Tips for keeping mood up around period

BetsyEllen

Hi girls,

I have always struggled with my periods since I was 12 (I'm now 30) - awful pains, very heavy and horrendous mood swings.

I have found over the last couple of years that being on the pill makes my moods 10 times worse so I've come off that, almost a year now.
However, the mood swings have never completely gone.

I'm due in 3 days and today I am irritable, stressed, tired and generally feel like crap. I need to have a good week at work as I have a lot to do and I just hate bringing my colleague's down, being the miserable one.

Do you have any tips for me? I do try getting out for a walk in the evenings but honestly, it has zero affect on my mood.

Is there anything you swear by that you'd care to share?

Thank you in advance.

Loads of sleep helps, and painkillers if there's cramping. Otherwise I find Starflower oil helpful with the misery, though not so much with the pain. Try taking it daily for a month or so and see if it helps.

Other than that, chocolate! Oh, and carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs!

Then more carbs!

meeeeh

Did you try different pills? We have broken door handle from when I was on the wrong (for me) pill? On another one years ago I had complete meltdown in an argument with my brother which ended in me almost hitting him. I was absolutely hysterical. I don't have any particular advice but on my current pills there are basically no mood swings and I am sweetness personified (well up to a point). I do try to eat my own weight in chocolate though. Which brings me to another suggestion - a bit of chocolate and some comfort food will do no harm. Strong painkillers are another option, you will be always more miserable when in pain. But otherwise there is very little I found useful. I was told to go for a run and while I like running my energy levels during painful periods used to be way down.

Edit: I see Candie already suggested most of the stuff that works for me.

I actually just want to stress the sleep thing. There's no point in trying to keep a normal schedule if you're shattered, its a big favour to yourself to say no to nights out and get into bed early and rest. It makes a huge difference to how I cope with the next day if I put myself to bed a few hours early with a cup of tea and a plate of toast, something light on tv to watch, and the lights out early.

My number one tip is sleep as much as you can, don't just cope with the tiredness. Try getting to bed two or three hours early and see if it helps. Low-level tiredness does nothing to keep your mood up.

pwurple

Have you spoken to a GP about this and been referred to a gynocologist? Had any scans on the lining layer? Your periods should have settled down by now. Might be some gyno problem there. I know a lot of women suck it up and get on with it rather than looking for a diagnoses.

BetsyEllen

pwurple wrote: »

Have you spoken to a GP about this and been referred to a gynocologist? Had any scans on the lining layer? Your periods should have settled down by now. Might be some gyno problem there. I know a lot of women suck it up and get on with it rather than looking for a diagnoses.

Thank you very much for the replies girls.
I have spoken to my doctor about the pains but it was kind of shrugged off...I'm due a smear soon so I plan on bringing it up again when I go.

I can handle the pain though, it's more the mood swings that get me.
Last night I was very bad - thank goodness I live alone!!
I felt really tense and frustrated - I ended up going home, screaming into a pillow, punching my bed a few times and then crying. Sounds absolutely bonkers but it helped!!
And then I done some yoga stretches, got into bed and watched some crap on Netflix.

And I feel much better today

I'll definitely try the Starflower Oil, thanks Candie - I'm going shopping on Thursday so I'll get a supply. I heard Evening Primrose Oil is supposed to e good too so I might try taking both.

Thanks again girls.

IvyTheTerrible

I found that what I ate just before my period (like in the 4 days before it started) had a big influence on how I felt - so I would feel much much worse if ate salty fatty food and fizzy drinks beforehand than if I ate more fruit and veg etc.

Dolbert

Aside from the fact it's the Daily Fail, this has some pretty good tips on nourishing your body well at the different stages of your cycle.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3725865/Why-sync-food-period-Study-shows-tactical-nutrition-help-women-stay-shape-s-meal-plan.html

Lucyfur

This is something I've always suffered with. Before embarking on fertility treatment I followed a real clean eating with a horse load of vitamins. I'll dig out the list of vitamins. It was the only time I've been free of PMS. No only had I no mood swings, I had no spots, no greasy hair, no extreme tiredness. It was amazing!

woodchuck

What works for me:
- Exercise. I know you said you tried walking, but I'd try a very brisk walk at least, or jogging. Basically something to get your heart rate up!
- Chocolate!! Seriously... works wonders for the mood
- Evening primrose oil. Not as good as chocolate, but does help a bit.