Does anyone get incredibly tired and brain foggy before period? What helps?

[OnTheAlert]

It's driving me nuts, the second half of my cycle I just get more and more tired and my brain gets really slowed down. I lose interest in things because I'm just so tired I can't think properly. I get stupidly overwhelmed because I have no energy and daily life is all too much. Zero motivation, and physically so, so exhausted.

The tiredness is making me desperate now, I can't go on like this.

Can anyone relate, and if so have you found anything that helps you feel more energised?

I take a B vitamin supplement, is there anything else that helps?

Pretty sure I was told potassium/bananas when I was in my 20s?
And iron

Well I can tell you what does not help. Going to your GP. They know sweet FA about what to do in this situation.

My tips: more water than you thought possible to drink, magnesium take the edge off so you sleep a bit deeper and move out to spare bedroom, ruthlessly cut out sugar, sleep as much as you can, and accept your fate. Sorry.

as above poster as well as some salty food. I'm a massive marmite fan!

Hormonal contraceptives. I used to lose 2 days a month, it makes a difference

I have the opposite - I get like this right before ovulation. I often end up sleeping 18 hours on the day and can't wake up no matter how hard I try.

I had a full hormone test a couple of months ago and everything came back fine so I'm not worried about it really, though it is annoying.

Placemarking...

I get this too OP. I even had to leave work the other day because of my period, felt a bit pathetic but I just could not function.

I honestly don't know the answer, other than keeping up all of the usual lifestyle stuff - exercise, eat well, sleep etc throughout the rest of your cycle and it hopefully gives you a bit of a buffer when your period comes around.

People do underestimate the difference healthy habits can make.

I have a chronic illness so I definitely think it is the main reasons I’m like this. But I have noticed a week and a half of the month (a few days before and during my period), I’m extra exhausted, have massive brain fog, making careless mistakes as I can’t think straight and have a cluster headache. Also feel extremely dehydrated whilst on my period despite drinking as/more than usual. Definitely following for peoples tips as it’s not fun.

Cutting out wheat and gluten has massively helped me.

Yes. What helps is planning for it and accepting it. sleep more at this time of the month - pay more attention to nourishing yourself - food, self care etc, whatever this looks like for you.

Then, you can compensate at more energetic times of the month by planning more tasks when you know you are going to be at your most energetic.

FYI, I know that I’m a bit more…..ahem…assertive just before my period so if I have any sort of complaints, like customer service issues etc or difficult conversations coming up, this is when I schedule them!

Just listen to what your body and mind is telling you, basically.

I suffered so badly with this. Magnesium, iron tables and early nights. I was in perimenopause but didn’t realise it was actually that as doctor fobbed me off for years. HRT and the above have changed my life.

Argghhh I could have written this. For a week I feel really anxious and overwhelmed by things, avoidant, and I struggle with analytical thinking. I do however find I'm better at other things - better at making lateral connections and thinking more "metaphorically". If only we could organise our lives around our cycles rather than being expected to be the same person every day of the month. I know a few freelancers who actually do this!

I take magnesium which I do find helps a bit as does CBD (it alleviates the anxiety and the sense that my brain is just short-circuiting and also helps with sleep, which helps everything). I also try, if I have big/long term projects, to do what I can do avoid certain tasks/meetings falling in this period, even if it means doing things what is technically way in advance. But there is only so much I can do this way, and that depends a lot on your job.

Don't make more social plans than you have to - accept that you'll want to go into hibernation mode, try to lean into it and find the positives where you can. Going against nature is what makes us feel so bad and modern life is what forces us to go against nature, it's so hard.

omg yes. A week or two after I’ll have 2 or 3 days where I am good for nothing. GP scheduled me blood tests but I couldn’t book them for that 2-3 day window so I’m not sure they’ll show anything. Took me ages to realise the regularity. Never happened when I was on the pill but I had to come off it due to migraines.

Asd? Women who.are autistic or ADHD often struggle with fatigue before their periods.

Yes. I’m peri and HRT helps. I get really poorly just before too now. Feel sick and feverish. I am much more likely to catch anything going around too.

As already suggested, stay the hell away from sugar.

Lots of fruit and veg, go easy on carbs too.
I , and many of us will crave all the things that make us feel shitter. Fight the urge to have comfort food. It will not comfort you