As someone who used to blame every pimple, mood swing and belly bloat on PMS, I’m well aware that hormones are pesky little demons who are responsible for turning me into a raging harpy of world-ending proportions in the week before my period. I range from randy as all hell to craving certain foods, and it’s impossible to predict.
It’s the type of hellish mood swinging that makes you relieved to see that first lil’ spot of blood just to exhale with thoughts of, “Ah yes, I’m not psycho”. But really, when it comes down to it, are hormones really responsible for all my drama, or is it just me being a shit and blaming it all on an unseeable force of emotional ridiculousness?
With the help of Libra and Ask Gemmah, we’re figuring out once and for all what we can blame on hormones, what we can cop to ourselves, and most importantly, why the hell we’re still dealing with blackheads in our twenties (what gives, world?).
seriously though, what the hell
1. Why does hormonal acne affect women in their 20s? I thought skin was meant to settle down after you finished being a teenager.
This is a real fucking mood, and to whoever asked this: I’m so sorry. Hormonal acne can be one of the most frustrating things to deal with on a daily basis, and when you KNOW it’s inflamed by your own body’s cycle, then it can feel like a betrayal of your own molecules banding together to give you hell.
Here’s the thing, though: while your hormones are at their most active when you’re a teenager, you can still experience fluctuations all through adulthood. So although you’re more LIKELY to experience hormonal acne as a teenager, you can still cop it well into your 20s and 30s — and your chances get higher around menopause too.
this is the only gif I could stomach, how the HELL do people watch pimple popper vids
2. How can I tell the difference between fully-blown PMS and just having a bad day?
A bad mood on its own doesn’t necessarily mean you’re PMSing (though there’s a bunch of misinformed dudes out there who LOOOVE to blame any hint of a bad mood on periods). Telling the difference really does depend on timing and whether or not you have any other symptoms going on at the same time.
If you’re feeling generally shitty, but you’re not dealing with any other PMS symptoms (like bloating, sore breasts, acne, diarrhoea, liner-mandating discharge or fatigue) it may be a case of a bad day. If you are and it’s in the lead-up to your period, there’s every chance you’re one of the 90% of period-having people who cop PMS.
the true dichotomy of humanity
3. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had very vivid and full-on dreams the week before I get my period. Why is this? I don’t dream any other time of the month.
First of all: you’re absolutely not alone on this one. I have some weird-ass dreams come ovulation time, and that’s saying something because when I was a kid I dreamt that Angela Anaconda chased me around the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch while throwing assorted fruits at me. Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree?
The reasoning behind this phenomenon isn’t entirely hormonal, but it does have an effect. In the luteal phase of your period (the few days just before it actually starts) you have far less REM sleep due to a drop in progesterone, which means you’re more likely to wake up. Sleep disturbances make it easier for you to remember your dreams and that, in turn, means your batshit crazy dreams stick in your mind.
oh, my dreams, it’s never quite as it seems
4. Can you still get symptoms of PMS while you have a hormonal IUD? I hardly get any period but still feel moody once a month. Can I still blame my period?
Believe it or not, the actual bloody goop expulsion that is your period isn’t responsible for PMS. The symptoms are caused by your hormones and neurotransmitters not aligning in the luteal phase, which means that even if you’ve got an IUD, you can still experience pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms (and blame your moodiness on it). This is because the PMS is caused by hormones, not by the actual release of blood.
Hormonal IUDs sound like they might affect PMS, but in actuality one of their many functions (incl. thinning the endometrium and inhibiting fertilisation) is to change up the mucous in your cervix so that sperm can’t wiggle their way in. They also work to thin your lining, which is why some people don’t get any period after about a year or so. , so you can definitely still cop PMS without having a bleed.
that’s ‘coz it isn’t
5. About a week before my period, I get sporadic (usually at night) and insanely full-on lower abdominal bloating. In the morning the bloating is usually resolved. Why is this happening?
Ah, bloating. The bane of the high-waisted pant. The precursor to the most satisfying of period poos. The ballooning expansion that makes us feel like inflatable cushions filled with rage and cramps. This, my swollen stomach pals, is something you can definitely blame on your hormones.
Bloating can occur before and after your period because of the changes in your oestrogen and progesterone levels. The very same hormones that make you horny, sleepy and crampy. Here’s the sitch: as a result of the drop in progesterone that people most often experience in the lead-up to their period, the body may retain more water and salt than usual — causing the bloated bellies we yearn to pop.
So ultimately, hormones are responsible for a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean you’re entirely devoid of responsibility yourself. The biggest takeaway? Just don’t be a dick. Hormones can make you feel awful and tired and grumpy, but you can’t blame away dodgy human interaction — accountability is still important.
So too is taking care of yourself. People often pass off PMS symptoms as ‘period issues’ and lump it all in together, but these can be serious things that affect your day-to-day, and shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re experiencing particularly serious mood swings or pain, for example, you should get that seen to ASAP.
While I wait for my own hormones to calm down, we’re now taking on questions for the next DM Doctor article — and yep, it’s all about my favourite thing: food. We’re talking all things eating on your period. Pop your questions in below!
Disclaimer: the questions will not be answered by a physician, but one has been consulted for accuracy. If your period questions were not answered in our first few rounds with the DM Doctor, head over to Ask Gemmah.
