Pinkishe Foundation
31/10/2026
Dr. Shehla Jamal
Most girls and women notice some changes in the days before a period. You may feel more irritable, teary, anxious or tired. You may crave certain foods, feel bloated or have sore breasts.
For many, these changes are mild. For a smaller group, they are strong enough to get in the way of school, college, work or family life. When that happens in most cycles, doctors call it premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.
These feelings are real. They are not drama, and they are not in your head. There is a lot you can do to feel better, and help is available.
PMS is a group of changes in mood, body and behaviour that:
The timing is the key sign. If the same feelings stay with you all month, something else may be going on, and it is worth seeing a doctor.
After ovulation, the hormones oestrogen and progesterone rise and then fall before your period. This rise and fall happens in everyone who has periods. Girls and women with PMS usually have normal hormone levels.
Doctors now think that in some people the brain is more sensitive to this normal rise and fall. Serotonin, a brain chemical that helps control mood, sleep and appetite, plays a part. That is why PMS can affect mood so strongly.
Stress, poor sleep and other worries are not the root cause of PMS, but they can make it feel worse.
For a small number of girls and women, the mood changes before a period are severe. They may feel deep sadness or hopelessness, strong anger, panic, or lose interest in everything, and then feel better soon after the period starts. This is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.
PMDD is a real medical condition. It is not a weakness and it is not your fault. It can be treated, so please see a doctor if this sounds like you.
If you ever feel hopeless or have thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to someone today. Call Tele-MANAS, the government's free mental health helpline, on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, at any hour. In an emergency, call 112.
For two or three cycles, write down how you feel each day and the day your period starts. You will start to see a pattern. It helps you plan ahead, and it helps a doctor understand what is going on. Our period and ovulation calculator can help you know when your next period is due.
Small, regular meals can help with cravings and mood dips. Choose whole grains like roti, brown rice, ragi or oats, with dal, chana and vegetables. Include foods with calcium, such as milk, curd, paneer, ragi and til. Go easy on salt, which can add to bloating, and on sweets.
Too much tea, coffee or cola can make anxiety and sleep worse. Alcohol can make low mood worse. Smoking is linked with worse PMS.
A brisk walk of about 30 minutes on most days, dancing, cycling or yoga can lift your mood and ease bloating and aches.
Try to sleep and wake at the same time each day, even in the days before your period. Poor sleep makes irritability and low mood harder to handle.
Deep breathing, meditation, prayer, music or time outdoors can calm a busy mind. Pick what works for you.
Tell someone you trust, such as a parent, sister, friend, teacher or partner, how you feel and what helps. Counselling can help too. A type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to help with PMS and PMDD.
If you know which days are hard for you, try to keep them lighter. Move a tough task or a big decision to another day if you can.
If your symptoms are strong, do not just wait them out. A doctor can help, and treatment helps most people feel better.
Herbal remedies and supplements have not been proven to treat PMS. Please speak to a doctor before you try any.
If someone you love has PMS, your support makes a real difference.
Have a question about PMS and your mood? Call our menstrual helpline on 85888 70999. It answers at any hour.
A simple printable sheet that marks your period days, your fertile window and your ovulation day. We will email it to you now.
We will send the tracker and a few gentle menstrual health emails from Khyati at Pinkishe. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Prefer to work out your dates now? Open the free ovulation calculatorPMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is a group of changes in mood, body and behaviour that come in the days before a period and ease soon after it starts. It comes back in most cycles.
Most girls and women notice some changes before a period. For a smaller group, the changes are strong enough to affect daily life, and doctors call this PMS.
Yes, many girls and women feel more teary or irritable before a period. If these feelings are very strong, or are there all month, see a doctor.
PMDD is a severe form of PMS. The mood changes, such as deep sadness, hopelessness, anger or panic, are strong enough to seriously affect daily life. PMDD can be treated, so please see a doctor.
Yes, for many people. Regular balanced meals, less salt, sugar and caffeine, regular exercise and good sleep can ease symptoms. If they are not enough, a doctor can help.
See a doctor if your symptoms affect your studies, work or relationships, if self-care has not helped after two or three cycles, or if you ever feel hopeless. For thoughts of self-harm, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 today.
Mood changes before a period are common and real. Tracking your symptoms, eating well, moving and sleeping well help many girls and women. If your symptoms are strong, see a doctor: PMS and PMDD can be treated.
Pinkishe Foundation is a specialist implementation organisation for menstrual health. We deliver, reliably, in schools and communities across India. Support our work with a donation.
₹1,100 gives one girl a year. Donations are eligible for deduction under Section 80G.
