Do you go crazy during the PMS?

Do you also go crazy during PMS? Do you get mood swings when you are about to menstruate? Are you happy or feeling energetic at one moment and in the next you feel completely opposite, shout at someone or your energy level goes to zero without a reason? Well, continue reading our blog to know what you are suffering through and what you can do to stop going crazy.

WHAT IS PMS:

Many women tend to feel different i.e.; get moodier, undergo change in their emotional or physical state, have less energy, feel heavy, or have tender breasts. This is characterised as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Premenstrual Syndrome is the physical and emotional changes that occur a week or so before your period. Before your period starts, people tend to get moodier than usual, and for a few bloating or pain starts.

People gravitate to have mood swings before they menstruate. Mood swings involve the sudden change in mood. You might wake up happy or are excited about something in one moment, and in another moment, you’ll get upset or angry without any reason. Other symptoms of emotional changes that a women may go through before their periods start are:

Anxiety
Sadness
Irritability
anger

CONDITIONS RELATED TO PMS:

Two conditions that are related to PMS and can make you go crazy or moody are:

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): It is a more severe form of PMS and involves emotions. If the mood swings are so strong that they affect your normal routine and they affect the way you relate to the people in your life, then you have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Premenstrual Exacerbation: This happens when the symptoms of an existing condition becomes worse including depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, in the days leading up to your periods.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE PMS OR PMDD?

Research has shown that about 75% of women tend to have PMS during their reproductive years, but PMDD is less common affecting only 3-8% of women. Women with mild PMS symptoms do not need to consult a doctor, but the women with the symptoms of PMDD should get immediate attention from a doctor to help them get through the challenges of periods and PMDD.

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN:

The cause of PMS has not yet been identified, but experts are of the opinion that premenstrual syndrome happens because of hormonal changes occurring during the second half of menstrual cycle. The most common and severe symptom of PMS is mood swings. Ovulation happens during the second half of the menstrual cycle and the body releases an egg, causing estrogen and progesterone levels to drop. This hormonal imbalance may result in mood swings leading to PMS. The imbalance in these hormones also influence the serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your sleep cycle, mood and appetite. Low levels of serotonin cause trouble in sleeping, unusual food cravings, anxiety and irritability. All of these are symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

HOW TO MANAGE PMS:

There are multiple ways one can manage PMS. Following measures can be taken to control the PMS:

TRACK YOUR SYMPTOMS:

Tracking your menstrual cycle helps you to manage PMS. If you haven’t already, start tracking your menstrual cycle and symptoms today. Doing so will confirm if your mood swings are really linked to your menstrual cycle or not. You can track your periods by a period tracking calculator app or can also make a chart yourself. List the days of a month on a piece of paper and the symptoms you have before your periods start. Put an X in front of the symptom you notice each day. Note whether each symptom is mild, moderate or severe. This will not only help you keep a record, but it will also be useful for your doctor.

To track mood swings, make a note when you experience any of these symptoms:

sadness
sudden, unexplained changes in your mood
crying spells
irritability
poor sleep or too much sleep
trouble concentrating
lack of interest in your daily activities
tiredness
low energy

HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL:

Hormonal birth control methods can help in treating symptoms like tender breasts, bloating, and other physical PMS symptoms. For instance, pills or patches can be used in this case. For some, using these methods can also help with emotional changes and mood swings. However, for others the symptoms can get worse using these methods. If you want to take this route, try different hormonal birth control methods until you find one that works for you. If you are interested in pills, take the continuous ones that don’t have a week of placebo pills. Continuous birth control pills can eliminate your periods, and sometimes can help in eliminating PMS too.

NATURAL REMEDIES:

Supplements can help in eliminating PMS related mood swings. Taking calcium tablets or calcium containing food can also help with PMS related feelings of sadness, anxiety and irritability. The result of relief in PMS symptoms by taking calcium can take some time i.e.; upto three menstrual cycles. Some of the food which are good source of calcium are:

milk
yogurt
cheese
leafy green vegetables
fortified orange juice and cereal

Consuming upto 100 mg of vitamin B-6 either in supplement or food form can also help in treating PMS. Following foods contain vitamin B-6:

fish
chicken and turkey
fruit
fortified cereals

CHANGING LIFESTYLE:

Lifestyle can also put an influence on PMS. If your lifestyle doesn’t includes following things, start doing these things to stop going crazy during PMS:

Exercise: You all would have heard of “a healthy mind is in a healthy body” and so, the key to a healthy body is staying active and doing exercise. Start doing active exercises for at least 30 mins daily, or even a walk for 30 mins can help elevate your health and eliminate PMS symptoms i.e.; irritability and anxiety.
Nutrition: Good diet is all you need to stay fit, healthy and PMS free. Eating junk or processed food and drinking carbonated drinks is a big NO NO! Having excess amounts of sugar, fat, salt and spices. You don’t need to cut them out of your diet completely, but replace them with leafy green vegetables, whole grains and fruits. This will keep you full throughout the day and prevent your blood sugar level from dropping.
Sleep: Having a good “good night’s sleep” is necessary for your health. Not getting enough sleep can not only drown your energy, but also affect your health and cause mood swings. Try taking 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
Stress: Stress can worsen your mood swings if unmanaged. Try doing meditation, breathing exercises and yoga to relieve stress and PMS symptoms.

MEDICATION AND SUPPORT:

If any of these things aren’t working out for you, seek medical attention. Ask your gynaecologist to give you a proper prescription to put premenstrual syndrome under control. You can take some antidepressants, but they must be prescribed by your doctor in controlled amounts.

So, do you really have PMS and go crazy before your periods start? Start acting on the tips we mentioned now and adopt an active lifestyle to stay PMS FREE!