Study, 2025
Does anger get worse before your period?
Yes. Anger and irritability are clearly more severe before your period across reproductive ages.
What they did
301 women in late reproductive years or early menopause rated how severe their anger and anxiety symptoms were each day for one complete menstrual cycle. Symptoms were rated on a scale from 1 (least severe) to 4 (most severe).
What they found
Anger and irritability were clearly more severe in the days before the period than after. Women going through early menopause experienced more severe irritability, impatience, and feeling out of control than women in late reproductive years. Anxiety symptoms did not show a clear pattern related to the menstrual cycle.
What it means for you
If you experience anger or irritability before your period, this is a real pattern. The study only included women in late reproductive years or transitioning to menopause, so it is unclear if this applies to women at all ages.
301
women studied
1
menstrual cycle tracked per woman
4
severity scale maximum
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of menstrual cycle phases and reproductive aging stages on arousal symptoms: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study
- Authors
- Woods NF, Mitchell ES
- Journal
- Menopause (New York, N.Y.)
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 301
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000002570
Topics
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