Struggling With PMS? Natural Ways to Support Your Body and Hormones

Article posted with permission from the author, Dee Mani.

One week you feel completely yourself, and the next you’re irritable, exhausted, bloated, craving foods you wouldn’t normally think twice about, sleeping badly or wondering why something relatively small has suddenly reduced you to tears. For many women, this pattern repeats itself month after month, yet PMS is still often dismissed as something we simply have to put up with.

But those changes aren’t imaginary and they aren’t random. During the menstrual cycle, hormones are continually rising and falling, and those fluctuations can influence far more than your period itself. They can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, energy, digestion and how your body responds to stress and discomfort.

For some women, these changes are barely noticeable. For others, the week or two before a period can feel like becoming a completely different person. Understanding why that happens is a much better place to start than simply trying to get through those few difficult days every month.

What Is Actually Happening to Your Body During PMS?

PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, describes a collection of physical and emotional symptoms that typically occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle — the period after ovulation and before menstruation begins. Following ovulation, progesterone rises while oestrogen also changes. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, both hormones eventually fall as the body prepares for menstruation.

These hormonal changes don’t happen in isolation. Hormones communicate with the brain, nervous system and many other systems throughout the body. Changes across the menstrual cycle can therefore influence neurotransmitter signalling, sleep, appetite, energy levels, fluid balance and emotional wellbeing.

This helps explain why PMS can look so different from one woman to another. You might experience bloating and breast tenderness while somebody else struggles predominantly with irritability and anxiety. Another woman may experience headaches, poor sleep, food cravings, low energy or abdominal discomfort. And symptoms can change throughout your life. What you experienced in your twenties isn’t necessarily what you’ll experience in your thirties or forties, particularly as you begin moving towards perimenopause.

Why Are Some Women’s PMS Symptoms Worse Than Others?

Hormonal fluctuations are a normal part of the menstrual cycle, but women don’t all respond to those fluctuations in exactly the same way. Your genetics, stress levels, sleep, nutrition, physical activity and overall health can all influence how you feel throughout your cycle.

Stress is particularly important. When you’re already under constant pressure, sleeping badly and running on empty, the additional physiological changes occurring before your period can feel much harder to manage.

Blood-sugar fluctuations can also affect energy, appetite and mood. Going for long periods without eating and then relying on sugary or highly processed foods can create dramatic rises and falls in blood glucose that may leave you feeling tired, hungry and irritable.

Sleep matters too. When you’re not sleeping properly, your ability to deal with everyday stress can change, while appetite and emotional regulation can also be affected.

This is why I don’t think PMS should be looked at purely as a problem with your period. Your menstrual cycle is part of a much bigger picture. If your premenstrual symptoms are severe enough to regularly disrupt your relationships, work or everyday life, however, it’s worth speaking with a healthcare professional. Severe cyclical emotional symptoms can sometimes be associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is different from typical PMS and deserves proper assessment.

The Connection Between Hormones, Stress and Your Nervous System

Have you ever noticed that your tolerance for stress seems completely different at certain points in your cycle? Something you would normally brush off can suddenly feel overwhelming. You might feel more anxious, emotional, restless or simply unable to switch your brain off at night.

Part of the reason is that reproductive hormones don’t operate separately from the brain and nervous system. Oestrogen and progesterone interact with signalling systems involved in mood, stress and sleep, which means changes across the menstrual cycle can influence how you respond both physically and emotionally. At the same time, chronic stress activates its own hormonal and nervous-system responses.

If your body is already dealing with poor sleep, emotional stress, inadequate nutrition and little time to recover, it’s understandable that hormonal changes may feel more noticeable. This is why supporting PMS isn’t necessarily about finding one thing that will somehow “fix your hormones”. It’s about looking at the environment you’re creating for your body throughout the entire month.

And there’s another regulatory system involved in this bigger picture that many women have still never been taught about: the endocannabinoid system.

Where Does the Endocannabinoid System Fit In?

