Are 'Dropsies' Around Your Period A Real Thing?

Ever feel a little less coordinated and more clumsy in the lead-up to your period ? Maybe you’re tripping or dropping things more often, or considering wrapping yourself in bubble wrap given how often you’re bumping into furniture and door frames? You’re not alone. PMS clumsiness ― sometimes conversationally called “period dropsies” ― is something that Lara Briden, a naturopathic doctor and author of the popular book “Period Repair Manual,” hears about from many of her clients. “Anecdotally, I would say it’s a thing, yes,” she told HuffPost, noting that period dropsies aren’t currently recognized as an official symptom of PMS or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), “The most common time is during the final few days leading up to the period when estrogen and dopamine are dropping,” she said.

Dr. Allison K. Rodgers , an OB-GYN and fertility specialist at the Fertility Centers of Illinois, has also heard people say they’re a little less dexterous in those days before their periods.

In some ways, period dropsies are similar to pregnancy dropsies, Rodgers said. Anecdotally, many report being more prone to drop or run into things during pregnancy. One study found that 27% of women fell at least once during pregnancy.

“This may be related to high progesterone levels that occur in pregnancy and also during the ‘luteal’ phase of the menstrual cycle ― the time after ovulation until the period starts,” Rodgers told HuffPost. “High progester.