Hi so this is one for the girls…im on 20 days with no alcohol (yay). However the past three days I’ve had really strong cravings. I got my period yesterday and the cravings were at their strongest. I’m wondering if there is a link? I’ve also been A LOT grumpier and snappy this month, which may also be linked to what I’m experiencing emotionally from trying to fight the cravings. Has anyone else noticed this?
In my experience and understanding, hormones play a huge role in all aspects of our health and wellbeing! Especially around that time in our cycle, our progesterone levels drop significantly the days before and of our period, and the other hormones are increasing and/or changing too. Because of this, we often feel a little bit down or confused, or frustrated - Definitely a mix of emotions, and during this its hard to be able to be clear headed and determined when it comes to the resolutions we’ve made with ourselves. I notice it’s around my period and the day prior that I really start questioning my decision to be sober and my mind starts telling me all sorts of stories and is trying to make excuses. But I know, this too shall pass and I know I that, during this time of my cycle, I need to be kind to myself, be forgiving and seek comfort in the ways I best know how - might even just be allowing myself to relax on the couch watching Netflix or a movie with a cup of tea and some chocolate. Don’t be too hard on yourself, hormones are those things that need balance and understanding. The more you learn the more it makes sense 
what ever you do, just don’t cave to the cravings, You can get through it. Believe you can. I know you can 
AWESOME work on your 20 days!! So good!
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It is possible. When you start your cycle hormones have bottomed out, though in that first week estrogen will start to rise which can help you start to feel bettet. Now this could be a craving because of that or it could be a response to pain and wanting to self soothe/medicate if you have painful cycles.
Everyone is different so it couldn’t hurt for you to track your cycles to see if it happens consistently. During week two and around ovulation (where estrogen peaks and there is a spike of testosterone) some women seem to have issues because they feel so good that they might throw caution to the wind. Week three’s downfalls can be brought by progesterone rise and estrogen falling, leading women to be more homey, and could lead to the desire to drink to ‘treat yourself’.
At the beginning of week four there is a little bump of estrogen but that falls on a downward slope with progesterone. This plummeting of hormones is what leads to classic pms symptoms (worse in some women than others) , which can lead to negative thinking, which can be a drinking trigger for some women.
Knowing what triggers your cravings can really help you prepare for certain times in your cycle. I personally have my biggest cravings to use in week two and four. After I start my cycle, by day three my cravings go down.
Congratulations on your 20 days by the way!
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Thank you for taking the time to reply. That’s really helpful information which will help me to be more aware of why I feel the way I do.
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“The healing brain of a woman in recovery may be especially sensitive to PMS symptoms.”
Thank you so much for this article. It was so informative and helpful to me. I really appreciate the time you took to send this. The sentence above from the article made me see these feelings as a positive…my brain is healing! I have self medicated through pms for over 20 years and didn’t even realise it! Thanks for the insight.
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Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your explanation of the cycle is really helpful and resonates with me. I will try tracking my cycle. Thank you, your reply has helped me feel empowered to do something about this and approach it with curiosity, rather than feeling helpless.
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Same here. 3 days before getting my periode I’m a frustrated, grumpy, always hungry, loveneeding, everyone biteing hell of a hormone bundle. Cravings included. But I realized, that all this miserable feelings are easier to handle and I feel, they pass quicker when I’m sober. And it helps me when I stay busy, allthough the only thing I want in these days is hole up on the couch and have a 3 day pittyparty with pizza & beer. Getting my things done feels better and makes me happy when it’s over
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Ive written alot about feelings emotions and actions around wo.ens period date,when I was using it would be enough to set me off if I hadn’t picked up for a few days ,and early recovery I suffered alot .how I see it we use on emotions and feelings to subdue them so we don’t have that uncomfortable feelings ,it’s the same with being due on and hormones maybe more so then,when I’m due on I deal with a host of emotions and tbh I think it’s the only time I may shed a tear , bloating,tirdness, emotionally physically rollercoaster,so your feelings have arrived just on time and ate exactly where there meant to be .each month on and as you grow more clean time you will be able to recognize it label it and move on,I know one lady said she put a alarm on her phone to let her know she will be feeling abit off great idea for you maybe.thankyou for share BC this is and can be a relapse waiting to happen if we’re not aware of monthly periods and the uncertainty it can bring into a women’s life.MOTHER NATURE IS A POWERFUL THING.
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Good thread! I think my hormones are different now that I stopped drinking. Before I wouldn’t get my period on time and sometimes not at all or super heavy. Just not consistent. Now it’s right on time lol 
dealing with emotions is something I struggle with especially now that I don’t have the booze to mask them and of course PMSing makes me like a mental case 
My libido is Off the charts now I mean I guess that’s a good thing? Haha! Question for you ladies anyone ever have their periods stop while drinking?? I always found that odd. It would be super heavy but once I started drinking it would almost stop. I always wondered about that.
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I was very moody during that time of the month and once over very excited to be done. So was my family.
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I’m close! I’ll be 38 at the end of October. I’ve always been pretty active in that area lol but not like now since I’ve become sober. My husband ain’t complaining
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for me, when its that time of the month i get pretty hungry often. hunger and alcohol cravings went hand in hand for me. so maybe try keeping your belly sorta full during that time?
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Fantastic!
I appreciate this thread! Have decided to quit drinking 2 days before my period! 
Good decision…haha…Anyway, lots of helpful tips here 
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Tracking ur cycle can be illuminating. For me I often have relapses a week before or just after my period. Things that I could brush off at other times feel huge before my period. And after my period I get the “I feel like I want to celebrate” cravings.
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