Is Clumsiness a Symptom of a Menstrual Period?

The female body contains hundreds of different types of hormones, and the three major hormones influence functioning in various ways. For some women, the effects of these hormones may lead to perceived clumsiness during menstruation.

The Facts

• Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels rise and fall during the average menstrual cycle, and they each have powerful effects on a woman's emotions, cognition, energy levels and physical functioning.

Hormone Levels

• Right before a woman's menstrual period starts, the levels of all three major hormones are at their lowest points in the body. When a woman begin menstruating, the levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone begin to rise slightly, but are still quite low.

Coordination

• Low levels of testosterone and estrogen can cause poor coordination, which may lead to feeling clumsy during a period.

Thinking

• Low levels of estrogen and testosterone can also cause slower reaction time and fuzzy thinking, which could be another reason for perceived clumsiness during menstruation.

Variability

• Hormone levels vary greatly from woman to woman, and even vary from cycle to cycle for any particular woman. While clumsiness may be a menstrual symptom for some, hormone levels will not affect everyone in the same way.