PMS is the catch-all term we throw at any symptom in the week before your period. Bloating, mood swings, breast tenderness, the lot. For most women it's irritating but manageable.
PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) is something else. Same window, same trigger, but the volume is cranked all the way up.
The PMS version
You feel snappy. Cravings hit harder. Sleep gets weird for a night or two. Your skin breaks out, your jeans feel tighter, and you're more tearful at adverts you don't even like.
It's annoying. It passes. It doesn't change who you are.
The PMDD version
About one in twenty women get PMDD. The mood symptoms aren't background noise. They're the whole song.
- Hopelessness that feels biographical, not hormonal
- Rage out of proportion to what's happening
- Panic, paranoia, or anxiety that keeps you up
- Concentration shot, work and relationships derailed
The pattern is the tell. Symptoms hit in the luteal phase (the two weeks before your period), and they lift within a day or two of bleeding starting. Every cycle. On a schedule.
What to do
If your worst week of the month is consistent, track it. Three cycles of data is enough to take to your GP. Ask specifically about PMDD. SSRIs prescribed for the luteal phase alone work for many women.
Supplement support matters too. Magnesium, B6, and L-theanine all show benefit in PMDD trials. They won't replace medical care, but they can take the edge off while you sort the rest.
You're not broken. Your cycle is loud. There are tools for that.