[Element]

So we all hear how each woman's body is affected before and after her period. There's a lot of "symptoms" that can occur, but we all get our own set that we personally experience. I'd like to hear how it's different for each woman.

I've noticed that with me, I get really hungry a good week before my period. I can eat a meal with the family, one that would usually fill me up, but I still don't reach full. An hour later I'm just hungry and need food. I tend to snack throughout the day because I'm just hungry.

Also my sex drive goes up before my period, then nulls out while on my period, and peeks back up a week after my period. I've always compared it to that my body knows I won't be getting any so it wants to get it while it can. Then after my period it has to make up for what it lost.

[Little]

I used to get cramps in the week before my period as well as the during. That was when my cycle ran 5 weeks, before I had my son. And when I first started having regular sex, my body found it appropriate to add breast tenderness to my symptoms so I could have regular pregnancy scares. It has a sense of humor!

My sex drive ramps up especially during ovulation and in the days right before my period. It's like my body wants a last-ditch chance at conception so we don't have to do the period thing :P

My major during-menstruation woe is a strange burny, pulling sort of pain I get in my vulva and perineum if I stand or walk for an extended period.

[Teelana]

It's like my body wants a last-ditch chance at conception so we don't have to do the period thing :P

^Even though I don't have a man in my life right now, I love what you said, Little, so funny and true. I wish there were an easy way "out" of that time of month.

My own symptoms seem to have become a little more specific as I've gotten older. Usually the day before, I become a little moody and/or impatient..maybe irritable is a good word. I also tend to have a light headache. Day 1 is always the worst. My legs feel like they are elephant-sized and the lower body cramps can be awful. Yeah, good old headache is back, too. I don't eat much to begin with but since I usually am "up" more of the night, during the first few nights, I get hungrier later probably because my body thinks its closer to morning than it is (hope that makes sense). For a couple nights after, I seem to have an increase in needing to go pee. I should admit to being a whale in terms of drinking water so that doesn't "help," just that it's a fact. The other issue for me, is because I have TMJ (jaw joint) issues, that is exacaberated by the stress of my period. :P All in all, I'd love to be a guy for 2-3 days a month!

[Fritz]

[QUOTE=Teelana;326665]I wish there were an easy way "out" of that time of month.

There is! I just started depo-provera a three monthly injection which means no babies, but also no periods, pms or period pain.
I started this as I have delevoped an auto immune disease and every period my body would flare. My last period my hips, spine and skull inflamed so I went and asked my doctor for a solution. I was worried about the effects as it felt un-natural but I love it.
I just wish that I had discovered it years ago, I have always suffered terribly with period pain in my back and sometimes cramping too and did find the pill helped me when I was younger. There was also a few years after having children that I had minimal period pain.

In relation to the post, I think our periods change as we age. I am only 35, but noticed in my early 30s that I started to get worsening period pain again, breast tenderness also pms and back pain a week before it started. When I was younger it was just the pain, but it was terrible and most of the medication for period pain didn't work.