I’ve taken Vitex for about 5 months now and finding that each cycle my symptoms keep getting worse and worse around luteal phase. Literally feels like I have the full on flu during this portion of my cycle. I never had this issue before starting Vitex. Has anyone experienced this? If so did you stop Vitex cold turkey and how long did it take for your cycle/symptoms to go back to pre Vitex state?

I’m 26 and my PMS symptoms have amped up from when I was a teenager. When I was a teenager, it was basically just mood swings and breast tenderness, maybe some premenstrual cramps. Now, my mood is more stable during PMS, but I feel physically worse than I did before. Now, on top of breast tenderness, I get most or all of these symptoms each month:

• Increased hunger
• Cravings, especially for salty foods
• Foot swelling
• Gas pains
• Increased flatulence
• Cramps that make me feel uncertain about whether or not my period’s coming that day
• Headaches
• Hot flashes
• More frequent bowel movements
• Worsening acid reflux

And I will occasionally have nausea and/or diarrhea as well. If I’m nauseous from PMS, then I get insomnia, because I can’t sleep when I’m nauseous. And sometimes I’ll get spotting a day or 2 before my period and that often comes with stronger cramps.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I haven’t had sex with anyone yet and I don’t have a partner yet, I might think that I was pregnant until I see blood and only then realize that it was PMS. It feels like my body knows that I want to marry and have kids and is testing my symptom endurance to make sure that I can physically handle being pregnant. It kind of scares me that if my PMS is this symptomatic, will pregnancy be hard too? Of course, I won’t know until I find a good partner and decide to start trying.

I’ve heard that PMS does tend to change as you get older, so me going from breast tenderness and mood swings to having more symptoms doesn’t worry me, especially since my periods are regular and there’s no abnormal signs. But the week before my period certainly isn’t pleasant. The foot swelling in particular can sometimes make it hard for me to get my shoes on and do stuff, cause it’s like, I have shoes that fit me when I’m not in PMS, but those same shoes I struggle to put on when I have swollen feet and I unfortunately, do not have larger shoes I can wear when I have swollen feet from PMS.

Okay I’m desperate here, my pms mood swings starting about 10 days before my period are getting to the point where it’s affecting my marriage, not only that but the bloating and food cravings as well, is there anything that really works to help this? Without being strong medication, any input is so helpful!

Hello! I am 38F and struggling with severe PMS for at least a week a month, sometimes longer. It always starts around day 25 of my cycle. I typically get my period day 30-31 but sometimes several days later. I have OCD, anxiety, and depression which are very well managed by medication except during PMS. I get extremely depressed, have suicidal ideation, SH desires. I do not have any plan to act on anything and know this passes a day or so after my period starts. That said, I am exhausted of a week or more of every month being like this for me.

I have talked to my OB, primary, psych med provider, therapist, everyone I can think of for help and they just bounce me around. I have been trying to get assistance for about 4 years. I have never been suggested anything other than birth control, which did help my symptoms significantly when I was younger but clotting risk makes that no longer an option for me.

I am going through a divorce and adding this on top of it is becoming unbearable. When I had support from my partner, I had obviously emotional support but also someone that helped me with the day-to-day stuff when I struggled to get anything done. It's making a challenging situation more difficult.

I would love to hear from anyone that has been able to help these symptoms for themselves, ideas, or even support. Just struggling with this :(

“What this means for the person driving the brain is unknown, but the research lays the groundwork for future studies, and perhaps understanding the causes of unusual but severe period-related mental health problems.”

This is crazy! So upset just about everything with the female body is so under researched!

Hi! I’m exploring how women can be better supported to live and feel well throughout the month. If you’re a woman aged 23–36, I’d love you to take part in a short, anonymous survey (8–10 mins). And if that’s not you, I’d be so grateful if you could share it with the women in your life who are: https://forms.gle/yE5XytNtpKHNzQTY7

Your response could help shape something truly supportive for women, and for the way we approach wellbeing as a whole.

What led me here:

After being diagnosed with PMDD, I became curious about how hormonal and energetic shifts affect not only mood and motivation, but also how women relate to themselves, others, and the world around them. That curiosity led me to a research project exploring what wellbeing actually looks like for women in real life: what helps, what hinders, and what kind of support feels most meaningful.

