If your PMS feels out of control, your body is trying to tell you something
OCTOBER 22, 2026
At some point in the last couple of years, PMS became one of my favorite things to treat.
I get weirdly excited when I get to help a new client with:
Hormonal mood swings
Sore boobs
Night sweats before their period
We run tests, look at diet, stress, sleep, and build a plan based on what their symptoms and data are telling us.
There’s a range of normal when it comes to how you feel before your period. While we shouldn’t expect to feel exactly the same every day of the month, you also shouldn’t expect to feel like a complete dumpster fire from cycle day 21 on.
What is normal PMS?
lasts A few days before your period
you feel A little more tired
you’re More introspective (wanting to hide in bed with a book)
have some Mild bloating
notice a Slight weight fluctuation
feel A little more emotional or less patient
Read Next:
When is PMS not normal?
Only having 5–10 “good days” per month
PMS starting 10+ days before your period
Night sweats before or during your period
Feeling like a completely different person
Zero stress tolerance
Severe breast pain
Gaining 3+ pounds of water weight
Exhausted all day + insomnia at night
If you’re in this camp, keep reading.
Can worsening PMS be an early sign of perimenopause?
After working with a lot of women over the years, one thing is very clear:
PMS is often one of the earliest signs of perimenopause.
Perimenopause is the 10–15 year window before menopause.
Technically, we define it when cycles start to shorten or become irregular.
But clinically?
I’m seeing women in their mid to late 30s noticing big PMS shifts even before their cycles change.
Age 38 is a really common time for someone to reach out to me about their terrible PMS.
It’s like a canary in the coal mine.
Your body is basically yelling:
“PAY ATTENTION TO ME.”
Your cycle and symptoms are vital signs.
How stress and burnout can make PMS worse
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This ties directly into perimenopause.
Chronic stress, whether it’s:
Mental/emotional stress
Blood sugar instability
Inflammation
Nutrient deficiencies
Lack of sleep
…can push the body toward burnout.
Clinically, I see this as:
Low cortisol
Low estrogen
Low progesterone
Which shows up as:
Low mood
Poor sleep
Short cycles
Worse PMS
So yes, PMS is often an early signal that your system is overloaded.
How nutrition can affect PMS symptoms
And here’s the part most people miss:
PMS is heavily tied to nutrition. And it responds quickly to the right treatment.
This is why I love treating it.
Some of the most common drivers I see:
Magnesium deficiency
Calcium deficiency
Low B6
Not eating enough protein
Undereating overall
Exercising more than your body can handle
Read Next:
Is Perimenopause Making my Hair Fall Out? (Spoiler: Probably)
Can PMS symptoms improve with treatment?
For some women in their 30s and 40s, PMS is new.
For others, it’s been happening forever, they just assumed it was normal.
Either way:
It’s not something you just have to live with.
And it’s not something that only has to be managed with birth control or SSRIs.
Your body is giving you information.
And when you respond to it properly?
Things can shift quickly.
When to get support for worsening PMS and perimenopause symptoms
If your PMS has gotten worse over time, your hormones aren’t the problem, they’re the messengers.
Inside The Motherlode, we go deeper into:
What worsening PMS actually means
How perimenopause starts (way earlier than you think)
How to support hormones with nutrition and lifestyle
How to stop the burnout → hormone chaos cycle
Including the Perimenopause Party pathway, where I walk you through:
What’s happening to your hormones in your late 30s + 40s
How to support estrogen + progesterone naturally
How to reduce PMS, mood swings, and sleep issues
What to eat to actually support this transition
Because PMS isn’t random.
And it’s definitely not something you just have to tolerate.
👉 Learn more about The Motherlode here.
xo
Alison
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