PMS Mood Swings: Is It Normal?

PMS can cause mood swings around two weeks before your next menstruation begins. You may wake up in good spirits only to get angry later for no reason. This mood swings  due to hormonal changes.

PMS is not only causing you to have mood swings. It is accompanied by physical discomfort, such as a bloated tummy, achy back, sore breast, and acne eruptions.

Some of the mood disorders while having PMS as follows:

• Sadness
• Irritation
• Anxiety
• Anger

Some women may experience severe form PMS, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD causes extreme mood fluctuations. Often, PMDD interferes with their daily lives.  Only 3–8% of women suffer from PMDD.

If you have chronic mental health conditions, your PMS may get worse before your next period to start.  It is estimated that half of all women who undergo PMS treatment  suffer from depression or anxiety.

Why PMS happens?

Your PMS is linked to hormonal changes that occur during the second half of your menstrual cycle. It begins after your ovulation towards your next period cycle.

The fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone contribute to the mood swings during PMS. Sudden change of these hormonal levels cause physical and mood disorders.

Your serotonin levels may also be affected by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. This neurotransmitter regulates your mood, sleep cycle, and appetite. A drop in estrogen leads to low serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels are related to feelings of sorrow and irritation, as well as difficulty to sleep and unexpected food cravings.

How to manage your PMS?

Begin to track your PMS symptoms

You can track your PMS symptoms by journaling any PMS symptoms you are currently experiencing. This includes any physical signs, mood disorders and emotions that you experience during your PMS.

Knowing why you are having these emotions can help you to get a  perspective and provide some validation.

A detailed record of your most recent cycles is useful.  This is necessary to discuss your symptoms with your doctor and rule out the causes of these symptoms. A detailed documentation of your PMS symptoms may  help your doctor to understand what’s going on.

You can also jolt down your PMS symptoms chart, by recording any mood disorders and physical discomfort throughout a month. You can describe your symptom severity based on numerical order, for example 1 is light, 10 is extremely worst.

Make a note of any of these classic PMS  symptoms to record in your journal:

• Sadness
• Unexpected and unexplained mood swings
• Crying for no reasons
• Irritability
• Poor or excessive sleep
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Loss of interest in everyday tasks
• Tiredness
• Low energy

Using birth control pills to control PMS symptoms

Physical symptoms of PMS such as bloated tummy, tender breasts, and migraine can be alleviated with  birth control pills. This approach is typically prescribed to women experiencing severe PMS symptoms.

However, for some women, birth control pills might worsen mood swings and cause interruption in your period cycle. You may not ovulate as the birth control pills will stop the ovulation cycle. This will impede your trying to conceive effort.

Therefore, you should consult your doctor to find out the best treatment to alleviate your PMS symptoms. To avoid any unintended side effects, the use of birth control pills should be monitored by medical professionals.

Using natural remedies to control PMS symptoms

Taking calcium may help to reduce  PMS symptoms such as sorrow, fatigue, irritability and anxiety. A daily intake of 1,200mg of calcium through food or supplement is advised.

Example of calcium-rich food are:

• milk
• yogurt
• cheese
• leafy green vegetables
• fortified orange juice and cereal

You may not see immediate effects as it may take several menstruation cycles to see PMS symptoms improvement.

Don’t be discouraged if you see immediate effects. It may take three menstrual cycles to see any improvement in symptoms while taking calcium.

Your PMS symptoms may get improved from consuming vitamin B-6. Some of the food rich in vitamin B-6 as follows:

• fish
• chicken and turkey
• fruit
• fortified cereals

You can also take Vitamin B-6 from a supplement, which provides 100 mg Vitamin B-6 per day.

Lifestyle modifications to improve your PMS symptoms

Your lifestyle factors may affect the severity of your PMS symptoms. To improve your PMS symptoms, adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Some of the recommended lifestyle modification as follows:

• Exercise.  Be active for at least 30 minutes on at least five days of the week. Even a daily walk around the block can alleviate mood disorders such as depression, sorrow, irritation, and anxiety.
• Nutrition. Avoid junk food and food high in sugar, fat and salt content. The zero nutrition in the junk food can negatively affect your mood. If you find it hard to eliminate junk food, you can balance your diet with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A diet rich in fiber can stabilize your blood sugar level, which can help to minimize your sugar craving.
• Sleep. If you’re a few days away from your period, you may have sleeping difficulties due to insomnia. Not getting enough sleep can ruin your mood.  To sleep enough, you should get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Practice sleep hygiene or use any sleep assistance tools to help you get enough sleep.

• Stress. Excessive stress may worsen your mood swings. Do your best to minimize your stress to a manageable level. Deep breathing techniques, meditation, or yoga may help you to calm your mind and body, especially if you are experiencing mood disorder due to PMS symptoms.

Medication to control your PMS symptoms

If other treatment options aren’t working, a prescribed medicine may help. If you intend to go for medication options, please have them prescribed by your doctor. The use of prescribed medications should be monitored by medical professionals to avoid any unintended side effects.

One of medication used for depression symptoms for PMS sufferers is anti depression. The most frequent type of antidepressant used to treat PMS-related mood swings is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It helps to stabilize your emotions during PMS episodes.

SSRIs  help to increase the level of serotonin in your brain, thus making you calmer and happier. SSRIs include the following medications:

• citalopram (Celexa)
• fluoxetine (Prozac and Sarafem)
• paroxetine (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)

Other antidepressants that are effective on modifying serotonin  levels are as follows:

• duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• venlafaxine (Effexor)

Remember, do not take any of these medications without having any prescription from your doctor. Depending on your symptom severity, your doctor may recommend taking medications on certain periods, such as only during the onset of PMS or everyday until the symptom goes away.