To Ask Mumnetters for your help and advice please.

[HowToStopThisHappeningAgain]

I am a reg who has namechanged for this as it is embarrassing for me.

Every month for a couple of days prior to my period I am a total nightmare.

I am tetchy and argumentative, tbh I would not want to be near me.

Today DP and I had a row over nothing tbh but i kept on until it turned into a full scale war ending in me slapping him round the face. I am not proud of this and DP was deeply hurt because neither of us are like this. He walked away to our room but I wouldn't leave it, I kept going back at him shouting and being abusive - verbally. He walked out the bedroom and went in the living room.

I then broke down in tears and went to bed where I spent an hour crying before I fell asleep.

DP and I are ok now

How or what can I do to stop my mood swings at this time of the month?

igetmore can you buy Sepia on the high street anywhere? 2oo strenth?

Definitely go to your GP...

I'm sure there are ways of minimising the effects of your pre period hormones...alternatively there may be natural remedies.

While everyone is rowing about medicine, you seem to have missed the key point that OP said this got worse when she started dieting.

Diet is very important to the control of PMS. Stop dieting, eat little and often and make that appointment with the GP.

Get to your GP, get yourself sorted out. I was very about hrt (very uncomfy and developed a short fuse), struggled for about 12 months. Saw GP, got a low dose combined HRT tablet and felt better within three days. It has been brilliant. I am aware of the very slight risks and balanced against a much better quality of life for everyone in this household they are well worth taking and any potential problems can easily be monitored and put right.

hi OP,

hope it's OK to jump in, don't normally post on AIBU!

Just wanted to say that since I came off the pill I've found in the week running up to my period I get low blood sugar very very easily and have massive mood swings - go from really happy, to wanting to rip my DP to shreds for the littlest thing, feel like everything is crap and we should just split up. Then feel fine again a few hours later. Poor DP's head is spinning when this happens!

Given your comment about this starting since you began dieting, perhaps you need to look at rejigging your diet a bit? When I start feeling the OTT grumps coming on I grab a banana. I also find getting a bit more exercise, even just a walk around the block, can be very good for overcoming the mood and getting back on an even keel.

Not saying it'll cure it completely, but if you don't like taking medication it might be worth trying?

Hope you can find a solution that works for you!

I really recommend a multi herbal/vit/nutrient combination from holland and barratts called star something cant remember exactly, but used to use it for our dd and it helped with her emotional and physical probs before her period. it took over a month to kick in.

Ok I have a very terrible amount of PMT to the point I know I'm completely unreasonable.
Vit B12 and starflower oils have worked wonders for me :)
I suggest you also ask on health as the ladies over there might have more advice and also fo suggest you talk to GP.

OP -- would you be willing to see a nutritionist?

This would give you not only a proper diet for losing weight (if that is why you started your diet) but also to help manage your PMT. What you eat can really affect your symptoms.

I have had terrible PMT for years but have actually had a big improvement in the past few months since I started taking two vitamin supplements for joint pain (magnesium and omega 3). It might just be because I'm in less pain, but they are also supposed to help with stress, so who knows.

A proper nutritionist can tell you if you have any vitamin deficiencies that might be part of the problem.

Please don't take any compounds you bought off the internet. You have no idea what's in them.

I understand you want to stick with 'natural' remedies but please try things like diet and exercise first, not homeopathy.

I agree with Trope, grab a healthy snack and go for a walk or do some exercise. Release some endorphins, it does help. However, you really should see your GP and you should explain your diet to them as well.
Not all diets are suitable for all people, and the one you are on may not be suitable for you.

It's not the Cambridge diet or similar is it?

I do not condone physical violence and I do not have a lot of faith in "alternative remedies". However, I have had PMT for many years and can fully understand what the op is going through. The feelings and range of emotions you can feel in the space of minutes is just awful. It messes with my head so goodness knows how anybody around me feels.

The anger and overwhelming sadness comes on quickly and with no warning and leaves your head spinning. Unless you have experienced it yourself you will never understand it and it is a feeling like no other.

I have tried my gp but unfortunately it seems that they have very little understanding of PMT and various types of the pill have not helped me at all.

I have found that all that does help is eating regularly, a little bit and often, excercise, and Vitamin B6 and Evening Primrose Oil.

The Vitamin B6 and Evening Primrose Oil do take a good two to three months to work though so please bear with them.

morning, thankyou all for you advice, I will be following it.

My diet is just having cut out the junk I was eating and cutting down meal sizes as well as cutting out crisps, chocolate, sweets, fizzy pop, etc. I have lost weight this way so far and have also been doing a lot more exercise.

I have an appt at the Dr's on the 27th, apparently thats the soonest appt they have for a non emergency. Another reason I don't often go to the gp's

However said 'she only slapped him' is a frigging idiot.
If a woman came on MN saying her partner only slapped her people would be saying 'contact womens aid- leave!'
It always astonishes me how people are so tolerant of physical abuse towards men.

Skinitting - you would be able to buy it in a 30c strength on the high street - you could try that and if it works then that's great, but if you find that things have improved but not totally better you could order the 200c strength on the internet and try that the next month, and it should do the trick. If you do buy it from the high street ignore the bit on the packaging where it says take it 5 times a day or whatever it says, just take it once at the very onset of symptoms and then wait to see what happens.

Homoepathy is completely safe and a very gentle form of medicine - it is not a 'compound' and will not do anyone any harm.

Gemsy, i think you'll find people have said it was wrong which I know anyway. It was a one off...a very bad day which I have never experienced before. Nor do I plan to again.

Hi there Howto. Thought I'd check in and see how yr doing? Am about to make appointment with GP suffering similar symptoms to u. Also dubious about medications preferring natural remedies etc. But I've run out of patience with myself (so has DH, & I hate the way I am with my kids!) & need help ASAP!!

Have been reading with interest. Frankly I am open to any avenue that might give me some relief from the vile temper I experience for roughly 10 days prior to my period. Hideous for everyone. I have tried Floresse and also Agnus Castus and these have helped greatly but St Johns Wort made me feel spaced out for a couple of days then stopped working. However, I do think that at some point it goes beyond the help of this kind of medication and one might need to go to go to the GP. One GP tried to give me the pill but I have had bad experiences with various types of pill in the past so was not keen. If the agnus castus and floresse stop working, I am going straight back for SSRI's. I dont really want to go onto medication like this but if the alternative is shrieking fits at my husband and children then its a no brainer. Good luck.

Thanks Pixie, you make sense! xx