PCOS and Mood Swings

The symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) aren’t just physical. For many of us, the emotional and psychological impact can be even more overwhelming and more noticeable to those around us. Cysters, you know this better than anyone. Living with a chronic condition like PCOS often comes with a wave of intense emotions that can be hard to manage.

So where do these feelings come from? It’s a question that’s been asked time and time again: Does PCOS cause mood swings? If you’ve ever felt like your emotions are all over the place, you’re not alone. This post is for you. Let’s take a closer look at the connection between PCOS and mood swings, and what it might mean for your mental health.

PCOS and Mood Swings 

Does PCOS cause mood swings?

Yes. PCOS does cause mood swings. There are multiple root issues of PCOS that impact cognitive function and mood. Let’s remember that your mood isn’t just simply a feeling based on what’s going on the outside. Your emotions are actually more deeply rooted in chemical and hormonal processes happening on the inside. That means even if things in your life are going well or you’re doing something you enjoy, your mood can still be unpredictable. Here are a few ways that PCOS triggers mood swings in some Cysters:

Multiple Hormonal Imbalances

Even women without PCOS talk about having mood swings before their period, right? This is because your hormones shift before you menstruate, and it can impact your mood. Well, women with PCOS live in a state of imbalance all the time, leading to all sorts of mood issues. Here are just a few of the hormonal imbalances that may be affecting your emotions.

Elevated Androgen Levels:

High testosterone is extremely common in women with PCOS. When women have high levels of androgens (male sex hormones), it can prevent ovulation, throwing off your whole menstrual cycle. And, if your body can’t carry out the menstrual cycle properly, other sex hormones get off balance too. Along with mood swings, elevated androgens can also cause infertility, head hair loss, excess hair growth, and acne.

Low Progesterone Levels:

When women don’t ovulate, their progesterone levels are often low. This can cause anxiety and irritability.

Elevated Cortisol Levels:

Cortisol is the “stress” hormone. It’s meant to balance with melatonin to have us feeling calm but alert. However, Cysters usually have higher cortisol levels than other women, leaving us feeling wired, anxious, irritable, and overwhelmed.

Low Serotonin Levels:

Estrogen is necessary to regulate serotonin, which is our “feel good” chemical. When estrogen is thrown off by an irregular menstrual cycle, it can drop serotonin levels and lead to depression, irritability, and fatigue.

Poor Dopamine Signaling:

High androgens can disrupt dopamine signaling—and dopamine is another key chemical in making us feel joy. Without proper signalling, you may experience mood swings, impulsivity, depression, or ADHD-like symptoms. (Here’s more on PCOS and ADHD.)

Low GABA Activity:

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) helps regulate anxiety, but it needs adequate progesterone levels to do that. Since high androgens prevent progesterone production, GABA is influenced too, contributing to anxiety, restlessness, and irritability.

To determine what hormones need work, consider a comprehensive blood test to check your levels! Cysters get 50% this one at Equilife.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is another common root issue of PCOS. It’s when your body doesn’t respond correctly to glucose. Instead of converting sugar to energy, it’s stored as fat and absorbed into the bloodstream. When insulin resistance is high, it actually puts our bodies into a sort of fight-or-flight mode and encourages the ovaries to produce more testosterone. It can also increase cortisol levels! So, insulin resistance just adds to the hormonal problem while also making you feel fatigued (because glucose isn’t turning to energy.) Insulin resistance can also cause high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other heart health conditions long term.

Chronic Inflammation

PCOS root issue number three? Inflammation. Normally, this occurs when your body detects a threat like a cut, bacteria, or stress and your immune system sends out distress signals to protect and heal that area. However, with PCOS and other autoimmune disorders, inflammation doesn’t shut off. It just continues, attacking even healthy cells and keeping your body in a constant state of stress. This can mess with things like serotonin and dopamine while also raising your cortisol levels!

PCOS Anxiety And Depression

PCOS Burden

Unfortunately, Cysters, that’s not all. Not only do hormonal imbalances cause mood changes, but often women experience depression and anxiety because of PCOS comorbidities. Whether it’s those extra pounds, unrelenting acne, unwanted hair growth, infertility, or other common symptoms, PCOS can send women into a mental health mess. Poor body image, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and, of course, chronic mood swings are not uncommon when your daily quality of life is consumed by the effects of PCOS. 

But, Cysters, stay with me. There are PCOS treatment options to balance your hormones and relieve your symptoms. (And, NO, it’s not hormonal birth control pills.) Keep reading, and I’ll walk you through some ways to alleviate your moodiness. If you want to hear about what other women are doing to relieve their mood issues, check out this episode of A Cyster and Her Mister where we break down this very topic of mood swings and read tips from other Cysters out there like us! 

