Like many of us experiencing PMDD symptoms, I used to feel completely bewildered by how quickly I could go from handling life’s challenges with relative ease to feeling completely overwhelmed by the smallest setback. It wasn’t until I started wearing my Garmin device that the pieces of this puzzle started coming together. The data I was seeing wasn’t just numbers – it was validation of what I had been experiencing all along.
The Mystery of Monthly Struggles
During my luteal phase – those challenging days before my period – I felt like I was running on fumes. The smallest challenges would feel insurmountable, and I couldn’t understand why I was so much more sensitive to stress during these times. Things that I could normally handle with ease suddenly felt overwhelming, and I found myself wondering if I was just “being dramatic” or if something deeper was at play.
Like many aspects of your health, your HRV and your PMDD symptoms have a unique relationship. Let’s break down what HRV is and how it is impacted by your cycle.
Understanding HRV
If you use a health wearable like a Whoop band or an Oura Ring, you may notice your HRV number amongst your other health metrics. HRV, or heart rate variability, is a metric of how well your body is responding to stress. It’s not only your most accurate measure of recovery; it’s also a measure of adaptability – your body’s ability to bounce back from challenges.
Popular Devices for Tracking HRV
There are several reliable devices available for tracking your HRV:
Premium Fitness Trackers:
- Whoop Band: Focuses specifically on recovery and strain metrics
- Oura Ring: Known for detailed sleep and recovery analysis
- POLAR H10: Considered one of the most accurate for HRV measurements
Mainstream Smartwatches:
- Garmin (various models including Fenix, Forerunner, and Venu series)
- Apple Watch (Series 4 and newer)
- Fitbit (Sense, Versa series, and Charge series)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch (4 and newer models)
Budget-Friendly Options:
- Amazfit (GTS and GTR series)
- Xiaomi Mi Band 6 and newer
- COROS Pace 2
Choose a device that fits your lifestyle and budget – the best device is the one you’ll wear consistently. Many of these devices also offer companion apps that help you interpret your HRV data in the context of your overall health.
When it comes to tracking your HRV, the higher your HRV, the better. Having consistently low heart rate variability indicates that your body is not adapting to or recovering well from stress.
This could be because you:
– Aren’t sleeping well
– Are overworked or burnt out
– Are getting sick
– Are experiencing multiple stressors simultaneously
If you have consistently low HRV, you have a higher likelihood of developing long-term conditions like insomnia, chronic pain, and anxiety-related disorders1.
On the flip side, a high HRV predicts better recovery from stress.
People with a high HRV tend to have:
– Improved focus
– Better athletic performance
– Greater emotional resilience
– Easier access to calm states, such as during meditation
HRV and Sex Hormones
Here’s where things get interesting – and complicated! Your HRV isn’t just about stress; it’s intimately connected with your hormones2:
Estrogen’s Role:
– Responsible for developing and regulating the female reproductive system
– Increases vagal tone (what devices measure for HRV)
– Generally supports higher HRV
Progesterone’s Impact:
– Supports menstruation and pregnancy
– Has a “calming” effect in the brain
– Surprisingly decreases vagal tone3
– Overrides estrogen’s effect on HRV
During a healthy menstrual cycle, these hormones dance together, affecting your HRV in predictable patterns. For most women, HRV is highest during the follicular phase when hormones are lower. However, a crucial 2007 study revealed that for those of us with PMDD, our HRV is markedly decreased regardless of cycle phase.4
Understanding the Connection: HRV and PMDD
PMDD isn’t just “bad PMS” – it’s a chronic, cyclical reproductive mood disorder affecting about 5.5% of menstruating females. What makes it particularly challenging is that it’s not a hormone imbalance, but rather a sensitivity to normal hormonal changes.