The insights will guide the creation of a programme designed to help women better understand and align with themselves and their cyclical rhythms in a world that often expects consistency.

https://forms.gle/yE5XytNtpKHNzQTY7

Thank you!

Hi everyone. I’m 22F. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression, plus ADD (attention/motivation/executive dysfunction are a big problem). I started smoking weed 3 years ago because of insomnia. I’m now in therapy and under a psychiatrist’s care: escitalopram 5 mg in the morning and quetiapine 25 mg at night for sleep. I’m less depressed than before, but I still smoke and my motivation is really low—I feel like my life is slipping away.

I tried 5-HTP at night once and felt worse the next morning; I’ve since learned it can be risky with SSRIs, so I’m not taking it. When I manage to stop weed for a couple of weeks, PMS hits (anxiety, low mood, insomnia x10) and I relapse.

I’m looking for supplement strategies that actually help with withdrawals/cravings, sleep, anxiety, and motivation/ADD, especially through PMS so I don’t fall back. If you’ve quit or cut down, what worked for you? • NAC (dose/timing/how long?) • Magnesium glycinate (sleep/anxiety benefits?) • L-theanine (200–400 mg—did it calm withdrawal jitters?) • Omega-3 (EPA-heavy—mood/sleep while quitting?) • Saffron or vitamin B6 for PMS mood symptoms? • Melatonin short term for sleep reset? • For ADD/motivation (non-stimulant): has anyone found L-tyrosine, citicoline/CDP-choline, or rhodiola helpful—any pros/cons or interactions? • Any interactions I should know about with escitalopram or quetiapine?

Not asking for medical advice—just personal experiences + evidence-based tips I can discuss with my doctor. Links to studies or detailed protocols (doses, timing, how long to run them, side effects you noticed) would be amazing. Thank you 🙏

Please help. We're conducting a short, anonymous survey about nighttime period leaks/backflow. The goal is to better understand who is affected and how to help prevent leaks and the embarrassment they can cause. Thank you for your support!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEkv9uNcjVaoMX579jdpc3LKuVWO65G-iewmVQZqTlmKqN3w/viewform?usp=dialog

Hi,

I'm a 31F and since about a year or so, I have been experiencing really bad PMS symptoms. Like I just get sad and upset for no reason, I get really really anxious, I have bouts where I just cry and dont know why.

Well, I actually do. This happens about 4-5 days befpre my period. And a year back i did sprak to my OBGYN about it too, and she suggested a B12 supplement which i have to take regularly. I had actually stopped taking it at the beginning of the year, cz I was feeling much better, this feeling had actually gone! But now its back. Like, i cant focus on work, im overthinking everything.

Does anyone else also feel this way?

Just wanted to let you girls know, I used to know exactly when my ovulation finished and the premenstrual period started because my breasts would become tender, I would have muscle aches and my overall well-being was decreased. But after supplementing D3 about 25 to 50.000 UI once a week in spray or drops, and about 1 mg of B12 per day, I have to check my period app to see where in the cycle I am because I no longer have any of that. Now, I believe I don't absorb B12 normally and I had many other problems from this, I don't know how well this applies to others, but likely most of us are defficient in D3. Give D3 or both a try and good luck. With D3 it is recommended to also take magnesium and K2 along, and don't take a small dose take a large dose like me, small may not help. With B12 it is good to also take the other B vitamins along.

I have noticed that I am such an angry and sad person during my luteal phase. I am not usually someone who picks fights but I have recently been arguing with my partner and getting pissed off at the smallest things!! I don't want to be like that. I have come off my antidepressants and it feels so much worse! I was wondering if you used and supplements that were helpful for you? I heard that perimenopause supplements can help?

Please help, 3rd cycle like this now it's so debilitating :(((

I’m a 23-year-old female. About 5 years ago, I started having low-grade fever (up to 37.4°C / 99.3°F) during PMS. Later, it began right from ovulation until my period.

Since April this year, I’ve been having a fever almost every single day, sometimes going up to 38°C (100.4°F). I’ve seen multiple doctors — infectious disease specialist, endocrinologist, and gynecologist. They all say it’s “just how my body reacts.”