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a signalling network found throughout the body that plays a role in maintaining homeostasis — the body’s ability to keep its internal environment balanced. The ECS includes cannabinoid receptors, naturally produced compounds called endocannabinoids and enzymes responsible for producing and breaking those compounds down.

It’s involved in numerous physiological processes, including mood, sleep, stress responses, appetite, immune activity and pain signalling — several of the same areas that can become noticeably different during PMS.

The ECS also communicates with other regulatory systems within the body, including the nervous and endocrine systems. Research into the relationship between endocannabinoid signalling and female reproductive physiology continues to develop, and there’s still a great deal we don’t fully understand.

What we do know is that these systems don’t work independently. The hormonal, nervous and endocannabinoid systems are continually communicating as part of the body’s much larger attempt to maintain balance. And this is where the interest in CBD becomes particularly relevant.

Where May CBD Fit Into PMS Support?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found within hemp. Rather than acting as a hormone or directly replacing oestrogen or progesterone, CBD interacts with several signalling systems within the body, including pathways associated with the endocannabinoid system.

Research specifically investigating CBD as a treatment for PMS remains limited, so I don’t think we should pretend CBD is some sort of cure for premenstrual symptoms. But what makes it interesting is the wider research into CBD and areas such as stress, relaxation, sleep and pain signalling — all things that can become more challenging for some women during the premenstrual phase.

This is also reflected in what we hear from women who incorporate CBD into their everyday wellness routines. Some describe feeling calmer, others notice changes in their sleep, while some simply feel better able to cope with the emotional and physical changes they experience around their period.

The important thing is to look at CBD as one part of supporting the body, rather than expecting one product to compensate for poor sleep, chronic stress, inadequate nutrition and everything else happening at the same time.

CBD for PMS Mood Changes and Stress

For many women, the emotional side of PMS is actually more disruptive than the physical symptoms. You can know perfectly well that your period is approaching and still find yourself wondering why you’re suddenly so irritated, tearful or overwhelmed.

Supporting the nervous system throughout the month can therefore be incredibly important. This might include prioritising sleep, getting outside, walking, reducing unnecessary stress where possible, using breathing or relaxation techniques and making sure you’re actually giving yourself time to recover.

CBD is also commonly used as part of a relaxation and stress-support routine, which is one reason many women choose to use it throughout their cycle rather than waiting until PMS has already arrived.

Sleep deserves particular attention too. A poor night’s sleep can make almost everything feel harder the following day, and several nights of disrupted sleep combined with premenstrual changes can leave you feeling completely depleted. If sleep tends to become more difficult before your period, looking at your evening routine, caffeine intake, screen use, stress levels and sleep environment alongside CBD can be far more useful than relying on any one thing alone.

What About Period Cramps and Physical Discomfort?

PMS isn’t only about mood. Abdominal tension, lower-back discomfort, breast tenderness, headaches, bloating and general muscular aches can all appear around menstruation. Menstrual cramps themselves occur when the uterus contracts, with hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins playing an important role in this process.

Alongside oral CBD, some women like to incorporate topical products into their routine. Our CBD Healing Balm can be massaged into areas such as the lower back, while our CBD Body Oil is particularly useful when you want to massage a larger area. We also receive positive feedback from women using our CBD Castor Oil around the abdomen and navel area as part of their wellness routine. The navel application sometimes referred to as the Pechoti method comes from traditional wellness practices rather than established clinical evidence, so I wouldn’t describe it as a special pathway for CBD absorption. However, many women simply enjoy combining the oil with gentle abdominal massage and making it part of their monthly self-care routine.

Sometimes taking ten minutes to slow down, apply warmth and gently massage the abdomen or lower back can be valuable in itself.

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Natural Ways to Support Your Body Before Your Period

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is waiting until PMS arrives before suddenly deciding to look after ourselves. What you do throughout the rest of the month matters too.

Start with real, nutrient-dense food. Protein, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and mineral-rich foods give the body the raw materials it needs every day. Magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds and avocado can be particularly useful additions to the diet.

