Do you feel 'horrendous' before your period, like Corrie's Helen Flanagan? It could be a little-known hormonal disorder that triggers 'hot poker' pain, fatigue and even psychosis... and it's not as rare as you might think

Do you feel 'horrendous' before your period, like Corrie's Helen Flanagan? It could be a little-known hormonal disorder that triggers 'hot poker' pain, fatigue and even psychosis...

and it's not as rare as you might think PMDD affects about 824,000 women in the UK and 4.2 million in the US READ MORE: Antidepressants can PERMANENTLY destroy your sex life By Rebecca Whittaker For Mailonline and John Ely Deputy Health Editor For Mailonline Published: 09:03 BST, 22 June 2024 | Updated: 09:03 BST, 22 June 2024 e-mail View comments Pain so intense, it feels like 'a hot poker' in the stomach, crushing fatigue and overwhelming depression . Fits of tears, violent rages and even full-blown psychotic episodes and suicidal feelings.

It sounds extreme, but these are symptoms of a severe premenstrual condition that affects as astonishing one million women in Britain, according to experts. Called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, experts say while common, it is little known about. This means patients are often misdiagnosed with mental health problems, and miss out on hormone treatment could end their agony.

Earlier this month, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan , who has previously spoken about her own psychotic episodes, revealed she 'feels horrendous' before her period. Now MailOnline has spoken to three women hit by PMDD about their own battle with the condition. Nilufer Atik, 48, pictures with son Milo, has battled with PMDD since she was 32.

Over the years she has struggles .