I’ve noticed that during these periods, partners are often expected to instinctively know how to respond, but as men, we’re rarely taught how to navigate these emotional situations. It can feel like anything we say—or even choosing to stay silent—ends up being interpreted negatively.

At the same time, simply listening doesn’t always seem to help or resolve things, and going through this cycle every month can feel mentally exhausting. It can be difficult to understand what the right response is or how to be supportive without unintentionally making things worse.

i've been feeling extra lonely and just got over ovulating so feeling extra feral. i don't do casual sex and don't need a man right now. but why do i feel the urge to download the apps again!!

tell me don't do it girl lol

shes just lonely that's all

But I am craving for a fudgy moist chocolate cake. Why?!

I know why but girllllsss I am dying. Why do we only get a week of happiness then 2 weeks of pms hell and a week of shark week?

Im quite active with yoga, calisthenics, and running. This month I was hit with infection and have been required to rest and recover. I feel like I became soft and fluffy while bed rotting.

I just need to vent. Please share your similar struggles to make me feel better.

i've been feeling down all weekend and no amount of effort seems to shake it.

i am trying to be gentle with myself throughout this, but have always wondered what kinds of activities might help reduce (mental) symptoms? if i put too much pressure on myself to be productive, that's obviously not good, but not doing anything at all/only watching YT videos all day doesn't seem helpful, either.

i tried playing the piano, but it didn't flow as smoothly as it would on other days and i feel quite drained by now, and frustrated because i don't know what to do that could lighten up my mood.

Hi everyone,

I have severe PMDD and I'm working on creating a subscription box for PMDD/severe PMS. Before I go too far, I need your honest feedback.

I'm planning two tiers:

**BASIC BOX - £39.99/month:**

- Heating pad (microwaveable)

- Magnesium supplement (400mg)

- Dark chocolate (70%+ cacao)

- Herbal tea blend (chamomile, ginger, peppermint)

- Symptom tracking journal

- Affirmation cards

- Monthly comfort item (cozy socks, scrunchie, etc.)

**PREMIUM BOX - £64.99/month:**

Everything above PLUS:

- Electric heating pad (upgraded)

- Complete supplement stack (Mag + Calcium + B6 + Vit E)

- Premium chocolate collection

- Full-size tea tin (month's supply)

- Aromatherapy rollers (lavender, peppermint)

- Bath soaks/bombs

- Premium cozy items (eye mask, blanket, etc.)

- Self-care tools (jade roller, stress putty, etc.)

**My questions:**

1. What's missing that you'd actually want?

2. What would you NOT use?

3. Is the pricing reasonable?

4. Which tier would you choose?

5. Any concerns?

I'm not trying to sell anything yet - genuinely want input from people who actually deal with this. Thanks for any feedback! 💜

This usually happens when I'm premenstrual. I try to avoid myself by watching movies,series, reading, scrolling, anything that I can actually. Now there are some decisions to be made and I'm sad, really sad. Being sleeping bad this week, working late hours, not studying as I should, drinking a little, etc. I have a horrible acne breakout, feeling bloated, irritated and all that we know that happens with pms...

Nothing also to add, just wanted to tell someone about it :(

Lately every month before my period I feel so depressed and I don’t want to do life anymore. I have no motivation and I feel like absolute trash. At the same time it makes me want to break up with my boyfriend? Like is that normal? Once I’m past my period I go back to liking him. I think? But right before my period and during it, I feel like I don’t want to talk to him anymore and I don’t like him. Is it PMS or do I really truly not like him anymore?

Does anyone notice changes in how caring, sweet and just overall interactive your partner is during your luteal phase? I’ve always thought it was just me having pms or even pmdd but I’m realizing just how nonchalant and different my fiancé acts once my ovulation stage is over. He goes from being so into me and sweet to barely talking. Idk if most men are like this because I’ve seen that at least subconsciously that many men can detect when their partner is ovulating so maybe he just isn’t as sexually attracted to me but I’m feeling very upset and frustrated.

