Women, mood swings, etc

[Fireup2020]

Well, having searched this site (and learned much about menopause, hot flashes, etc - but nothing on stuff for us "young dreamers" who have yet to reach that point)...I feel confident that plenty here are full of information on women's "cycles" and mood swings. (Nords - hoping for appropriate Cliff's note from the Ovary book ) Cutting to the chase, I am OVERLY cranky (to the point of electing NOT to go to BF's tonight - saw no need to bitch at him for simply breathing! - ya, one of THOSE days) Fortunately, this is not my normal "monthly cycle" (THANK GAWD!!! - but once or twice a year, DURING (not PRE - aka PMS) I feel like this (hey, a little self awareness is a good thing, but does not provide answers!) In addition, the last two nights have been full of strange (not nightmares, just exceptionally weird...) dreams that actually wake me up around 3 am - almost hesitant to go to bed tonight. No changes diet-wise or activity-wise. I have faith this will all be over in a matter of days, but in the meantime... GRRRRRRR!!! (and I am upset that I am this cranky with nothing really wrong at all!) Any other ladies or guy's SO's go through this at times?

 

[Khan]

Get rid of caffeine and refined carbs.

 

[Fireup2020]

Refined carbs, not a problem. Caffeine - no way! (I tend to go half-caf, so I can have an extra cup or two during the day)

It really is temporary....but very exasperating - and fortunately not a regular side effect (for me) of this monthly junk. 1-2x per year....

 

[dex]

If we were speaking face to face I would say "TMI". I'm a guy and I can't handle it.

I have no idea on what to do but you might try gathering some info on things that might influence the cranky times. Time of year (seasonal affected disorder/depression), sleep, food, pollen count, work stress etc and see if there is a pattern.

Hey, I'm sure your BF appreciates you consideration.

 

[Nords]

Well, if you're living in New Jersey it can't be the caffeine or the refined carbs. Otherwise the grocery & convenience stores would be empty...

Nords - hoping for appropriate Cliff's note from the Ovary book

For those who missed an earlier discussion on this subject, may I refer you to a most excellent [-]guy's relationship life-saving survival guide[/-] book for [-]women[/-] everyone titled (I kid you not) "It's My Ovaries, Stupid!". It's recently been expanded and is now available in paperback. Go on, guys: put down your beverage, swallow that mouthful, lean away from the monitor, click the link, and look at the expressions of the women on the cover of the book. Recognize any of them? Then buy the book. Worth every freakin' penny and probably more valuable than your life insurance premiums.

Joking aside, in some women the hormonal swings lead to heart attacks. One extremely fit woman had lost consciousness on her mountain bike several times and finally convinced a cardiologist to put her on a treadmill for a stress test... from whence she woke up in the ICU.

Cliff Notes:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/book-report-its-my-ovaries-stupid-19189.html

You wouldn't think that a complete hormonal profile would make such a difference, but it might be worth an estradiol check.

 

[citrine]

I get like that sometimes....but I think a lot of is all the damn jerks in the our glorious state of NJ!
All kidding aside....maybe you just need to relax a bit and take it easy. As for the sleeping thing....think/write about any stressors or situations in your life that are making you feel uncomfortable. I have woken up in the kitchen mixing iced tea in my sleep when I have been stressed out...although that has not happened in a while.
Maybe it is the full moon....I am a bit pissy today myself.

 

[Martha]

As it occurs infrequently, just consider it a day to spend alone. Get some exercise in the morning if you can, or right after work, call your best friend or sister and bitch about being a woman, put your feet up and read a novel, no caffeine after noon, and drink some warm milk before bed.

 

[TexasGal]

I agree with Martha if it only happens a couple of times a year.

This has occurred with me all of my life but was much worse and more frequent during "perimenopause". No big deal. Once I figured it out from age 40 onward I just made sure that I didn't inflict myself on others for this brief period of time. In the grand scheme of things, use it as a time to be alone and practice relaxation or meditation techniques. Or . . . if you want to be more aggressive, work out extra hard, use a punching bag, whatever helps you reach a point of fatigue where you can finally relax.

If you find this happening more frequently, you might want to read about perimenopause. In some, it occurs WAY before you have a clue that is what is going on. It is just another part of a woman's journey, and lots of doctors never discuss it.

Symptoms of perimenopause can begin as early as 10–15 years before menses completely stop. Women in their late 30’s, 40’s and early 50’s may transition in and out of a perimenopausal state many times before they finally enter menopause. If you are currently experiencing symptoms such as irregular periods, heavy bleeding, hot flashes, sleep disruption, headaches, dry eyes, vaginal changes, hair loss, and weight gain, or extreme emotional distress, you may be relieved to know that these are all common signs of perimenopause.

Perimenopause symptoms and understanding signs of hormonal change

 

[Moemg]

We women worry so much about our moods and feel bad when we inflict them on our guys but hey do the guys feel bad when they curse and scream at the tv during football or sulk around the house ?? No way ! So consider our moods just a pay back for theirs and go about your merry cranky way !

 

[REWahoo]

... but hey do the guys feel bad when they...sulk around the house ??

Just what sort of men do you hang around with?

 

[W2R]

We women worry so much about our moods and feel bad when we inflict them on our guys but hey do the guys feel bad when they curse and scream at the tv during football or sulk around the house ?? No way ! So consider our moods just a pay back for theirs and go about your merry cranky way !

I agree, and also I think that often women are taught to think that if we are angry, there is something wrong. After all, we should all be as constantly patient and sweet as a saint, right?

I guess my point is that sometimes we bottle up our anger and dissatisfaction with relationships or situations, instead of dealing with our problems, and that isn't healthy either. This may not apply in your case, but it if does, there it is...

 

[Bigritchie]

I for one and glad I am male, females really get the short end of the stick with PMS, Periods, Cramps, Hormones, child birth pains etc etc (plus having to put up with us hehe)

My wife has very very bad periods where she can barely move sometimes for a couple of days, I would hate to go through this once a month.

 

[FinanceDude]

We women worry so much about our moods and feel bad when we inflict them on our guys but hey do the guys feel bad when they curse and scream at the tv during football or sulk around the house ?? No way ! So consider our moods just a pay back for theirs and go about your merry cranky way !

Real men don't sulk, they go out and chop wood or take a sledge to some stubborn concrete or something when their team loses...........

 

[travelover]

Real men don't sulk, they go out and chop wood or take a sledge to some stubborn concrete or something when their team loses...........

Yes - I recall a session between me, an electric typewriter with a sticky key and a large ball peen hammer.......

 

[CuppaJoe]

Joking aside, in some women the hormonal swings lead to heart attacks. One extremely fit woman had lost consciousness on her mountain bike several times and finally convinced a cardiologist to put her on a treadmill for a stress test... from whence she woke up in the ICU.

I've been wondering if women become more vulnerable to heart problems after menopause (and as you point out during hormonal swings) because of a possible increase in iron.

 

[FinanceDude]

I've been wondering if women become more vulnerable to heart problems after menopause (and as you point out during hormonal swings) because of a possible increase in iron.

And a loss of estrogen, which has heart attack protection tendencies. Maybe men need HRT...........

 

[Fireup2020]

Thanks folks! I had complete faith there would be some interesting links in the replies, and I will be checking them out. All back to my "normal" self! (good sleep, normal mood fluctuations, bouncing around, etc...) Whew! The world is one again safe with my existance