Have you ever found yourself blurting something out and regretting it right away? Or maybe you made a purchase you couldn’t really afford, snapped at your partner, or grabbed junk food even when you swore you’d eat better? Most people chalk these up to “bad habits” or “lack of willpower.” But research is uncovering something shocking: inflammation can literally rewire how your brain makes decisions — pushing you toward impulsivity and poor self-control.

If you’ve spent time in PMDD support groups or scrolling through TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen people talking about histamine. Some women say that popping an antihistamine like Benadryl or Zyrtec takes the edge off their luteal phase symptoms. Others swear by natural antihistamines like quercetin or vitamin C.

When we think about attention challenges and emotional regulation, we often jump straight to executive functioning, focus hacks, or brain chemistry. But in my clinical practice, especially with complex cases involving attention issues and cycle-related conditions like ADHD or PMDD, I see another piece of the puzzle show up over and over again: nervous system dysregulation.

PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, a severe hormone sensitivity that causes significant emotional and physical symptoms in the luteal phase (the 1–2 weeks before your period). While PMS can cause some mood changes, PMDD is debilitating and often misdiagnosed as anxiety, depression, or in many of my clients’ cases—just "worse ADHD."