Is Male PMS a Real Thing? Because Seriously, I Think My Husband Has It

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PMS is no walk in the park, and any woman can back me up on that. The mood swings, bloating, and body aches can make you wish for a temporary escape each month. But recently, I’ve noticed some of these symptoms cropping up in my husband. Could it be that he experiences his own version of this “time of the month”?

Do men experience PMS? The answer is yes, in a roundabout way. I dare not mention PMS to my husband right now, as his emotions are a bit fragile. Honestly, I can’t quite tell if he needs a bar of chocolate to munch on or if he prefers to lounge on the couch in sweatpants with a cold beer while watching reruns of old shows.

Anyone who has lived with a man can attest that male PMS is a thing—even if it doesn’t mirror the female experience. Men don’t ovulate (obviously), which means no bleeding, but they do seem to get moody at least once a month.

Throughout history, women have observed that men can exhibit signs of depression, irritability, and fatigue, paralleling the symptoms of PMS. Some have speculated that men’s testosterone levels might dip similarly to how estrogen fluctuates in women.

Turning to Science

Let’s turn to science for a moment. Male PMS, often dubbed Irritable Male Syndrome, has sparked debate. Some doctors, like Dr. Emily Johnson, believe it’s a real phenomenon, while others argue that there’s insufficient evidence in human males to support it. In 2013, a deep dive by Cosmopolitan revealed that, according to expert Dr. Laura Thompson, this ‘male PMS’ could be linked to drops in testosterone, which fluctuates throughout the day, peaking in the morning and tapering off by evening.

The idea of male PMS traces back to author Jed Matthews, who champions the concept of a male menopause and insists that men go through it. He claims decades of clinical research back his stance. However, many in the medical community, like Dr. Samuel Harris and Dr. Michael Chen, contend that this notion is more marketing hype aimed at middle-aged men with disposable income than actual science.

Yet, that doesn’t clarify why my husband (and countless other men) can get all moody and broody around the same time each month. At this point, I’m not bothered by the lack of empirical evidence; it’s clear to me that my husband is experiencing something.

Male PMS in Pop Culture

The notion of male PMS has gained traction in pop culture—just search “male PMS” on Google, and you’ll find over 32.7 million results. That’s an impressive number for something deemed scientifically baseless, right?

We’ve long viewed men as emotionless beings immune to hormonal changes, but what if we’ve been mistaken? Imagine finally cracking the case of male PMS, giving it a name, and even launching a slew of humorous products and jokes tailored just for them. Perhaps we could even create a “don’t-be-a-dick” pill to help our beloved guys mellow out. After all, while they might be “man-struating,” they aren’t the ones bleeding.

Just a thought.