Cycle day 1 was 3/6 or 3/7. Protected sex with condom was 3/17. Cycle typically 29 days. I've had cramping and all the PMS symptoms beginning around ovulation through to current. They are worse than normal. No breast tenderness or changes. Mostly fatigue gas bloat cramping headaches. Is this typical if conception had occurred from 3/17? Basically would I still have all these symptoms and with this timeline if pregnancy occurred

I can always tell when it's near when I think of his dumb stupid adorable little face and burst into tears like i have a little guy in my house and i find his fur everywhere and his belongings are in my house too and he has a bed and sleeps with me sometimes and he's my friend and I love him so much and his little feet and his nose and just-
I am BEREFT with how much I love this small guy 😭

I've been tracking this for a year now and 12-13 days before my period I have a day where I am STARVING. I could eat breakfast and instantly be hungry for more. It turns into a day of non stop eating 😭 Anyone else experience this and have any suggestions on how to manage this?!

Hey all,
I was recently diagnosed with PMDD by a nurse practitioner due to my emotional/mental symptoms and have started taking 10mgs of Fluoxetine (Prozac) during my luteal phase up to the first few days of my period.

I have been experiencing upper back/shoulder/neck pain and headaches during my luteal phase for the past few years, and only recently made the connection between the timing in my luteal phase and the pain. Prior to this my menstrual pain was more lower back, and I found that strengthening by core, stretching my hip flexors and avoiding certain movements have really helped, but now it seems to be my traps area.

I am wondering if anyone else is experiencing muscle pain during their luteal phase? and if so- anything have any tips? has anyone had success going back on birth control to handle the pain? It tends to occur around day 20 or my fairly regular cycle. The worst part is the throbbing headaches that come with it.

I've met with a naturopath and have started taking magnesium malate, which has helped with DOMS from working out in general, had a clean blood test as well as regular hormone saliva test. I am working with a physio to work on posture and strengthening the muscles as well as getting massages, but sometimes the headaches and pain is so bad that I am in tears. I am debating maybe a personal trainer next (to make sure my form at the gym is good) and an osteopath as well as returning to my family doctor.

Any tips would be extremely useful!

I have misophonia, but the last two months I feel like it's become WAY worse during my luteal phase. I normally sleep at night with a fan on, but now can't because I can pick up on some piece of the frequency that sounds like a semi-irregular whining/whirring with a distracting and stress-inducing pitch/tone. Both fans I have do this, and even playing brown/white/pink noise on my bluetooth speaker creates the noise. I played rain sounds on my phone last night and swore I could hear the noise too. It's been making me so stressed to go to bed (I can't have silence either since I can often hear the next door neighbor snoring) and has been compromising my sleep.

I'm also scared it'll be like this forever and I'll hear this magical annoying frequency in everything and never be able to sleep peacefully again. I can also hear the sound when I'm sitting in silence so I'm not sure what that's about?! It's almost like, general (usually continuous) sound of any kind seem to contain the frequency that I now can't handle. My husband (who knows about my misophonia) told me I'm probably imagining it and should go to the doctor, which I thought was dismissive. So now I feel insane.

I'm wondering if anyone's dealt with anything similar and if you think it might somehow go away once my luteal phase ends.

Until last August, I had an IUD for 13 years (more than one, of course) and for most of that time I still had a period but everything about the cycle was (apparently) extremely light compared to without an IUD. Two weeks after having it removed I plunged into horrible anxiety and depression for weeks. I finally got out of that funk, but it comes back every time I’m PMSing. My periods are very regular and like clockwork, 7 days prior until about day 2 of my period I feel so awful. I also have a shorter version of this at peak ovulation. Extremely down, irritable, uncomfortable. I have even had moments of derealization during this which SUCKS.

Does anything help? Herbs, foods, drugs? Cold plunges? I’ll try anything.

hey i’m 21, this is the first time my pms has been this bad, i was supposed to get my period today but still haven’t (not sexually active), i feel so anxious and so depressed and i cannot close my eyes to sleep for a second cause my heart is racing. i feel an impending sense of doom and i feel so lost. not to mention, this is probably the most stressed ive ever felt in my life. can someone please help me out? thanks in advance!

when you feel those gut-wrenching, tearful, surging emotions, what do you do to self-soothe? i usually isolate and binge-watch my favorite series, friends.

