How do I know whether my mood swings are hormonal or something else?
The cyclical pattern of your symptoms is the best distinguishing factor: if they occur only in the two weeks before your period and disappear afterwards, a hormonal cause is most likely. Track your symptoms over several cycles, and if they persist outside that window, discuss this with your GP.
The most reliable clue is the timing of your symptoms. Hormonal mood swings caused by PMS or PMDD occur exclusively in the second half of your cycle (the two weeks before your period) and disappear as soon as your period starts. Track your symptoms for at least two cycles in a diary or app: record your mood, irritability and any crying spells each day, and mark when your period begins. If you see a clear cyclical pattern, a hormonal cause is most likely. If the symptoms do not disappear after your period and you have them for almost the entire month, that points more toward depression or another mood disorder than toward PMS or PMDD.
How severe can these hormonal symptoms be? Mild mood swings around your period are very common, but some women are affected more seriously. Around 3 to 8 percent meet the criteria for severe PMS; approximately 2 percent have PMDD, a more serious form in which symptoms considerably disrupt daily life. PMDD likely also involves individual differences in brain reactivity: in some women, a rising hormone during the luteal phase actually triggers anxiety and mood symptoms, while in others it has a calming effect.
Around menopause (roughly between the ages of 45 and 55), mood swings can also be hormonal, but in this case they are caused by declining oestrogen. Even so, the cause here is rarely purely hormonal: sleep problems, pain and psychosocial changes almost always play a role as well. A cyclical pattern is therefore harder to recognise at menopause, because the menstrual cycle itself becomes irregular.
Are there blood tests that can help? Thyroid problems can affect mood, but the evidence for this comes from research in people under extreme circumstances; whether a mild decline in thyroid function causes everyday mood swings cannot be reliably determined from the available research. For bipolar disorder, large clinical studies have found hormonal and inflammatory markers that deviate from the norm, but these are only moderately discriminating and require specialist assessment. A self-test based on blood values is therefore not possible.
Sources cover PMS/PMDD (strong evidence, causal), menopause (moderate, probably causal), PMDD mechanisms via allopregnanolone (moderate), bipolar disorder and hormone markers (moderate, associative), thyroid and mood (limited, associative). Chocolate cravings as an incidental observation were not used further.
How do your hormone levels change throughout your menstrual cycle?
Your hormone levels follow a recognisable pattern throughout the cycle: oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall at set moments, with a sharp LH peak around ovulation. Bear in mind that there are large differences between women, and that the pill largely suppresses this pattern.
Does it make sense to have my hormones tested if I feel listless?
If, alongside listlessness, you also have other complaints such as weight gain, feeling cold, or mood problems, blood tests for your thyroid or testosterone are well worth having. If you have fatigue alone without any further complaints, the benefit of testing is small.
Which hormone levels are tested during menopause and what do the results mean?
During menopause, the hormones measured most commonly are FSH, LH, oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone and AMH; elevated FSH combined with reduced oestradiol (below 20 pg/ml) is the most reliable sign that menopause has begun, but always have your results explained by your doctor, as body weight and background influence reference values.
What are normal hormone levels for women, and how do you get them tested?
There is no universal standard for hormone levels in women: they depend on age, cycle phase, and measurement method. Always have testing guided by a doctor who takes that context into account, especially for testosterone.
Does my weight and metabolism change during menopause?
During menopause, your body composition changes profoundly: more abdominal fat, less muscle and a lower resting metabolic rate. Exercise and nutrition demonstrably help, and discuss hormone therapy with your doctor as an additional option.
Can low blood sugar disrupt your hormones, and how do you notice it?
Low blood sugar immediately raises stress hormones and causes symptoms such as trembling, sweating and irritability. People who experience this repeatedly risk those warning signals becoming progressively weaker, which makes it wise to discuss this with your doctor.