Women's Health
Know Your Body 🌿
Understand what's happening in your body with honest, evidence-based information, then take a moment to listen, track, and know when it's time to ask for care.
A gentle reminder: This is educational information shared with love, not medical advice. Always talk with your trusted healthcare provider about what's right for your body.
What brings you here today?
Start with what feels closest to what you're experiencing.
What is PMDD?
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a severe, hormone-sensitive mood disorder affecting 3–8% of menstruating people. It's not "bad PMS", it's a recognized medical condition where the brain reacts abnormally to normal hormonal shifts in the luteal phase (the 1–2 weeks before your period).
PMDD vs PMS, how they differ
- PMS: Mild to moderate symptoms, bloating, mood dips, cravings, manageable, doesn't derail life.
- PMDD: Severe emotional and physical symptoms that significantly disrupt work, relationships, and daily function. Often includes intense depression, rage, hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts in the luteal phase.
- The tell: Symptoms fully lift within a few days of your period starting, this cyclical pattern is the hallmark.
Common symptoms
- Severe depression, hopelessness, or tearfulness
- Intense irritability, anger, or rage (sometimes called "PMDD rage")
- Anxiety, panic attacks, or feeling on edge
- Sudden mood swings or emotional sensitivity
- Loss of interest in usual activities
- Difficulty concentrating, brain fog
- Fatigue or sleep disruption (too much or too little)
- Appetite changes, cravings, binge eating
- Physical: breast tenderness, bloating, joint pain, headaches
- Suicidal ideation, please reach out to a provider or crisis line immediately
How it's diagnosed
Diagnosis requires tracking symptoms across 2+ menstrual cycles to confirm the timing pattern. Providers use the DSM-5 criteria, at least 5 specific symptoms appearing in the luteal phase and resolving after menses. Rule out underlying depression, anxiety, or thyroid issues first.
Medical treatment options
- SSRIs (sertraline, fluoxetine), first-line; can be taken continuously or just in the luteal phase.
- Hormonal birth control, continuous or extended-cycle pills that suppress ovulation (drospirenone-containing pills like Yaz are FDA-approved for PMDD).
- GnRH agonists, induce temporary "medical menopause" for severe cases.
- Surgical, bilateral oophorectomy is a last-resort option for treatment-resistant PMDD.
Natural & lifestyle support
- Regular aerobic exercise (consistent, not just luteal phase)
- Calcium (1200 mg/day), vitamin B6, magnesium, some evidence of benefit
- Chasteberry (Vitex), talk with a provider
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), effective for cyclical mood disorders
- Sleep consistency, protect sleep especially in the luteal phase
- Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugar in the luteal week
- Track triggers and plan low-stakes weeks around your luteal phase when possible
Luteal-phase symptom tracker
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Where your health journey continues
Know Your Body can help you understand what's happening. When you're ready to go deeper, explore the part of the garden that fits your season.
Cycle Garden
Track your cycle and understand your rhythm.
Growing
Support for fertility, conception, and trying to conceive.
Blooming
Pregnancy guidance for each stage of the journey.
Mother Bloom
Care for recovery, feeding, and life after birth.
Final Bloom
Navigate perimenopause, menopause, and what comes next.
Inner Garden
Tend to your emotional and mental well-being.