I need help, my hormones are ruining my life

[PrisonerOfMyHormones]

For the past 18 months after giving birth to my youngest my hormones have spiralled out of whack. It took me a long time to make the connection as prior to realising these things were linked to my cycle, I thought I was getting ill every month and losing my mind.

During ovulation I feel nauseous and unwell then I'll have a week(ish) of feeling 'just ok' then the horrendous PMS kicks in around 16-18th of the month until my period starts.

It feels like i have literal flu every month with anxiety and depression thrown in for good measure and I can barely function for 2 weeks out of 4.

Oh, I also have hormonal acne

I'm due on in a couple of days and last night had terribly painful body aches (this is a new one for me!)

I'm currently taking evening primrose oil daily and have introduced agnus castus, magnesium and b6 as of last week.

I'm not on any birth control as I tend to react badly to most medications but I'm at the point now where I'd consider anything.

Can anybody relate and if so what helped you?

Dsis I mean! Not DD. I'm not all that with it this week

I don't have any solutions for you right now OP, but I can offer a possible bit of hope for the future. I had the 'felt like I was losing my mind' feeling after DS, and looking back, I think it definitely started when he was around 12-18 months. It took a few months to realise that it was hormones, I convinced myself it was PMDD, and got really down about it. I didn't go to the gp, but did take a long hard look at my exercise & diet, and along with knowing when it was coming, got a better grip on coping with it. And over time, it's got so much better, I think just as my body has recovered from having a baby. I read something once that said it takes 3 years to recover fully, no idea if that's true, but seems about right here!
DS is 4 1/2 now and it's back to normal to the point that I forget where I am in the month.

Omg, I have had problems with my jaw in the last year that the GP said was prob TMJ. I wouldn’t have even thought to have linked it to my hormones (which have been all over the place too).
Thank you so much for helping me make this link!! Good luck to you OP x

@Heatherg71

I don't have any solutions for you right now OP, but I can offer a possible bit of hope for the future. I had the 'felt like I was losing my mind' feeling after DS, and looking back, I think it definitely started when he was around 12-18 months. It took a few months to realise that it was hormones, I convinced myself it was PMDD, and got really down about it. I didn't go to the gp, but did take a long hard look at my exercise & diet, and along with knowing when it was coming, got a better grip on coping with it. And over time, it's got so much better, I think just as my body has recovered from having a baby. I read something once that said it takes 3 years to recover fully, no idea if that's true, but seems about right here! DS is 4 1/2 now and it's back to normal to the point that I forget where I am in the month.

Thank you Heather, that's really encouraging. I'm pleased you finally feel like yourself again.

My youngest two (age 3 and almost 2) were very close together so I never really got chance to get back to 'me' in between.

My middle child has autism and with that comes alot of challenges, juggling DS complex needs and a younger baby was always going to be physically and mentally taxing.

I need to take responsibility for my diet being pretty crap at the minute and make some changes there.

Have had severe PMS on and off since teens. Things that help me are healthy eating, exercise, sleep and avoiding alcohol.

@Twerking9to5

Omg, I have had problems with my jaw in the last year that the GP said was prob TMJ. I wouldn’t have even thought to have linked it to my hormones (which have been all over the place too). Thank you so much for helping me make this link!! Good luck to you OP x

I'm glad the thread served as a lightbulb moment to you

Coincidentally, I didn't really make that link myself until today either!

It took it being discussed here for me to reflect and acknowledge that both things (TMD and dodgy hormones) began at the same time.

Hopefully if I can sort out my hormones the TMD might get better.

I'm under consultant care at Guys hospital in London as i have a fairly debilitating case. Surgery has been mentioned and was going to be their next suggestion. I'm not sure how I feel about that as I'm terrified of being PTS after what happened with DD so it was probably a blessing in disguise that my review appointment was cancelled this month.

Hi @PrisonerOfMyHormones can I join your club...
I sound very similar to you.
My youngest is 18 months. Around my period I used to get the most awful migraines, when I was ttc both kids and before. Never had a headache when pregnant or breastfeeding. When I say awful, I mean can't get out of bed for 24 hours, the day after I would exist in a sort of hungover fog.
Things have improved now since having DD I have been taking the mini pill which is progesterone only. I don't get migraines but I do get headaches.
However although I know a lot of people don't get periods on this pill, I do, and it's like I've got a migraine without a migraine, sore throat, swollen glands, etc every month.
My moods are probably the worst thing tho even on the pill in the run up to starting to bleed, I feel like I can't cope. I feel such rage! Such anxiety.
Because of the pill, the periods aren't predictable so most of the time that feeling goes away and then I start my period the next day and I think 'oh that's why I felt so bad.'
I don't think there's a specific answer but I do recommend the mini pill to control some of the physical symptoms.

Vitamin D - they are starting to associate deficiency with hormones and PMT symptoms. (And even if it is not the case, most of us in northern latitudes need it anyway!)

I feel for you OP, I can relate.

I have the week of my period in agony with my lower back downwards to my knees.
Then a week of feeling weak and ill like I've got flu, then another 2 weeks of sobbing, anger, and in the past worthless suicidal thoughts before my period starts again.

I spoke to the women's GP and she said it's either antidepressants or artificial hormones which I can't have anyway because my body doesn't get on well with my own progesterone let alone artificial stuff.

It's miserable. My DH has spent a lot of time researching for me and found a study linked to taking high levels of calcium supplement can help and (whilst I remember to take it) I have had some good results, not perfect but it lowers it enough for me to keep a level head and work through my issues.

It's hell OP, I feel for you.
I found the B6 to be a big help. I also take Starflower oil too with them.
It did however, take a good while to feel any benefit so while you're persevering keep a diary of your cycle, what's happening on which days and symptoms etc
I have found it helpful to be a few steps ahead of the GP when seeing them about such matters.
Don't leave it too long though because as others have said it does sound like there could possibly be other explanations (PCOS and Thyroid)
Do the best you can with the diet and exercise part and don't be too hard on yourself. When my hormones were at their raging worst I'd start off with good intentions and have probably 10 days of feeling fine until ovulation came around (that's the worst time for me) and the cravings and my appetite increase would be nuts. It often felt I didn't possess enough sanity to fight it haha
Like I said it took a while but I'm more stable now.
Good luck, I hope you find an answer and something that helps.

Thank you all so much, it's comforting to know I'm not alone but I'm sorry you all have to put up with the same. I'm making notes of all the suggestions here and I'm going to do my damnest to get a handle of things.

I just broke down to DH and said i can't live like this anymore, I barely recognise myself. I used to be such a bubbly person, always laughing. I'm just a shell of my former self now.

I feel for DH and my children having to live with such a sickly, angry and tearful person half of the month. I'm so engulfed in feeling like rubbish I sometimes stop to realise the impact it has on them, then i feel so guilty and that amplifies the self loathing.

Grrrr. Being a woman is just awful.

For those that ask, my go to is usually Amazon, as you can read reviews and Q&A's and satisfy yourself that these are the supplements for you, but more recently I buy off e-bay. I ran out of Lady's Mantle (never again - it was hell), and I now swear buy e-bay's "Nutriselle" brand (no fillers or additives and the sellers are very responsive and reliable). I take 2 capsules of Lady's mantle and 2 capsules of Agnus Castus on waking in morning.
I take RAW "Garden of Life" B complex. Expensive but wholefood and easily absorbable and worth every penny. Buy straight from Garden of Life or Amazon. DIM and CDG is easily found on Amazon or e-bay.