Period symptoms no one talks about

Afew days before i come on i get awful stinging pain in my belly like ive eaten nettles, it knocks the sweat out of me.
I think its just me that gets it.
Also leg cramps lower back pain, brain fog to hot, sore boobs.
Migraine and sometimes a stinging feeling in my noonoo.

I have always had severe, intense pre-menstrual breast pain, which got a lot worse in perimenopause. Felt like my boobs were on fire and were about to burst. Lots of shooting pains, and painful aches so bad I couldn't focus on my work. When I walked around at home without a bra, I had to hold my boobs, and sometimes I had to wear a bra to bed because lying on my side was impossibly painful. In peri this would often last for two weeks. I'm still having the occasional period and sometimes it still happens, but I'm through the worst.

Very late in my reproductive life, I discovered the solution, and I'd like to share it here, because nothing else ever worked: Diclofenac gel, the 2.32% strength, available at Boots, brand name Voltarol. My doctor recommended it. It's an NSAID in gel form. You put it on your boobs, and the relief is incredible. Just ten mins later, they're blissfully numbed and your shoulders can relax at last. I'm PISSED OFF that I discovered this so late in life. Regular ibuprofen did virtually nothing, except dull the shooting pains very slightly. But after I put the gel on my impossibly painful, burning, aching chest, it was like heaven cracked open and I heard choirs of angels singing, such was the relief!

If anyone else suffers from painful pre-menstrual boobs, I can't recommend this gel enough. I wish so much that I had had it decades ago. 😡

Oh - and I always used to get huge spots on my chin that were about the size of a pea or a chickpea and were not squeezable, no matter how hard I tried.

I have since learnt that those were not spots, but cysts. It was cystic acne, and it turns out that you can have acne without it being everywhere. Just one big piece of cystic acne qualifies! Apparently you can go to a dermatologist and get it dissolved with an injection, but you'd have to get it done privately of course. No idea how much it would cost. Wish I'd known what it was and what the adequate treatment was decades ago. Would have saved me a ton of chin scars.

🤣🤣🤣🦓

I get really clumsy and can literally pick something up and drop it three times in a row.

I get very sore pre-menstrual breasts, but, worse, I get chest pains. Always in the same place: slightly to the left of my sternum and feels like a couple of cm deep inside. It used to worry me; felt like I imagine angina to feel. But I tracked it, and it always appears in the days before my period and then goes. I think it must be some breast tissue, but it really feels like heart/chest pain.

I looked it up, and chest pain (that doesn't seem to be coming from your boobs) is a premenstrual symptom in some people.

I get period diarrhoea as well. And I immediately knew what javelin arse meant! I used to get an achy vulva when younger, but no more.

I feel hot then cold then hot again.
Tired.
Hunger i could eat enough for an army.
The feeling someone has stung my minge with a nettles.
Giving birth to a jellyfish (clots).
Itchy skin.
Stupid to high levels.
Can talk right get words out.
Leg pain.
And hate the fucking world.
I look different.
When i come on im a new person.

Anxiety panic forgetting things dizzy on and off cant concentrate cant poo no interest in anything .Hot then cold feeling faint ooh the list goes on .

Bags under the eyes, and generally looking 10 years older.

Oh yeah...lower back pain as a dull ache.

And feeling homicidal. As in full on Liam Neeson deadly force.

Buying a zebra print coat from Debenhams.

(It was returned unworn before the end of the week)

Another symptom is a general draining feeling in my uterus and lower pelvic area.
Period begins thereafter.

I've just gone through this with a sense of relief every month maybe about 10 days before I come on my periods are always diff and the cycles can be 28-35 days apart, I have the worst anxiety ever, irrational thoughts about stupid things like what if this what if that, it's horrible bizzare things that I do not need to worry about, period poo, leg cramps that will only ease if I eat a banana, extreme gas, fatigue during the day but I cannot sleep at night. Extremely horny to the point I could even fantasise about an affair which I'd never do it's horrible and it doesn't ease until maybe the 4th day of my period.

Another thing to add is that I usually get a bit of back ache and if I have a heavy long period them the next one is usually not as bad and much shorter

As I get older they frequency is all over the place, can go 6 weeks between then have 2 in a month

Raging PMT, I’m irritable, impatient, snappy, tearful, I’m either really angry and aggressive or really upset and sobbing. Even feel suicidal when it’s particularly bad.
Period poo, I have IBS and it flare around the time of period, either constipation and tapped wind, or the runs, or really soft.
Really sore boobs, they itch too.
Hot sweats, especially at night.
Stabbing pains in vagina and sometimes bum.
Extra horny.
Extra hungry.
Massive chocolate cravings.
Headaches.
Bloated stomach, my calves and thighs always puff up too.
Spots, usually on face, mostly chin and around nose but can also break out in a spot on bum, boob or anywhere else.
Gums bleed more.
Very clumsy.
Pains in thighs.
Generally hate the sight of myself more often then usual.

