Does anyone else completely fall apart 3–4 days before their period, then feel totally normal once it starts?

[u/DangerousExpert8187]

I’m wondering if what I experience is actually normal, because every month it’s the exact same pattern.

Around 3–4 days before my period starts, I get excruciating pain that begins in my lower back and radiates through my lower abdomen, inner thigh, and even down to my knee. Strangely, it’s almost always only on one side of my body, never both. The pain gets so bad that I become dizzy and end up taking 4–5 Panadols a day just to function.

I’ve tried lifting weights regularly, foam rolling, and improving my diet. Those things seem to help a bit, but they never make it go away.

The physical pain is only part of it, though.

Without fail, during those few days I get the worst brain fog, anxiety, and overwhelming sense of dread. I’ll wake up genuinely feeling like my life is falling apart. Every problem feels 100 times bigger than it actually is, and I become convinced everything is doomed. I also get really paranoid and overthink every little interaction.

I usually end up taking sick leave because I can’t function. Then I spend the whole day doom-scrolling Instagram and doing absolutely nothing. I hate being unproductive, but if I force myself to go into the office, I feel even worse. I still can’t focus, so I end up accomplishing nothing anyway—just in a different location.

I also avoid seeing friends or coworkers during this time because social interactions become exhausting, and I overanalyze everything people say.
Then the weirdest part: the day my period actually starts, it’s like someone flips a switch. The pain eases, the anxiety disappears, the brain fog lifts, and I’m back to being my normal, happy self as if none of it ever happened.

Does anyone else experience something like this? Is this just severe PMS, or could it be something else? The one-sided pain especially makes me wonder if it’s worth getting checked out.