Updated video on YouTube (6/10/22)
Here’s an interesting observation by more than a handful of my female patients: Their throats are sore for a few days just before their monthly periods. It doesn’t go on to a cold or other more severe symptoms. Just a transient sore throat. Then it goes away.
If you’ve been following my blogs, and articles, and especially if you read my book, Sleep, Interrupted, there’s a simple explanation. During your monthly cycles, progesterone level increase with ovulation but drops when there’s no egg fertilization. One relatively unknown property of progesterone is that it’s an upper airway muscle dilator. It literally tenses your tongue muscles. When in deep sleep, your muscles (as well as your tongue and other throat muscles) tend to relax to various degrees depending on your sleep stage. If you have less progesterone on board, then it’s more likely to fall back, obstructing your breathing, leading to a temporary vacuum effect in the throat, suctioning up small amounts of normal stomach juices. All this causes a temporary deep sleep deficiency. If you eat a late meal, more of these juices will come up. But once progesterone levels begin to increase again the tongue tenses, and sleep quality improves as well.
Sometimes, the inflammation in the throat increases to the point of significant deep sleep deprivation, leading to some of the more severe symptoms as pre-menstrual headaches, fatigue, irritability, and weight gain.
For you women out there, do you experience sore throats just before your periods? Please enter your responses in the comments box below.
For the past year I have experienced a sore throat at the very end of my period. I have headaches and body aches. If I don’t get enough sleep it turns unto a cold. Every time.
Im feeling that something stuck in my throat
Every month, A day or two before my period, I get intense lower back and hip pain, diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, over emotional, and swollen glands in my throat, mostly always on the right side that hurts when I swallow, feeling like a golf ball in my throat. Along with many other symptoms, I always wondered why my throat glands get so sore and painful every month at this time?
Yes I do iv Woken up this morning with the worst sore throat
Thinking iv got covid till I went in the bathroom and found out my period had arrived iv not had a period since December so I think that’s why it’s worse then it’s ever felt.
yes I have had a variety of co-existing symptoms at ovulation, and immediately after I have had physical breast tenderness, water retention in lower body (thighs and hips), severe Tonsillitis (which wakes me at night), cold like symptoms; hot sweats at night leaving to dehydration and headaches (a rancid body odour smell not like at other times of the month). The worst has been the mental problems, I see things very bleakly and used to get cycles of depression at one time diagnosed with personality disorder but that is not the case it is PMDD just happens in cycle. The worst point I felt suicidal in the trough after ovulation. It is entirely connected with hormonal fluctuations. I can only say it varies each month in terms of impact on mental health or physical symptoms.
I am 43 and showing signs of perimenopause. With this comes a sore throat and swollen glands jist before my period… similar feeling to tonsillitis. It feels like my tongue has swollen up and I literally can’t swallow even my own spit. Hisnis accompanied by cold shivers and body ache… in particular my legs and calves. Would be helpful to know what can alleviate and prevent this happening every month.
I experience throat sores before my monthly periods and after days they disappear
Sophie, please take a look at and updated video I did on this subject with suggestions, as well a resource link at the bottom of the post. Good luck!
Yes I do few days before and breathlessness
Every month before period a hade extremely painful on sorte throte,I’m 39 this summer 40…
every month i feel the same thing. i get sore throat, nausea, headaches. it all started after i stopped breastfeeding my second child. it started with headaches always before period. during the covid times it became a sore throat. first i was paranoid for couple of months thinking did i catch the covid. now it is impacting me every month in such level that i actually have to write myself sick for few days even. i feel week and i also have kind of allergic reactions as well so i recognize its not a common flu. depending what i eat, the sore throat might turn it to allergic sore throat (although most of the time i don’t have any allergies) and i can feel my throat itching affecting even my ears and nose.
i really don’t know what to do since i do sports (running, yoga, bouldering, rock climbing). i eat healthy. the only thing i might not be that good at but im trying daily is managing my stress levels but it’s not as easy with two small kids. but i do try my hard balancing it with active and healthy lifestyle. i just hope that maybe its also still the postpartum body trying to get back to normal (my youngest is almost 3) since these things actually take time.
Yes I been experiencing this from past two months.
Just what am experiencing right now, couldn’t sleep all through the night. The pain was so severe and was in tears all through.
