Heightened sensitivity when menstruating?

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Are you more prone to emotional meltdowns and struggling with sensory issues during or just prior to menstruating? I am. It's all a lot worse about two days before I menstruate.

Oh yes! For sure for the couple days before and the first day of. Every sensory issue I have is magnified. I have found that if I cut down on sugar and eat better it's not as bad (though still bad), but the problem is that I crave chocolate and sugar like crazy during those times, haha.

My mother says that I'm impossible to deal with during my period. She says I am even more nervous, prone to bouts of anger, defiant and oppositional.

Sadly yes. I am aware now of it, and try to care for it, so when I feel that everything sucks, everyone i an ass, best thing was killing me... then I usually do remember me, that by logic that feelings and emotions are actually only cause by ma hormon balance being in the ass. That keeps me at least from avoiding to start actions, based on that feelings. Still I am less relaxed, cant take stress very well during that time, and so on. Best was to get over that days was for me avoiding social contact, and focusing on an computer game, additionally smoking some weed. (No, I dont do it regularly, only for special occasions.)

I could be mistaken, but I don't notice feeling differently (in terms of emotional reactivity) in relation to my cycle based on subconscious hormonal effects.

What I do notice, very consciously, is that the mere fact of what is physically happening to my body (at that time of the month), and my awareness of those processes, is enough to make me grouchy and unhappy.

As in, "just" the symptoms of cramp pain, the physical sensation of gunk oozing from my body, and having to worry about whether it's time to change my "feminine hygiene" are enough to really bother me & intrude on my equanimity.
For example, if you took some guy and said: blood will seep out of your crotch for several days, you'll have wrenching pain in your pelvis, and you're going to have to worry about staining your bedsheets & clothing from all this, too-
that might well make a guy pretty darned mad, sad, and stressed out, with no need to resort to explanations involving levels of circulating hormones in the brain/body.

Am not making light of influence of hormones, just opining that the basic actuality of what one feels-on a tactile level-can be pretty unpleasant, regardless of other factors.
My point is that having my period makes me feel noticeably icky, on a bodily level-and that then influences my mental/emotional state, it's a feedback loop.

I'm pretty sure most women are, but I'm not sure if it's any worse for us aspies/auties vs. neurotypical women. You'd think it would be, since we tend to have bad sensory issues anyway. I know mine are absolutely horrendous at times, but I never really have mood swings like a lot of women I know. It's mostly pain and aching.

Definitely

I don't usually have the emotional thing that people joke about with women (though it has happened twice - it was unmistakeable when it did), but definitely on the sensory issues. When I've had to had my teeth cleaned during a period, it has been awful; other times the hygienist could practically stab me with one of those scrapey things and I wouldn't notice. Sound issues are worse, too.

On the other side, good sensory inputs are extra good; I could pet my animals for an hour straight, if they cared to sit still that long, because they seem so extra soft and fluffy.

Yes! My husband knows INSTANTLY if my period is on its way. I really turn into a raging maniac and have meltdowns over the slightest provocation.

Yes! I don't get moody but my sensitivities get worse. Specially touch and sound!

I get so incredibly moody, but because my hormones are a mess I never know if I'm due or not so I have a couple of days where I am much more stressed and prone to meltdowns than normal, then I get my period and realise why I've been so bad. It's horrible, this month it's made me borderline suicidal and made me feel how I did when my depression was at it's worst. So much of the time now I hate being a woman!

Definitely.

I'm much more sensitive to light and noise in particular. I'm much more easily stressed, frustrated, and angered- but I'm pretty sure that's normal and falls under the usual list of PMS symptoms.

My family figured out in my first few years of getting my period that the best thing to do was hand me a Snickers bar and back off.

Absolutely but that probably goes for most women, whether they have asperger's or not.

I sure am. Before my period I always have weird behavioral changes. Sometimes I become even more withdrawn than usual, horribly depressed, and have a very hard time with trying to make eye contact or small talk. Other times I become rather brassy and moody compared to my normal state. Like some other ladies have said, it certainly makes for a sensory nightmare, smells I would usually tolerate become annoyingly sharp and small, irritating sounds become almost unbearable.

I think I have a hormonal problems or something. I get extremely painful periods, and I needed Tramadol for them. Because of this, everyone can "tell" when I'm going to be on my period up to two weeks before hand.

I have increased sensory problems 1 week before, 1 week during, and a few days to a week after... :s

I have to take birth control just to get my period because I have bad PCOS and won't bleed on my own. The week before placebo and the first week of a new pack are always the worst.