Because I feel like I'm losing my ragged mind right now, and am hoping for stories, shared experiences, maybe a way to find the humor in this.
Now excuse me while I put on unflattering clothes that don't fit because of water retention, and walk grouchily out into too harsh sunlight, inwardly growling at everything I see.
Dude. Honestly? If it wouldn't put me into early crazy menopause I often think I would like all my girly internal bits taken out and done away with. I hate getting my period. Like goo tla arguewithatree and Rebecca I manage my period using birth control - I'm on one of those varieties designed to give you one period every 3 months. I used to get terrible hormonal migraines (2-3 days) when I had a monthly period and was not on birth control. No medication would help. Even with a BC w/a monthly period (and who wants that anyway) I would get those. Now, sometimes, I get those during my placebo week. With PMS my symptoms have always varied. One time I'll get oily and have breakouts. Another time very emotional. I always get terrible cramps. I'm a huge baby about my period, I think partially because I'm spoiled now since I get it infrequently. The less the better I say. I am not at all on the whole "my period is what makes me a woman so it is beautiful and should be celebrated!" train. I am on the "fuck this make it go away" train. Instead of having chocolate/salt cravings I tend to have meat cravings, I assume it has something to do with iron.
I'm with ya on the "fuck this" train. Is the "periods are beautiful and WOMANLY!" thing just to try to dismiss feelings? And isn't saying that you need to have a period to truly be a woman pretty terrible for those unable to have kids/trans folks? I can understand when people say it seems "unnatural" though. If you're a very traditional person, I can see how they'd be uncomfortable with some relatively recent forms of birth control.
I had an IUD put in last August. (Shit, like exactly a year ago. Woo!) I tell ya, PMS gets waaaaay easier when there aren't any gooey parts to deal with. Anyways, now it's largely emotional (e.g. My friends hate me, I'm fat, no one will ever love me). Which, ya know, also sucks because crying over sandwiches and paper bags still occurs, but all we can do is laugh about it. And eat all of the chocolate.
I haven't menstruated in 5 years because of hormonal birth control :3 But when I did, I got super terrible cramps that often made me vomit.
I also have and IUD, 2 years now, so I no longer keep track of my cycles which is unfortunately as now the crazy seems to sneak up on me. Last month I had a crying spell all over my unsuspecting fiance for the oh-so logical reason of him having more family therefor more people of "his" will be at the wedding and using crazy PMS logic therefor I was going to be lonely at the wedding :/ Poor guy.
Not strictly PMS, but I used to get very sick while the messy bit of menstruation happened. I didn't need a calendar for it; I could tell it was coming because I'd literally feel mildly nauseous for a few days. Then the pain. Pain that made it impossible to lay, sit, stand. I used to hobble around the house bent over, groaning. I used to vomit from the pain. I cried to sleep those days. This went on for years. School nurses accused me of lying as I writhed on sick bay beds, soaked in sweat and pale. Unable to keep pain pills down. At 15, after realising I was losing days of education each month, regular as clockwork, my mother eventually took me to the doctor about it. I ended up getting the pill. Omg did that ever help. It's easier to cope with having a uterus when it isn't making you hate a quarter of your existance. I'm on implanon now so I dont have to bother with pills, but it is fucking with my libido so I'm not sure what the next move is.