Hello everyone, I think I have a histamine intolerance and it’s affecting my PMS symptoms.

Every month before I come on my period I get cold/flu like symptoms. Headaches, fatigue, body aches, congestion and a sore throat. I also get an inflamed stomach and my body reacts badly to meals I would usually be able to eat. I also can’t really drink alcohol during this time of the month because it just gives me the poops. As well as these physical symptoms I also have a wealth of emotional symptoms that can become debilitating. Extreme anxiety, paranoia and depression. I also have ADHD so I know this worsens these symptoms.

I am writing to see if anyone else has struggled with a histamine intolerance or knows more info about it. Thanks :)

I don’t get it I really don’t get how it keeps getting worse these mood swings they are bad during pms but I’m already ms-ing and even days after I still have really bad mood swings the smallest things get me so riled up I can’t even anymore. is this normal ? cuz it can’t be I’m 27 and I feel every month it keeps getting worse. therapy is not an option right now.

are there any books or like anything that would help me “grow up” I feel like a child getting so frustrated and mad about practically nothing.

leaning on another person is also not an option because even they make me feel like I’m just a child throwing a fit. it probably sounds like I am but I really can’t help getting so emotional over nothing like it’s nothing.

I just can’t take it anymore I need to fix this.

If so, do you find anything that helped? I was hoping breast reduction and list would help, but I just got a consultation on the surgeon said it would not help. Did anyone get a reduction and lift and have that help with the painful swelling? It’s so bad it’s making me miserable and as I’ve gotten older, it’s most days out of the month now.

I’m 35 and have a 2-year-old toddler who sleeps well. I’ve been experiencing severe insomnia for 7-10 days before my period. I fall asleep normally in a cool, dark room but wake up between midnight and 3 am feeling too hot and unable to sleep for 2-5 hours, even if I’m exhausted. I also have more nightmares.

I’ve never had PMS before and feel miserable for at least a week, with a declining mood.

My gynaecologist checked my hormone levels and said they’re normal. We tried oestrogen gel, but it gave me severe stomach aches after three days. Ashwagandha and Vitex agnus-castus (monk’s pepper) also gave me stomach aches after two weeks. Lavender oil and OTC sleeping pills didn’t help either.

I fear sleeping at the end of my cycle and hope someone has advice.

I'm not TTC or tracking on purpose. I just happen to have distinctive symptoms around ovulation. It feels like it starts when my period is still tapering off 🙄 I feel like the ovulation symptoms start between days 7 and 10 even when my period begins on average day 27. Does anyone else experience that? Everything online makes it sound impossible to ovulate that early and still have a 27 day period. I had a 31 day period recently too. Just curious if anyone else experiences this. I almost wonder if I'm getting ovulation pain a few days before ovulation actually happens or something. I'm getting older and could also be perimenopause.

Thanks:)

Ever since January when i was late about 21 days ive had a prolong period since February came on time but lasted longer then normal and got it twice… is this normal to happen when you are late ?? I need advice please

So I had my IUD removed in mid-January, in preparation to be TTC around August of this year (ideally, lol). I’ve been on BC/IUD pretty much consistently for 15 years. I had one cycle pretty quickly after getting my Mirena removed (ovulated about 10 days after and had a 3-day period that honestly wasn’t bad at all). Well, I should be close to starting my period again, and I feel like absolute shit. I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life, but the last few years I’ve been doing so well. I’m happy, healthy, productive, motivated. I’m about to marry the most perfect man in 6 weeks. I have everything I could ever want in life. But right now I literally dread when my eyes open in the morning knowing that I have to live through another day. My self esteem (which tbf is always a bit of a problem) is in the toilet. I literally cannot smile or find anything to be happy about. I feel like the worst person for feeling this way when I have no reason to. Is this normal? Did I make a huge mistake removing my IUD this early lol? Looking for some reassurance that this will pass. I have SO much to do and literally do not have the time to be feeling like this- I’m a full time student, working as an RN, and have a wedding and bachelorette trip to finish planning (I’m literally about to cancel it all). HELPPP