I experiencing such almost every month before my period.
Pls what will a woman do to relief such pain? Cos the pain is he’ll.
Roseline, sorry to hear about your monthly throat pain. I have many suggestions on how to address these issues in my YouTube video at the top of the article, as well as the podcast and resource at the end. I won’t cure your problem completely, but it should help. If you want more definitive help, then look up ways to treat upper airway resistance syndrome on my website and YouTube videos. Good luck!
I feel sick a day or 2 before my period, pain in my tonsils, fatigue, dizziness and dry eyes. As soon as the flow ends I feel well again.
Yes, I have sore throat one week before my period, and it’s getting worse since I’m in perimenopause now.
Every month I feel that I’m catching a cold.
I’m still breastfeeding my almost year old daughter and get a period once in a while, my last one was twoo months ago, which is all normal I know due to my breastfeeding. However, I woke up this morning with a sore-ish throat, not too painful, but hard to swallow, feels like big dry lump at the back of my throat that no amount of liquid can moisten! I have been drinking loads, but its just more annoying than really painful. Very dry, and makes me feel cranky! lol. Wish I knew what remedies that I could take safely. Sucking a sweet helps a little, as does a warm drink, but not for long before the fat dry throat ball is back!
Genuinely so pleased to have an answer to this finally… as someone who no longer has periods though, does this still happen to people who also dont? I still get it randomly sometimes…
Yes, since your hormones are still cycling, despite their lower levels, or from other reasons not to have normal periods.
I get feverish feeling before my periods. I have sore throat, colds and head ache. I am 48 years old.
Everytime when i get my period, my throat starts to feel scratchy, then i will start coughing and i literally wet myself cause its a consistent cough. Please help!!
I get a sore throat, swollen tongue and earache, particularly on the left side.
Yes I’ve always had pre-period sore throats and now have them every day in perimenopause – not bad enough to take any meds. It is great to see so much info on the web – wish we’d had it decades ago.
I am 47 now and I’ve had this for at least the last six months, so weird. It happens right before I start my period then goes away sometime during my cycle. I also noticed that I am having a hard time falling asleep before my cycle begins.
I’m 34. I’ve got a 4yo.
I don’t drink, at all. I don’t smoke and have never.
I train 3 days a week.
For the past 6 months every time I’ve gotten my period, I’ve also got the flu. It’s cough/cold symptoms, runny nose, sore throat, fevers and aches and pain. I’ve had 2-3 days off work a month because of it.
It’s ridiculous. I’ve seen my gp and all they can suggest is the contraceptive pill which I don’t want to take because we’re thinking of having another baby.
Interesting because I have Laryngospasms at night if I TAKE progesterone like prometrium. Apparently this happens with people with connective tissue issues.
Thank you for discussing this content. I am currently on day 2 of feeling extreme fatigue, sore throat, body aches and chills. I am also 1-2 days post ovulation according to my tracker. Last night, I randomly felt nauseous while in bed. I took a COVID test this morning and it was negative. Before these symptoms started, my right lower jaw area/neck felt tender, which was not too painful but it was noticeable. This occurred on my exact day of ovulation. I don’t know why, but I have this intuitive feeling that I am experiencing symptoms of ovulation. Also, I don’t take contraceptives. I am glad to know that my intuitive feeling might be on to something. Thanks again.
I to seem to have a really sore throat and stuffy nose and very tired
Yes I do and it very bad like 4 to 5 days before my period my throat is sore and very very dry it’s very annoying and scary . But soon as I come down it goes away. I’m wondering if it do to me approaching menopause. I’m 48 years old?
I always thought I am getting sick then I researched more and found out it’s something a lot woman experience. I never heard of it. Couple of days or in my period I feel feverish my body has like a shivering feeling my throat feels achy scratchy. I have health / viruses etc anxiety so it doesn’t help me that I get this every month and it stresses me out that I get a cold.
I have sore that is worst before during and after period. I have been having this for over 8 moths I noticed I have tonsils painless at the initial time but now hurt mostly irritate like something stock on the one.side of the throat like is growing towords the tongue persist feeling under one side of the tongue then the SEC tonsils began , then neckpain.that.extended to the shoulder blade the arm, having chest tightness titness.then breast pain taking a lot.of antibiotics reoccurring sore In the tongue