Premenstrual Syndrome, PMS, is a myth for some, but a fact for many. Many women suffer from it. Some women mainly have physical complaints (cramps, abdominal pain, back pain, swollen breasts). Other women mainly have emotional complaints (binge eating, emotional, irritated).
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As mentioned, PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. For women, a light goes on immediately. Men, on the other hand, often don't know what PMS is. Does it bother you and does your husband ask what 'it' is? Then give the explanation of Thuisarts.nl
In premenstrual syndrome (PMS ) you have psychological and physical complaints that depend on your menstrual cycle. These often start in the 3rd week of your cycle and disappear again when you have your period. The complaints are then gone for at least a week.
The special thing is that PMS mainly occurs in women aged 35-45 years. It is clear that PMS really shows itself in the menstrual cycle. Hence the suspicion that it is a hormonal thing. On the other hand, no extra hormones have been found in the blood of women who suffer from PMS, which rather indicates a hypersensitivity to those hormones.
Women do not suffer from PMS during puberty, during pregnancy and after the menopause.
I have already described some of them above. The symptoms that occur with PMS are different for each woman. The intensity also differs per woman. What is clear is that PMS complaints disappear like snow in the sun when your period starts again. If you keep an eye on the complaints (write it down if necessary), you will see that they really appear in a cycle.
The most common physical complaints are listed below. Yet many more complaints can be attributed to the Premenstrual Syndrome.
In addition to the physical complaints, many women also recognize psychological complaints. A selection of those complaints can be found below.
Read more about menstrual complaints and menstrual pain
I never had PMS symptoms before. I also didn't understand what others were talking about and sometimes even thought it was exaggerated. I often thought it was just used as an excuse to stuff yourself with food or be slightly hysterical.
So I'll come back to that, and how!! Like many women, my body changed after my pregnancies, on the outside as well as on the inside. Where before I barely knew when my period was due and was sometimes faced with rather embarrassing 'surprises', I now feel EXACTLY when the time comes.
Three weeks out of the month I am a normal working mother. Slightly chaotic (I prefer to call it spontaneous) and not always well organised. Oh dear, oops, was that today gym/school trip/school photos, ten minute conversation/meeting??? The household is not always (or not always) up to date, but I am always up for a joke and fun times with my family.
But then that one week. One week I completely change because of PMS. I couldn't quite place it the first time, but now I've got it. I have an INTENSE need for order and organisation. The house is getting a good cleaning and that is very welcome after those three other weeks. I make an infinite number of to-do lists and also clear up a lot of points. Cases that have been lying around for too long are finally being picked up. So far I'm only happy with my PMS!
It's just that everything I don't do in the first three weeks, I want ALL done and right away. So my patience has suddenly run out. Not only for myself but also for all my family members. My family members regularly suffer during my extreme urge for order and organization. Woe to those who don't get their plate to the kitchen fast enough or don't put on their shoes fast enough. I then react slightly to severely irritated and unfortunately I can't stop.
On the one hand, I know that I am overreacting – especially judging by the reactions of my family members, they are genuinely surprised at my anger. But on the other hand, I can't stop. As if I'm looking at myself from above and yelling:STOP, DON'T APPLY! But still see myself trot on.
Where I'm not a really big eater for the first three weeks, I notice that I can't stop eating the last few days of the PMS. It's really embarrassing and goes on all day. Especially all kinds of sweets and snags. I eat all kinds of things, in addition to the regular meals that are also larger in terms of portion.
My body also expands and expands in all kinds of places. You can understand that for some parts it is not bad to get blown up, other parts are. Luckily I don't suffer from cramps! But I'm getting emotional. I can get very emotional when my children don't do anything special or when they argue about toys, for example. Then I think:how beautiful it is that they enjoy -any- toys so much that they cannot say goodbye to them to share… sob! Or How sweet it is that the youngest loves me so much that he never leaves me alone for a moment. The latter is of course interspersed with irritating moments that my to-do list cannot be completed quickly enough due to a problem with my leg.
Read also: Treating menstrual complaints and vaginal discharge with a steam bath
All this, of course, takes a lot of energy. As soon as "the bullet is through the church" I collapse. Full and completely upset I have to recover from that for the next three weeks so that the whole circus can start all over again.
It took me a while to get this pattern (three weeks half work, one week to catch up). Now I recognize it flawlessly. As soon as a to-do list starts to form in my head and I eat the umpteenth cookie, I already know. I try to ride the wave of the organizational need and address myself seriously so as not to get too hysterical to respond to my fellow residents. In the hope that it will be fun for everyone.
An ideal combination of angelic patience, organization and a tight household. What I would give to master this! I'm glad I'm not sick in bed with cramps and a hot water bottle, but fun is different.
Am I the only one who is getting more and more troubled by this? Will it stay that way or will it just get worse? Or (I hardly dare to ask) is this a first step towards the next ehh 'milestone' in my female life? No, hopefully I'm not that far yet, I'm still a cold and I'm not (too) warm happy. I still have a while to go I think.
The doctor's advice is to avoid extra stress and strain as much as possible. Well. Easier said than done of course. You are in the middle of a life with growing children. Stress and extra strain are the order of the day. Still, there are some things that can make you more resistant to the PMS complaints.
Sleep well, eat healthy and get enough exercise. This is always good of course, but especially important during this period because it increases your resistance and improves your mental state. It is also important that you relax. In the way that suits you best. Think, for example, of reading a book, taking a long bath, giving yourself a massage, taking the dog for a walk. Etcetera.
The above is what you can do yourself to remove the sharp edges. But that is not always enough. Did you know that there is an organization where you can go with your PMS complaints? At Care for Women you will find professionally trained female caregivers who can help you. Do you have additional insurance? Please also inquire with your health insurance company. It is possible that your treatment will be fully reimbursed.
Do you think professional help is a bit too far fetched? In any case, talk to those around you. Let us know what is happening to you so that they too can better understand why you feel and behave differently.
Besides the fact that it is good to talk about it, there are also products that can help you on your way. You should think of supplements that contain special vitamins that can lend a hand against the various PMS complaints. Vitamins against fatigue, for example, or for a good mental balance.
At Flinndal and Deonlinedrogist you will find quite a few products that can help you.
Of course, a paracetamol can also reduce some physical complaints.
