Does anyone else feel their cycle heavily affects their lives?

[typicallytypically]

I’m sure a lot of women are affected by their cycle but I’ve always wondered if it’s generally felt quite as much as it feels for me.

I’m 35 with 2 young kids and I think things have got worse, particularly since having dc2. But It’s only really the last couple of years I have been able to work out that my mood, ability to think clearly and physical feelings are absolutely caused by my cycle.
I can look back now and realise that certain times in the last decade when I’ve thought I was either going crazy, or just a horrible person, or clinically depressed, I was actually just at a certain point in my cycle. I think maybe I haven’t given it enough credit for the havoc it causes!

Do other people struggle to fall asleep both during ovulation and just before your period?

Get very bloated to the point you put on a dress size?

Restless legs and hot flushes?

Intense anxiety, depressed and brain fog in luteal phase?

Or am I perimenopausal?

It sounds like you have PMDD.

I found the same in my late 30s and was diagnosed with PMDD. My GP was incredibly sympathetic and I'm now on sertraline which has helped enormously.

Yup, since taking the pill continuously and cutting out periods i've had a completely different life.

As I go through the menopause it’s clear I had PMDD. My eldest was diagnosed at 26 and the youngest has it too.