So, is this it until the menopause? Periods every 24 days and 3-4 days of PMS accompanied by a strange panicky feeling?

[ekra]

I know there are worse things to deal with and feel a little lame putting this into the health section.

I may have always suffered from PMS and shortish cycles and not noticed it. I was never one to track my periods or mope around at home enough to note that my mood was low.

But since having children things have changed. I always know when my period is due, not because I count days on the calendar but because I suffer from horrible PMS. I suffer from a shorter fuse, I feel aggrevated by everything and everyone. Nothing unusual I suppose.

BUT my whole body feels different. I feel like I want to get out of my skin. It's a very physical symptom. I'm over-sensitive to noise and touch and what I need most is to be on my own - which, with 2 young children and a husband and er, no-where in particular to go, is not usually possible.

The worst thing is I get a racing heart for at least two days. In fact, I sometimes get the racing heart and feeling of anxiety without or before the other symptoms and I know that I am due my period. I'm not consciously anxious about anything. I don't get these palpitations on any other day of the month (not ones that last all day anyway) Nothing I do makes them go away.

Is there anything I can do so this doesn't happen to me every month? Why does it happen? I can't understand why I get that fight or flight adrenalin kick when my period is due? What biological purpose is there for that?

Can anyone help or at least empathise?

am no expert but I have had anxiety for some time now so can understand the feelings you have.

Could it be that because you are so aware of when your periods are due that you have built it up somewhat and therefore when you are due on, the feelings of anxiety begin.
You know you need to be on your own but yet know that you cannot or that it is hard. That might explain the flight or fight thing.

Ekra
Strange that you should post this, as I have been aware of exactly the same sort of panicky feelings recently and was thinking about posting.

I also get very bad PMS - want to be alone and quiet; all noise irritates me; I pick fights with DH etc. And then I was out on Sunday on my own in a local shopping centre and I felt really panicky. As if I really couldn't cope with being on my own; I couldn't concentrate on shopping, I was just desparate to get back home (even though I knew once I was there I would get angry with the kids/ mess/ DH etc).
I can't explain it at all - I really felt as if I was going to burst into tears or something. What's really strange is that I'm normally a confident, relaxed sort of person, and I travel abroad on my own for work etc without any issues, so this was really weird?

I hope this isn't pre-menopause stuff, I'm only 41!

Yes, I have had that feeling when I am out too, if it is during that part of my cycle when I feel anxious. The best solution, it seems, would be to have everyone leave me in the house by myself until the few days pass. Which of course, is not feasible and not a solution

I went to docs last year with palpitations and feeling nervous/panicky,shaky, short of breath, and it turns out I was badly anaemic. High dose iron pills sorted it out.

ekra, gameboy thank you so much for posting, I have also felt this and it has terrified me, I get really crabby & feel anxious/nervous all the time, I feel like the floor is wobbly and I'm going to fall over, really horribe, I also get short of breath then start panniking(sp?) Tigi could it really be just a lack of Iron?

I thought I was being silly

Get yourself checked out by the gp. Could be several physical reasons for this including anaemia and an overactive thyroid. Have you lost weight recently?

No - I haven't lost weight. I've pretty much stayed the same weight since finishing breastfeeding last August. So, I'm still heavier than when I got pregnant with DD2.

You might want to see you gp and also consider taking a decent multivitamin plus magnesium and calcium, which seems to work for some PMS symptoms.

I would see GP and get thyroid checked. Don't assume it is just 'women's troubles'

I've definitely had worse pmt since having children. HV (one of those rare sensible ones) advised trying Magnesium-OK multivitamin tablets, and they do seem to help, though I haven't had any panicky or heart racing incidents.