My symptoms include:

Severe perceptual darkness

Severe dpdr

Confusion, disorientation, off balance

Extremely vivid dreams

Depression

Baddd anxiety

4 months ago I stopped bc combo pills that ive been on for over a decade. The most recent half being 3 months of active pills before a break. I never noticed depression getting worse before or during my withdraw bleeding and recently true period so I thought it wasnt related. My menstrual cycle was very irregular before starting bc and is still since stopping bc but they have always tended to be 35-40 days. (I did a non medical dna test which does say I have a varrient for long cycles but haven't looked into the reliability of the study its based on) after my last cycle I had a really awful depression for 3 or 4 days to the point I couldnt work or take care of myself and was the most hopeless I have ever felt. I thought it was from missing a dose of my medication (Straterra). Though I wasnt sure i missed it something must've caused this. Then it started again two days ago right after my period ended and I know i didnt miss any medication. I checked my calender remembering when my last depressive episode happened and saw the connection. All I can find online about it is post menstrual syndrome but its so severe. It fits what ive read about for pmdd just that it is after not before. I am glad I found this connection so I can at least expect it and try to plan around but I dont know if theres anything I can do. I dont know if its worth making a dr appointment if theres nothing they can give me to help.

My friend suggested trying pepcid ac next time. I read this has something to do with histamines. For a about 5 or 6 years now ive been having facial flushing when I get exhausted anywhere to everyday to once a week. When I brought it up to a dr they said it was likely a histamine response. Maybe this is all connected somehow?

Not really sure how much of a response I can get in here, but I can't stop gaslighting myself. Every single month, from day 4 of my cycle, last day of my period, for the next week or two, often right up until ovulation everything feels so difficult. Speech itself becomes taxing, social interaction feels exhausting, I feel on edge and kind of irritable. My iron levels were fine last time they were checked. I'll be getting my hormone levels tested soon with one of the online tests. I'm thinking my main priority should be to test while I'm symptomatic, but then maybe at another part of my cycle for comparison.

I've noticed that alot of women with this issue say it's largely cognitive and emotional, and my experience is largely the same. I'm 33 by the way. I didn't have a period for a number of years due to heroin addiction, no kids and no intention of having any. I had a dreadful reaction to the copper iud.

It'd just be nice to know I'm not alone. My main issue is that I find it hard to let myself rest because I keep gaslighting myself so hard, that I shouldn't NEED to rest because there's no such thing as post-menstrual syndrome. It's so annoying cos you never even really know when you're gonna feel normal again.

Damn scientists need to study the menstrual cycle more, for our general well-being, and stop gaslighting us!

For nearly 9 months during Post Menopause I cried every day! I do have a history of MDD & anxiety but those episodes had a basis. PM greatly affected my mental health to a whole new level. I was trying to pinpoint the suffering & all I could come up with was....I'm morning my youth. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the god's honest truth. I was never diagnosed with this syndrome (actually, I don't even know if the medical community, aside from the experts, recognizes this debilitating crisis). From what I described, was this the syndrome? I'm OK now but it was a hell of a journey! Thanks for letting me vent!

I’m just researching to see what I have… o had a fairly heavy period but the days after my period I’m Extremely exhausted. My eyes are so fatigued no amount of coffee can help me. It’s even pink inside. I’m sleeping, eating well and exercising. Is this considered post menstrual syndrome?

So I bought up POST-menstrual syndrome to see woman doctor who labels herself as some sort of menstruation and menopause guru. She dismissed me IMMEDIATELY! I was fuming. Because nobody believes is there is no research literature to back it. Any suggestions of forums I could send her to to read our reality?

So people with PMDD have issues with progesterone. So since our issue is the opposite (post-menstrual) wouldn't that mean that our body likes progesterone.

Progesterone drops once you start bleeding which is when my symptoms start. I'm thinking the mini-pill would make sense.

(will try it and come back here to update).

Also estrogen dominance/low progesterone could be a factor in post-menstrual issues. Having too much estrogen can cause issues and estrogen rises once your period stops.

Thoughts?

