the morning and experienced weird intense anxiety after eating. I experienced extreme anxiety and nausea afterwards and felt on edge. I experienced this again while eating dinner later that night. I felt almost overstimulated while just sitting on the couch watching TV. Like too much sensory input would send me into a panic. Got extreme nausea again after that. The following morning (leaving to my honeymoon), I experienced weird intense anxiety again. I usually never get THAT anxious about going to an airport. My anxiety was so palpable that I was having hot flashes and an increased heart rate.

At this point, I was leaving for my honeymoon the next morning and was not having much hope with the medication, so I stopped. I did not want to feel like this while on my honeymoon (anxious, on edge, no appetite, sleeplessness, nausea). I took a fall trip to new england and almost BARFED my first ever lobster roll :'(.

I'm back from my honeymoon and my period has ended. My sleep is still suffering and i'm assuming there's still some underlying anxiety that is impacting it. I'm inclined to try Lexapro again, but I'm scared because of my first experience with it. At this point, I'm willing to try again because my sleep is suffering tremendously.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Do you think that my luteal phase and timing of taking Lexapro for the first time made me experience anxiety to that level?

i’m using Nikki birth control. It has done wonders for me for my pmdd seriously cannot recommend it enough. there is something i’m noticing though. when i start the “sugar pills” (which actually i don’t even take tbh) im noticing a huge drop in my hormones. i’m noticing im getting the pmdd flu again as soon as i stop taking them and i notice my irritability coming back. i’m considering just skipping my inactive pills so i don’t have a hormonal shift. i was wondering if this happens to anyone else? i know im supposed to get my period so maybe its just that and i have ptsd from pmdd or my pmdd is sneaking in because i stop taking the birth control. sorry for a long post😮‍💨 also anyone seriously try nikki! its been a life saver besides this little thing.

The title... As soon as ovulation ends and luteal begins my guts just INFLATE with air immediately and it's so painful and uncomfortable, I can't stop farting, I can barely eat anything because it all hurts. And it's like this for TWO FUCKING WEEKS 😭 I already have a very limited diet and I'm at my fucking wit's end

I'm literally going to a GI doctor this afternoon for a different issue but if you guys have any cycle related tips that might help lessen the intensity of this I'd really appreciate it. 😞

my period is 6 days away and the past week has been hell. almost went into psychosis twice, and tonight i’m just in a horrible horrible mood. i’ve also been isolating because i genuinely just feel like a hater and don’t care about anyone but myself right now and i HATE saying that because that is so warped from who i actually am as a person outside of stupid ass pmdd
i’m just so glad i don’t fall into a whole identity crisis over it anymore. it used to kill my heart to feel that way
anyways, thanks for listening. 🩷
i’m so much better during the day for this cycle thankfully. night time has been out the window
if you’re reading this, i’m sorry that you probably have pmdd as well. i wish no one did

just wondering if anyone australian based has insight into how to start HRT conversations with GP and what next steps would look like?

for context, i'm 41, diagnosed with pmdd and adhd. ritalin has helped pmdd symptoms somewhat, but not consistently. I've tried Zoely but it ultimately didn't work (+ then i started getting migraines so had to come off), Mirena was also a bust. GP has previously said she wants me to try Slynd but i'm nervous as no OCPs have helped me previously (and sometimes have made it all much worse).

i feel like at 41 i probably have a longggg way to go of this bullshit. apart from worsening mood symptoms i don't really have other physical signs of perimenopause but I've seen posts about HRT for pmdd (seems to be more common in the UK?) and wondering if australian doctors are starting to use it as pmdd treatment too. Any insights appreciated...

Im on my first month with Slynd and it did help my pmdd a lot! Such a win I can barely believe it. Now I would normally have my period but im skipping the sugarpills. I can sense some mild cramps and spottin.

My question is - you who take Slynd for PMDD: do you skip or take the sugar pills every month? And does not taking them affect PMMD?

I've newly been told I might have PMDD and seeing a doctor about it soon.

It's 7 days now before my period and wondering if my catastrophising thoughts about my life are legitimate or if it's PMDD...

I (F26) have been sick for the past month and a half, my body has been somatizing some crazy stress from the past months and it's been one thing after the other. This past week I've been dealing with a flu + my usual PMDD. I haven't been able to meet with much people this past month, mostly one of my closest friends and my girlfriend. My father called yesterday urging me to meet with him, "how is it possible to be sick so frequently being this young", and justifying how I'm an adult who can get her own meds if I'm sick and I would not need his support for anything. One of the hardest things of this month and a half has been not only being sick with different stuff but how badly I speak to myself when I'm sick. He taught me how to do that. He gaslights and minimizes everything. I wish he could feel my menstrual cramps just for a minute, or my headaches, fatigue, irritability. I swear to god cis men don't know shit about what we have to go through and I'm fucking tired of it. I'm tired of having been socialized to expect me to function like them, I'm tired of the social gaslighting and invisibilization, of having to rely on financial privilege to be able to take breaks from work because I'm incapacitated about 1-2 weeks every month. I want gentleness, ease, softness, loving and tender spaces to rest, to share, to process, to create, to celebrate our bodies and its beauty and natural processes. I want a world that's built for us. We're building it. To find the medicine within us instead of taking a bunch of medications to survive this insane world. I'm so sick of this nonsense. Fuck the patriarchy and fuck the colonization of our bodies.

Every time I'm about to get my period, I go through the worst mood swings and weird symptoms. Idk I guess I'm just trying to see if anyone else experiences these things. First of all, throughout the day I am so tired but the second I lay in bed i am wide awake and all I can do is cry until
I feel disoriented. I get really bad neck, ear, jaw, and head pain as my period approaches and the level of anxiety I have in me from this makes things much worse. THEN I have been having this jitteriness in my thighs. It's hard to explain. Like my muscles constantly twitch in my thigh and when I try to walk my legs feel stiff? Almost locked and it's hard to go up stairs. I began experiencing this symptom last month before my period. I am on Prozac 10mg which was supposed to help with my PMDD but it did nothing. Lexapro did more for my PMDD but didn't help my everyday anxiety and OCD. Whenever I experience these symptoms I always think that it's over for me and that I won't get better. It's just so exhausting feeling like this for 50% of a month.

Hi everyone - after over a decade of trying to navigate this problem naturally I have accepted I need medication. I’m starting Zoloft.

I’m really curious to hear what else you noticed on Zoloft (good or bad or neutral) besides improvements to your pmdd?

Literally said “I hate to be a man saying this but could it be your period?”

Hey warriors! Hope October has been gentle to you.

Have all my ducks in a row with my bf to stop working and focus on physical and mental health therapy. Job is very toxic and making health worse. Why am I so hesitant to send the resignation??? These people have been nothing but judgy, nasty, and have run the rumor mill like crazy. But such a big change ahhhhh

Anyone going through or been though something similar? Please share!! Tell me to send it!!

Much love <3