PMS & Cycle Health

For decades, women have been told that PMS is “just part of being a woman.” But here’s the truth: these conditions are not random. They are rooted in very real hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and nervous system stress, and the lack of research on women’s health has left millions of women suffering without answers

Hormones don’t just “fluctuate,” they follow patterns. When those patterns go off course, symptoms like mood swings, pelvic pain, depression, and debilitating fatigue are signals. Signals that your body is asking for balance. One of the biggest patterns I see, is estrogen showing up louder than it should, whether because progesterone isn’t balancing it, the body isn’t clearing it efficiently, or stress is hijacking the whole system.

PMS: The First Red Flag

Premenstrual Syndrome happens in the luteal phase, after ovulation, when estrogen and progesterone naturally rise and fall. For some women, the actual hormone levels are “normal” on paper but the body is extra sensitive to these shifts. That sensitivity can look like bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, cravings, or mood changes.

Add a stressed nervous system; poor sleep, high cortisol, constant stimulation, and the symptoms feel even sharper. PMS is your body asking for steadier hormone balance and a calmer stress response.

PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) When Sensitivity Becomes Extreme

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder takes PMS symptoms to another level.

The issue isn’t simply too much or too little hormone, it’s the way the brain responds to progesterone’s byproducts. For women with PMDD, a metabolite called allopregnanolone, which should feel calming, can actually trigger despair, rage, or panic.

Estrogen dominance makes this harder, because low or unstable progesterone leaves the nervous system without enough balance. With stress layered on top, the luteal phase becomes overwhelming. PMDD is a sign of hormone–brain sensitivity that needs support.

Endometriosis: Inflammation Meets Hormones

Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. These growths are highly sensitive to estrogen, which is why symptoms like pelvic pain, bloating, and fatigue flare when estrogen is higher or poorly cleared.

The nervous system plays a role here, too. Stress and pain create a loop where signals get amplified, and inflammation keeps rising. Endometriosis isn’t caused by estrogen dominance alone, but excess estrogen and a taxed nervous system both make it worse.

The Common Thread?? ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

Estrogen dominance doesn’t always mean you have “too much” estrogen. It often means:

• Progesterone is too low (from stress or poor ovulation)

• The liver or gut isn’t clearing estrogen efficiently.

• Everyday toxins are adding more estrogen-like signals to the body.

• When stress and nervous system overload enter the picture, estrogen’s effects; heavy periods, mood swings, breast pain, pelvic inflammation, get even louder.