Recent research from 2023 reveals some fascinating insights: 5
– Those of us with PMDD experience greater HRV reduction during stress
– We have a significantly delayed recovery from stress compared to others
– The changes are linked to baseline allopregnanolone levels
This explains why bouncing back from stress feels so much harder with PMDD – it’s not in your head, it’s in your nervous system!
AND if you are going through perimenopause or entering menopause a lower HRV can result in more hot flashes and night-sweats.6
Solutions That Work: Building Resilience
The good news? The same practices that help manage and reduce PMDD symptoms also improve your HRV.
Here’s your action plan:
1. Map Your Cycle: Discover your PMDD symptom patterns – this is your foundation for management
2. Track Your HRV: Use your wearable device data to understand your body’s patterns
3. Build Recovery Time: Schedule extra rest during your luteal phase
4. Practice Stress Management: Implement daily meditation or breathing exercises
5. Maintain Regular Exercise: But adjust intensity based on your cycle phase
6. Prioritize Sleep: Create a consistent sleep schedule and relaxing bedtime routine
7. Consider Acupuncture: Help regulate your nervous system
Your Next Steps
Ready to rewrite your PMDD story?
Start by Symptom Mapping and pairing your information with your wearable device data to understand your body’s unique rhythms. Remember, knowledge is power, and understanding your patterns is the first step toward reducing and better managing PMDD symptoms.
Looking for support?
Join our FREE PMDD support community.
Want to go deeper into understanding and healing PMDD?
Join us in PMDD Rehab, where we’ll guide you step by step through a comprehensive approach to reducing and managing your symptoms. In our course, we dive deep into practical strategies for addressing stress, optimizing movement, improving sleep quality, adapting your diet, and so much more.
Have you noticed patterns in how your body handles stress throughout your cycle? Share your experience in the comments below, or join our community to connect with others on similar journeys.
Remember: You’re not “being dramatic” – your experience is real and valid, and there are concrete steps you can take to improve your quality of life with PMDD.
Citations
- Lehrer PM, Gevirtz R. Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work? Front Psychol. 2014 Jul 21;5:756. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756. PMID: 25101026; PMCID: PMC4104929.) ↩︎
- .Brar TK, Singh KD, Kumar A. Effect of Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle on Heart Rate Variability (HRV). J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Oct;9(10):CC01-4. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/13795.6592. Epub 2015 Oct 1. PMID: 26557512; PMCID: PMC4625231. ↩︎
- Schmalenberger KM, Eisenlohr-Moul TA, Jarczok MN, Eckstein M, Schneider E, Brenner IG, Duffy K, Schweizer S, Kiesner J, Thayer JF, Ditzen B. Menstrual Cycle Changes in Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability are Associated with Progesterone: Evidence from Two Within-Person Studies. J Clin Med. 2020 Feb 25;9(3):617. doi: 10.3390/jcm9030617. PMID: 32106458; PMCID: PMC7141121. ↩︎
- Matsumoto T, Ushiroyama T, Kimura T, Hayashi T, Moritani T. Altered autonomic nervous system activity as a potential etiological factor of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Biopsychosoc Med. 2007 Dec 20;1:24. doi: 10.1186/1751-0759-1-24. PMID: 18096034; PMCID: PMC2253548. ↩︎
- Hamidovic A, Davis J, Soumare F, Naveed A, Ghani Y, Semiz S, Khalil D, Wardle M. Allopregnanolone Is Associated with a Stress-Induced Reduction of Heart Rate Variability in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. J Clin Med. 2023 Feb 16;12(4):1553. doi: 10.3390/jcm12041553. PMID: 36836088; PMCID: PMC9967763.Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36836088/
↩︎ - Akiyoshi, M., Kato, K., Owa, Y., Sugiyama, M., Miyasaka, N., Obayashi, S., Kubota, T., Aso, T., Kimura, T., Moritani, T., & Sato, K. (2011). Relationship between estrogen, vasomotor symptoms, and heart rate variability in climacteric women. Journal of medical and dental sciences, 58(2), 49–59. ↩︎