Healthy fats are important too. Hormones are made from and regulated through processes that depend on adequate nutrition, and continually choosing ultra-low-fat processed foods isn’t necessarily doing your body any favours.

Pay attention to blood-sugar balance as well. Meals built around protein, healthy fats and whole-food carbohydrates tend to provide steadier energy than constantly grazing on sugary snacks and refined carbohydrates.

Hydration matters throughout the cycle, particularly if you’re experiencing bloating and headaches. Drinking enough good-quality water and obtaining adequate minerals through your diet supports far more than simply thirst.

And keep moving. You don’t need to force yourself through an exhausting workout when you’re feeling depleted. Walking, stretching, swimming, yoga or gentle resistance exercise can support circulation, mood and general wellbeing without placing additional stress on the body.

Should You Take CBD Every Day or Just Before Your Period?

Some women only think about CBD when their period is approaching, but I prefer to look at it differently. The endocannabinoid system doesn’t suddenly become relevant during the week before menstruation. It’s working throughout the body every day of the month. For that reason, many people choose to incorporate CBD consistently into their daily wellness routine rather than repeatedly starting and stopping depending on how they’re feeling.

That doesn’t mean every woman will respond in exactly the same way, and it certainly doesn’t mean CBD replaces good nutrition, sleep, movement or stress management. It simply means that if your reason for using CBD is to support overall balance and wellbeing, consistency makes more sense than treating it purely as something to reach for when PMS becomes uncomfortable.

What Strength CBD Should You Use for PMS?

There isn’t one CBD strength that’s right for every woman. I also don’t believe somebody should automatically choose the lowest strength simply because they’ve never taken CBD before. What matters more is why you’re using CBD and your wider health picture. Someone looking for general everyday wellness support may have completely different requirements from somebody dealing with disrupted sleep, significant stress and several other ongoing concerns alongside difficult PMS.

At My Way CBD, our oils range from 500mg through to 6000mg, allowing women to choose a strength according to their individual needs. If you’re unsure which strength may be appropriate for you, our CBD Strength Test considers your wider health picture and can help guide you towards a suitable option.

What About Baobab CBD Oil?

Our Full Spectrum Baobab CBD Oil has become a popular choice among women within our range. Baobab has a long history of use as a nutrient-rich African fruit and naturally contains a range of nutrients and plant compounds. We’ve combined it with Full Spectrum CBD for people who want to incorporate the benefits of a whole-plant CBD oil alongside baobab as part of their wider wellness routine.

Shop Baobab CBD Oil

Baobab CBD offers another natural option for women who want CBD to form part of a broader approach to looking after themselves throughout the month.

PMS, Perimenopause and Menopause

PMS can also begin to change as women move towards perimenopause and eventually menopause. During perimenopause, hormone levels can become less predictable, which means symptoms that were once relatively manageable may suddenly change. Periods can become irregular, sleep may become more disrupted and mood changes, temperature fluctuations and other symptoms can begin appearing.

This is another reason I think it’s so important for women to understand what’s happening within their bodies rather than simply being told that hormonal symptoms are something they have to tolerate. CBD is increasingly being explored by women at different stages of life, but the same principle applies whether we’re discussing PMS, perimenopause or menopause: support the whole body rather than looking for one magic solution.

PMS may be common, but that doesn’t mean you should simply accept feeling terrible for part of every month. Your menstrual cycle doesn’t exist separately from the rest of your health. Your nutrition, sleep, stress levels, nervous system, activity, blood-sugar balance and overall lifestyle can all influence how you feel as your hormones naturally change throughout the month.

CBD may be one useful part of that bigger picture, particularly for women interested in supporting relaxation, sleep, stress management and general wellbeing, but it works best when it’s viewed alongside everything else you’re doing to support your body.

Most importantly, start paying attention to your own patterns. Notice when your mood changes. Notice how you’re sleeping. Look at what you’re eating, how stressed you’ve been and where you are within your cycle.

The more you understand your body, the easier it becomes to recognise what it needs — not just during the difficult few days before your period, but throughout the entire month.