Women: feeling groggy first day of 'AF'?

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kathunni
kathunni Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone, I just wanted to see how common it is to feel extrememly groggy and tired on the first couple of days of their cycle?
I had real bad pms cravings yesterday where I ate chocolate almost all day and today I was going to run it off, haha. But I woke up feeling groggy and haven't been able to shake it all day. I am wondering if it is just a coincidence or whether other women feel like this too at their time of the month? Please let me know :)

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  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Yes. I have PMDD/PMS. I usually feel very fatigued a few days prior to my period, have strong cravings for sweets and carbs, and feel cloudy/foggy brained the day of/before I start my period. Apparently, you can manage your cravings by eating specific carbs asneeded throughout the day. I haven't tried it, yet, but I suspect that the lack of energy/fatigue is what causes the cravings for "quick energy" sources like sugar and simple carbs. I started exercising about a month ago, and my symptoms weren't nearly as pronounced this month as they often times are. I was still fatigued, but no persistent, insatiable cravings. Another factor may be that I just started taking ADD meds, which are the likely reason I didn't have the fatigue and cravings during the day. But yes, the dysphoria/brain fog has been so bad at times that I thought I was losing it. I've felt extremely depressed and suicidal one day, only to feel normal again as soon as I started my period. That's more PMDD related, though. Sorry, this is all sort of rambling...just kinda thinking it out myself! Haha!
  • NoLimitFemme
    NoLimitFemme Posts: 118 Member
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    I'm just like what WhiteRabbit said. I'm fatigued a days prior and I think my brain just resets itself to lazy and dumb for a first couple days. I don't want to do anything, don't care that I don't want to and I forget EVERYTHING. My cycle is coming up in a few days and it'll be my first (official) month tracking my food. I don't know how it's going to go but hopefully I can get my butt in gear and stick to somewhat of a "normal" day. My cravings normally gear toward salty foods and chocolate.

    I have 2 other issues with my cycle: cramps and moodiness. Cramps can stop in me in my tracks sometimes (thankfully it's only 2 days out of it that I get them and not the whole time). The moodiness is handled by hiding away in my own personal bat cave (the bedroom away from everyone) and using my headphones when I go to the gym and/or public. My kids are older (9 and 13) but they do get warned that I'm on my period and to tread likely.
  • kathunni
    kathunni Posts: 15
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    I'm just like what WhiteRabbit said. I'm fatigued a days prior and I think my brain just resets itself to lazy and dumb for a first couple days. I don't want to do anything, don't care that I don't want to and I forget EVERYTHING. My cycle is coming up in a few days and it'll be my first (official) month tracking my food. I don't know how it's going to go but hopefully I can get my butt in gear and stick to somewhat of a "normal" day. My cravings normally gear toward salty foods and chocolate.

    I have 2 other issues with my cycle: cramps and moodiness. Cramps can stop in me in my tracks sometimes (thankfully it's only 2 days out of it that I get them and not the whole time). The moodiness is handled by hiding away in my own personal bat cave (the bedroom away from everyone) and using my headphones when I go to the gym and/or public. My kids are older (9 and 13) but they do get warned that I'm on my period and to tread likely.
    Haha, you sound just like me! I get cramps, headaches and moodiness. Today in day 2 of cycle and I managed an 8 km run, so it's literally just the that it starts!
  • SannyBea
    SannyBea Posts: 12 Member
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    The day before the first day I usually feel really sick. Then the actual first day its like I've never seen food before and I could literally eat a grocery store. Either one of those days I could also be extremely exhausted. I'll be incredibly cold and want nothing more than to sleep. After those first couple days i'm usually OK. I only have one day-ish of cramps and the rest of the time is more......an awareness of that area. Kind of like not feeling your ears unless they are cold? That kind of awareness. It isn't cramps-but it's there. :)
  • pariskathryn
    pariskathryn Posts: 173 Member
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    Real groggy! I also have PMDD, which gives me some really awful, debilitating cramps that put me in the fetal position for a week. The only medication I've found that helps (and I've even been prescribed painkillers) is Midol PM. But then Midol PM knocks me out for like, a day at a time. So I have no trouble staying under my calories but I have SO much trouble exercising!
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
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    I'm actually worse about 3-4 days beforehand. Once I actually start, I'm just REALLY really crabby.

    I get super-tired all the time, insomnia (my cycles are around 9-10 weeks apart), food cravings, short temper, back pain.
    Once I turn into vampire bait, I'm crabby, short tempered and my back and hips hurt. Wasn't having much in the way of cramps for a long while, but the last cycle was a monster. Nothing helped.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Groggy/tired, full body pain, nausea. First day or two. Then feeling a lot better by third day. Ibuprofen helps me. Sometimes I also take a diuretic for bloating, but only if I am trying to look good for something.

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