You may or may not have noticed the increasing number of articles about PMS on the web. And since we love keeping you up to date on the latest, greatest, and greatest in the world of hormones, it’s about time we talked about it. Welcome to the world of other PMS…
Postmenstrual Syndrome: What is it?
Now, before we go any further, we must mention one very important fact. And here’s the thing: There is no official diagnosis of Postmenstrual Syndrome. Nor is there any scientific or academic research to support it. In fact, the only evidence there is anecdotethat is, it comes from patients self-reporting symptoms and causation.
That doesn’t mean what you’re experiencing isn’t real, but it does mean you won’t see many medical types talk about or recognize PMS. Because until it is recognized by medicine, for all intents and purposes, the diagnosis does not exist.
According to some media, these symptoms are relatively new to medicine, which could explain the delay. But if it doesn’t happen to you on a regular basis, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of it.
As the name may well imply, ‘Postmenstrual syndrome’ appears almost as a reverse of premenstrual syndrome. That is, after your period, rather than before. And it’s a general term women use for all the symptoms they experience after the bleeding stops.
What are the symptoms?
Regular PMS can be a heady combination of any number of physical and emotional symptoms, but almost always some of both categories. But for those who talk about PMS, the symptoms tend toward the emotional spectrum.
Symptoms commonly described as part of other PMS include:
- Mood swings
- Worry
- Fatigue
- Tear
- Painful sex
- Headaches
- Joint pain
Postmenstrual syndrome: What causes it?
As there is no official diagnosis for this, there is currently no way of knowing what the possible causes might be. That said, there are some theories, and they mostly involve, you guessed it, hormones.
In a similar way to normal PMS, post-period symptoms may well be due to the hormonal fluctuations of a menstrual cycle, particularly if there is an imbalance somewhere. Which brings us neatly to underlying conditions. There are some theories that “other PMS” may be linked to underlying conditions such as PMDD, PCOS, or even insulin-related problems.
Stress can also play a role, as well as your general reaction to your period. For example, if you bleed heavily, feeling tired after it ends could be due to lower iron levels, rather than PMS.
Sounds familiar. What should I do?
If you’re experiencing post-period or even pre-period symptoms, there are some things you can do to help healthcare professionals figure out what’s going on.
- Track your symptoms and cycle using the Hormona app. Yes, it’s a shameless plug, but we can actually help you do this because hormonal issues are all about recurring symptoms. So if something only happens once or twice, it’s less likely to be related to your cycle or hormonal fluctuations.
- Rule out any underlying conditions. Take all your follow-up data with you when you visit the doctor and discuss the possibility of problems like PCOS, if only to make sure your symptoms aren’t connected.
- Take care of yourself. This means good nutrition, good quality sleep and moving a little more.
- Talk to us in the community. Let us know how you get on — and then we can all start working out what exactly is going on with PMS.
PMS: TLDR
Having PMS-like symptoms after your period ends is considered quite rare. And this is partly why, according to the official literature, PMS is not a thing. That doesn’t mean what you’re dealing with isn’t real, though, as medicine can take a while to catch up.
But, it’s also very likely that any symptoms you’re seeing are related to underlying conditions, medications, or even stress, and the timing of symptoms after your period is symptomatic. But time and research will help us all figure it out!
The important thing to remember is this: if you experience regular symptoms after your period, make sure you keep track of them and your cycle. Then talk to your doctor, as they are in the best position to rule out any underlying issues that may be contributing. And finally, take care of yourself, especially if you’re stressed, overworked or overtired. We know, basically everyone is. So brace yourself and take care.