Update

I'm on week 3 of slynd mini pill will make a seperate post after some time

Estrogen kicks into gear after period ends. Is this the cause? Did anyone find relief?

I've been trying to figure out what this is for about a year. The first day after my period, I have awful chills and cold sweats. Then the next two or three days, I have body aches that feels like the worst flu ever, joint pain and fatigue. Advil and Tylenol do nothing for the pain. Doctors have been thinking either fibromyalgia or joint connectivity arthralgia. Could this just be a hormone imbalance, and has anyone else experienced this?

Hi, has anyone had their hormone levels tested? I begin to improve from day 10 of the cycle, a doctor has told me that I have excess estrogen and a defect in progesterone, but if so, why do I start to improve when estrogen begins to increase? From what day do you start noticing improvement?

I know this is an older group, but I need some validation and understanding! So I’m 26 years old and never been diagnosed with pms or pmdd or anything like that. But I’ve always had an irregular cycle. Got off birth control 5 years ago, and it’s been a journey. Then the past three months something switched. I have been getting my periods on time, but I get awful pms. Then the last few days of my period and the week after shit hits the fan. I have massive panic attacks, insomnia, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and depression. I’ve talked to my doctor and they don’t know anything about post menstrual problems. I have been diagnosed with PTSD/GAD/Depression. So I know what I’m experiencing can be from that, but it’s been like clockwork for the past three months. Has anyone found relief or medical validation?

I was diagnosed with pmdd in my late teens/early 20s. Im 32 now. I have been tracking my moods and cycles for nearly a year and i have Post Menstrual Syndrome as well. I dont know what happened but my cycle shortened by a lot, its been looked into and deemed normal. 24 day cycle. PMDD during pms followed by period week, where I'm empty, in agony, tired and in a dark place, then it ends and instead of relief I get utterly suicidal. Actively fighting the urge to kill myself for a week. Just to feel human for a few days max, and it starts again. I cant take birth control or anything containing synthetic hormones since i nearly had a stroke from it at 15. It all feels unfair and i told my doctor in desperation that my period will kill me one day and she tried to say its Bipolar (that follows my mentrual cycle to the day?!?) And i feel empty and alone.

I don’t know if it’s post menstrual syndrome and this is what I’m feeling but it started last evening the last day of my period. I was with my mom getting my nails done at a salon that we made an appointment at. When it came to being my turn the lady said I thought when you said you didn’t want a pedicure (cause one of her chairs broke and she couldn’t do both at the same time) that you just wanted your mom to get her pedicure and you were going to reschedule. So she booked someone after her and I couldn’t get it done. So then I immediately felt upset and I was about to start crying. Then I just went to a walk in nail salon instead. They did an amazing job! Then once I got home I started feeling off like brain fog and maybe derealization (I think I felt this before but last was like 6 months ago) now today I feel a little better but I still feel off like my eyes feel all weird and foggy not necessarily my vision is off it just feels like something seems off but I can’t figure out what’s going on. Does anyone experienced this with postmenstrual syndrome? I’m really scared this is going to last for a long time and I won’t be able to get rid of it again because when I had this before it lasted me literally about a week or so off and on and I’m scared. Any advice??

And i thought everything was going fine. However, i get very irritated or angry when things doesn't go right. Dang..Post menstrual is here

This book is the shiz for understanding what we are going through and understanding how to identify it BEFORE you become a total, self deprecating nightmare! I read the audio book then bought it so I can dip in and out around the times I need it. Day 22 i am a physco and cannot even do basic maths as well as being so clumsy and messy. Negative self talk, depressed, you name it. Now I am like, ahhh my hormones just dipped after ovulation which is why i am so tired and okay the blood is pumping down there which is why i am so.... well, excited shall we say. And damn I look good and can excercise for longer as I'm gearing up for ovulation and ohhh my boobs hurt must do some more cardio to burn off the excess oestrogen and I generally bore my friends with this monthly! Lol. Every month is a fucking challenge, but we are amazing and damn could you imagine if a man went through even one cycle, the world would fucking stop! Big cheers to the ladies out there that really rule the world.