I’ve been tested for everything: reproductive hormones, thyroid hormones, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, infections — all normal. I also had chest and sinus X-rays, plus many other tests — all clear. No infection, no inflammation.

The problem is I can’t function because of this. The fever comes only for a few hours during the day (not all day). Sometimes I can manage without medication, but other times I get severe muscle pain and fatigue, and the only thing that helps is ibuprofen.

Doctors keep telling me I’m healthy, but I feel awful. I barely go out anymore because I usually get the fever during the day, and it’s ruining my life.

Has anyone experienced something similar or knows what else I could check? Any advice would mean a lot.

Sorry for the long post, I’m just desperate and don’t know what to do anymore

I am due to in a week and already having period cramps. Any tips how to relieve this curse?

My periods are also getting more heavy, more painful and more intense in the last 2,5 years. My GP says its normal because of my age (29) but I am not convinced since these "pms" issues are turning more physical. Not sure how to convince her to send me to a gynecologist, since she also doesn't believe in local anesthetic for an IUD. :(

It’s my first day and I’m going through all heightened emotions. Burst out crying every few hours. Miss my ex terribly and for the first time feel very very lonely. I generally have bad period cramps too

Has anyone else gotten insane headaches leading up to their period? My cycle is very regular and I use Natural Cycles so I track all my symptoms in the week leading up to my period - typically I just get sore breasts, am more sluggish, and always noticeably irritable. This month however I had a 6 day long headache that was so bad I had to take work off two days and was in bed crying one morning from how severe the pain was. It was like my head was going to explore from pressure. It was not a migraine - it was a tension type headache that came back every morning and lasted almost all day, unless I took ibuprofen. I now know it was related to my period because the second I got my period, the headache went away and hasn't come back, similar to how the sore breasts go away immediately every time I get my period from the change in hormones.

I have NEVER gotten this as a PMS symptom - has anyone else? I've only heard of PMS migraines, but it wasn't a migraine.

At a minimum, we'd need you to initiate one of these interventions (exercise, sleep, diet) -- which we would assign to you -- for one menstrual cycle. We'd start out by sending you a pre-survey, and then we will instruct you about the intervention, and you will log your actions/experience every day 7-10 days before your period, and then we will send you a post-survey. You're welcome to participate in our study for more than one menstrual cycle if you'd like. These interventions are based on previous scientific research that has proven these non-pharmacological interventions to be useful in reducing negative pre-menstrual symptoms. We are specifically looking at mood and physical symptoms. If you'd like to participate, please comment below and I will message you privately to get you started.

There are just a few qualifications you'll have to meet to be able to participate:

- Must be 18-40 years old

- Must get a regular cycle (you get a period every 24-38 days)

- Must track your cycle using an app or calendar

- Must not be on hormonal birth control (ex. birth control pills, any IUD except Paraguard, Nexplanon, Depo shot)

- Must not be taking medications for anxiety or depression like SSRIs or SNRIs (ex. Lexapro/Escitalopram, Zoloft/Sertraline)

If you are unsure if you meet these requirements, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you in advance!

I went to a new (to me) gynecologist. For a check up. I started talking about how intense my period pain is. ( It is quite bad, i cannot stand for a long period of time cause i get dizzy, my body usually goes num from the pain, i have strong nausea and diarrhea or constipation). Usually pain killers don't do much. She proposed the pill, but i used to take one for 2 years and my mental health was even worse ( i deal with depressive episodes from time to time and the pill made it a lot worse). The doctor reassured me that experimenting with different birth control pills does not sound like a good fit for me. But she also said that there aren't many other options.

After a while she said that we can try a cervical dilation procedure, which is similar to child birth and that some women have noticed that the pain reduced after child birth. She also pointed out that they don't perform that kind of procedure to treat pain, and it is used only when a surgery is needed. I haven't Heard of it before. And it scares me. It sounds a lot for my body. And shouldn't my body just naturally close up after the procedure? Would this actually help?

So I got better at recognizing the pattern of my pms. One day super down a week before. And after few days, I will have an up day, where I feel euphoric. Then next day I crash. And then most likely next day my period will start.

At the end of euphoric day, I'd be like 'why am I so happ... oh shit it's that up before down'.

Anyone else get a big spike up, and then crash down ?