How to Deal with PCOS Mood Swings

Cut dairy and gluten. 

Dairy and gluten may increase inflammation throughout the body. Especially with PCOS. The immune system reacts to lactose, wheat, and rye and causes tons of issues like fatigue, digestive problems, weight gain, chronic pain, and mood disorders. Inflammation overworks your body and will leave you feeling defeated mentally and physically. 

Cutting out dairy and gluten can put you on the path to success. Your immune system and adrenal system alike can stop working in overdrive, which will hopefully improve many of your symptoms of PCOS including mood issues. 

Eat less sugar. 

As we mentioned earlier, insulin resistance is when your body can’t properly process glucose. Your muscles, fat, and liver don’t use the glucose for energy like they’re supposed to. Instead, your pancreas works overtime to make more insulin to help the body break down the glucose. In turn, this makes your blood sugar shoot up. 

So, it’s not uncommon for a woman with PCOS to experience persistent peaks and valleys in her blood sugar levels. The highs cause anger and sadness, while the lows cause anxiousness and nervousness. Beyond that, insulin resistance causes other hormonal imbalances that jerk our emotions around like a ragdoll. Cutting sugar to a minimum will help keep your body from spinning into this cycle of overworking and overproducing. 

Minimize drinking caffeine. 

Women with PCOS aren’t doing any favors by leaning on caffeine as a crutch for energy. When you have PCOS, you often have cortisol dysregulation, and your body can’t take the stimulation of caffeine, leaving you tired the next day because you couldn’t get a restful night of sleep. Your adrenal system is likely already releasing too much cortisol because of inflammation or stress. So, when you add caffeine in there, your body has to work even harder to produce more cortisol. Which doesn’t energize you, but leaves you fatigued and, you guessed it, moody! 

Try acupuncture.

Acupuncture can be a game changer for those struggling with PCOS. I’ve already discussed at length how your body (with untamed PCOS) is brimming with stress hormones. And, studies suggest acupuncture can help calm your body’s fight-or-flight stress response to inflammation, caffeine, and other cortisol producers by releasing calming, feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins. 

Regular acupuncture can do wonders for chronic anxiety as it helps manage your body’s response to stress. I go often, and I can tell when I’ve missed a few sessions.

PCOS Supplements For Mood Swings

Taking the right supplements will support your body when things are going awry. You can learn more about what vitamins and supplements you should take to manage all of your PCOS symptoms here, but for mood management specifically, here are your best ones:

• Ovasitol: Ovasitol is a mixture of B vitamins made for people with insulin resistance. These B vitamins are vital for stress management, androgen production, and neurotransmitter balance. And, the Ovasitol blend helps with hormone and blood sugar regulation as well. I have seen so much benefit from this supplement. (Use code 292660 for 15% off.) 
• Omega 3: Omega-3 stabilizes serotonin levels and helps with meal satisfaction. So, when you cut out dairy and gluten and are managing that new diet plan, an Omega-3 supplement will help you feel fuller and more satisfied. That’ll prevent you from sending your blood sugar all over with sugary snacks and carbs. 
• Melatonin: When you’re wired and anxious, it’s hard to fall asleep. When you do finally fall asleep, you don’t wake up feeling satisfied. Nope. More anxious! Use a melatonin supplement to help you fall asleep faster and achieve better sleep overall.

Drink green tea. 

Green tea has L-theanine, which is a calming agent that increases alpha brain waves. Make sure it’s caffeine-free, of course. But, try replacing your daily coffee or soda intake with decaf green tea instead. You could see lots of improvements in your mood and other PCOS symptoms. 

Do slow weighted workouts.

You might have learned that a good workout means your pulse is pounding and your heart is racing. For many, that’s true! But, for women of reproductive age with PCOS who are already running hot, more adrenaline, cortisol, and other anxiety-inducing chemicals are NOT good for your mood or your body. Instead, you can do slow weighted workouts to keep a healthy mood and weight. 

Sirak develops PCOS-specific workouts and delivers them to Cysterhood each month. They’re around 30 to 45 minutes long, and with the membership, you also get recipes, weight loss plans, and so much more. Check it out if you’re looking to rewrite your gym life and take control of your PCOS symptoms! 

Mood issues with PCOS are common, but with these tips, I hope you can find relief! 

PCOS is not something you just have to deal with. Cysters, there are so many ways to relieve even your most debilitating symptoms. If you want more answers on how to naturally alleviate the effects of PCOS, listen to my podcast “A Cyster and Her Mister” and browse the blog. Take a step towards recovery with The Cysterhood!