Mine on average are 4-7 days and I completely lose my appetite for the first 3 days, after binging on rubbish before it arrives, usually get a few cramps and the period poo that some have talked about

I know it’s bad form to resurrect an old thread but this one is so useful I didn’t think people would mind. I know there is now women’s health but it’s so helpful to read this all in one place

I’ve genuinely thought I’ve been going mad with some of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing during my period so it’s a relief to see them mentioned here multiple times even though it’s horrible so many people suffer!

My worst are the dreaded period poo, feeling shaky and so weak/drained of energy I can barely get off the sofa, feeling sick, feeling like my insides are trying to punch their way out of my abdomen, insomnia and cramps in my calf muscle and aches in my thigh.

Currently in the midst of it now, mine got worse after an unsuccessful pregnancy so I was lucky for many years! It’s horrendous what so many women have to put up with

I used to get migraines with nausea that would last a few days. I'd really wrack my brains thinking about what could be the trigger. In the end it seems like I just need to eat properly (full meals, till I'm full up -which I didn't always used to do) especially in the run up to my period.

To everyone saying they feel exhausted, perhaps you get anaemic? Same for getting restless legs - that can be linked to anaemia. And even (I think) night sweats! I think my anaemia caused my palpitations. In the day, the jolt would make me freeze or shift position and it'd stop, but I couldn't do that in deep sleep so I think they'd just carry on for ages and I'd start sweating. I know that all sounds mad but I don't get night sweats or restless legs now that I'm really conscientious about taking my iron pills.

And I thought ideas the only one with pre-menstrual bleeding gums!

Other than that, I get a burning fanny before I come on. I get a swollen and achey lower tummy, bigger boobs and little red blotches on my fingers.

Maybe I get quite rambly, looking back over this post . But lastly I just wanted to say I've felt quite teary reading what some women have to go through. How long till the medical profession starts taking women seriously?

Mirena for years so no periods for ages

I'd get the constipation before & then poo & poo & poo for the first couple of days of bleeding.

Not diarrhoea though - normal consistency but several times a day.

I'm usually really quiet and a bit of a door mat but on the first few days of my period I'm much more forward and articulate. I wish I could be like it all the time.

A few days before hand I get suicidal though which really scares me. I haven't been to see anyone about it as other than give me anti depressants I can't see what they can do for it really.

I also get head aches, a bad back and extreme tiredness. Flooding is the worse part I can use a mooncup or the strongest tampon plus a night pad and they still leak everywhere.

Thank you for starting this thread.
Another one with under active thyroid and vitamin d deficiency. I suffer from endo too so when I am on suffer from excruciating pain on right hand side (been refered to a&e and seen gp a number of times as it was suspected appendicitis but not). Had lap 2 years ago which confirmed endo, and been on pills on and off to control the endo but too many side effects so stopped taking these. Waiting to see gyne to discuss options as the pain on right hand is too much particularly when I am on. Been told a gyne appointment will come through in 3 months - not come through as yet, when I called hospital been told waiting lists are long and will need to wait another 2 months for appointment letter which will be for an appointment in 6 weeks time ....

I used to have more symptoms as described by others, such as rectal pain, nosebleeds, heavier/longer periods etc.

But when I went vegan they got shorter, lighter, completely regular (31 day cycle) and the only additional symptoms I have are slight breast tenderness just before, and loose stools during.

So I wonder if there's some contribution from hormones in animal products, for some people?

Also when I switched from disposable sanitary towels to organic cotton washable ones, the dryness/itchiness stopped.

I don't drive, so can't comment on parking, though as I'm dyspraxic, I'm uncoordinated all month anyway.

Thigh pain. Period poo... OMFG it’s exhausting, I feel the need to lie down afterwards!!

Forgot to add period poo too. I thought there was something wrong with me for having this. Every bloody time!!!

Jut to add my own symptoms, though I’m on the mini pill so very rarely have a period now thank goodness.

The pains in my thighs used to be so bad it felt like someone was pulling all of my veins out of my thighs up into my womb where they were then tied into painful knots. It used to take my breath away. Then add the paranoia, the urge to cry at a picture of a kitten or other such nonsense, there is also the clumsiness, the inability to park or even drive safely, the spots and the dark circles around each eye. The earaches were debilitating; like the worst hangover headache you could imagine and they lasted days. Oh yes and javelin arse - whoever coined that phrase knew what they were talking about.

I always thought I just had to put up with it, never crossed my mind to see a doctor. How crap is that?

For anyone else that experiences the rage a few days before AF arrives, do you get a zen feeling on your heaviest flow day??