To ask what you do about hideous PMT?

[WhereIsMyTVRemote]

Just that really. I am late 30s and for the week leading up to a period now I find myself completely losing it over nothing.

I feel like a terrible person and a terrible mum sometimes.

I have tried evening primrose and it made me feel absolutely awful. I've tried just retreating when I feel awful but it's impossible with multiple children.

I am not on any contraception as they all make me feel very unwell.

I swear it gets worse as I've got older but I can't afford for this to get worse than it is now. I just don't know what to do :(

See your GP. I had this and was prescribed a low dose of antidepressants. Been on them for about 5 years now and honestly it’s changed my life for the better.

Second seeing your provider. Some women find that if they take an antidepressant just one week a month prior to their period, it works. Now, ordinarily antidepressants take 2-6 weeks to work. That's very true. But just taking it one week a month for some women works. We don't know why.

Some women also find that taking vitamin B6 is helpful. Cutting out sugar, salt, caffeine, and processed foods is also a good idea.

Thank you. I'm really medicine sensitive so am anxious about taking ADs but on that dose it might be ok? I didn't even realise you could do that so that is very helpful. Pretty much any medicine I take makes me sick or has side effects - not psychosomatic, unfortunately a strange medical quirk. I half wonder if the over sensitive thing is why hormones are affecting me so badly too.

That's interesting about cutting things out. I am terrible with sugar.

I should clarify I mean I can't stop eating it very easily and really should :/

Also on AD's for this. They make a huge difference.

I have pmdd (sounds like you do too). I take citalopram in a low dose, 7-10 days per month and it has changed my life. Only down side is my sex life isn't as great, but it's worth it because otherwise I'm awful to myself and my whole family for a week a month.

Craving sugar with pmt/pmdd is also normal.

People taking ADs, what do you take and do you get side effects? I've been really wary of ADs after taking for fluoxetine years ago, which caused pretty horrific side effects. I manage the PMS with diet, exercise, supplementing B vitamins and careful life planning, but would quite like a simpler way of dealing with it.

I eventually worked out I had PMDD after years of being utterly miserable one week in four. I would get red mist, be awful to live with, a terrible mum to my at the time only DD, cry and eat constantly and had insomnia. Took a low dose of fluoxetine for years until I fell pregnant with DD2. During pregnancy was fine and EBF but periods returned along with the PMDD. Couldn't continue to BF on ADs so GP suggested mirena coil. It's worked like a dream for last 5 years. No ADs, no PMDD. Have just had coil replaced and this one should see me right through my menopause.

I take Magnesium supplement, cut out caffeine and up my exercise. It seems to help a bit.

@soupmaker, did you take the minipill at all before you tried the Mirena? I was really wary of hormonal coils after carazette made me suicidal, so I assumed that PMDD and hormonal contraception didn't mix.

I've looked at pmdd and it sounds too familiar. I've had a good look at myself tonight and my diet is terrible, and I barely exercise (no time).
Thank you all so much for replying. @broomstick I sympathise so much. @fraula I can be terrible just for that time and I feel so guilty as I'm not setting a good example to my children. I do explain to them but that's no good when the people souls are confused. It doesn't help that I get no time away from them and DH is pretty terrible with any form of discipline and emotional welfare so it's all me. That's another thread but we've had a very stern chat about it recently and he knows he needs to sort it.

I am also overly sensitive to all medication and at my wits end with the same problem, i literally turn into satan before my period. My poor partner and kids... i really hate myself for it. I never used to be this bad

I've tried 3 separate pills and they sent me loopy so clearly im super sensitive to hormones. I've got the copper coil in now and it's worsened my periods but not affected my hormones too much thank god. There's no way i could use any other type of contraception (except condoms)

I've tried AD in the past (fluoxetine,citalopram&sertraline) but for my mental health rather than this, i don't take any at all now as they turned me into a zombie but i wasn't aware you could take such an irregular small dose i'll certainly be asking about it and crossing all my fingers!

Watching this thread and have a GP appointment next week, hope we all get sorted

Zoloft. 👍

I know it's boring and hard work but my PMT vanished when I started exercising regularly and cut out sugar and processed food. Totally changed my diet to include lots of veg and good grains. Less gluten and less dairy, no caffeine at all and lots of water every day. Excess weight melted off and my hormones gradually balanced.

It had a significant impact on my wellbeing after the PMT improved, I was finally myself all month rather than turning into this angsty, frustrated, emotional, depressed and tired wreck of a person.

The changes are worth it a thousand times over.

@BroomstickOfLove No, never been on the mini pill. I didn't use any form of hormonal contraception for over 15 years before having the mirena coil fitted. My PMDD really took off after having DD1 at 36.

I take Kalms 4 x daily for 7 days leading up to my period, it doesn't solve the problem but it really takes the edge off the raging feelings and stops me wanting to murder DH with my bare hands

@HarrysOwl Exercise and good diet certainly help but didn't solve my PMDD symptoms.

My GP recommended the following for week before period due:

-Healthy diet, eating small amounts but often. You may need more carbs but eat healthy ones.
-Avoid sugar, it can make PMT worse

-Keep hydrated, try to drink water, avoid too much caffeine and no sugary drinks.
-Vit B6
-Do some exercise every day even if it’s brisk walking for 20mins.

It really makes a huge difference to me when I stick to these.

@fedup I'm sorry you are in the same boat. It's a cycle of guilt after being moody then resolving to beat it but it comes from nowhere again the same time next month.

@harrysowl that is really good to know. I have a lot of food allergies too (doctor said 'you're just one of those types') so that makes the eating side hard. I think I need to do something though. I eat for convenience so much and probably spend far too much money doing it that way too.

Caffeine and alcohol are a no so that is one thing that's easy to get rid of! Sugar, wheat and processed stuff though, I am so bad for.

I am going to go for a bike or run on my own tomorrow and tomorrow can be day 1 of trying to sort this. And make an appointment. I can't go on like this.

@Lizzie thank you. Today is day 1 of the horror week so I am going to do it.

I am too embrassed to admit to my husband I need help really, even though he knows how bad I can be. I think he just goes along with it but doesn't ever think deeply about it like maybe she has a problem?

I don't have periods any more but found taking vit b complex and magnesium helped.
Also cutting out sugar and carby stuff even though thats what I wanted to eat.
DD takes Ashwagandha twice daily for anxiety and has found it helps her pmt as well . I get it from Amazon.

@soupmaker that's such a shame. Especially when you've put the work into exercising and eating healthy.

I would say I'm ultra healthy now, maybe I'm overboard but for me it makes all the difference in the world. It didn't happen overnight - months and months to improve to the point it is now. I was religious with supplements too - magnesium, b12, fish oils - I also used natural progesterone cream for 6 months.

With such big changes, it's hard to pinpoint what the biggest help was but it's got to be hormone related? I guess my body just wasn't balanced right and everything I did and do now - luckily - keeps me sane.

I have sympathy for anyone suffering, it's so debhillitating

@Hugo that is worth a try. And @soupmaker I will ask the gp about the coil too.

@WhereIsMyTVRemote that really sucks if you have food allergies too! Could you see a dietician/nutritionist to get some ideas about how to incorporate a good level of nutrition?

I wonder if some hormone issues may be down to a vitamin deficiency, if a supplement could help, if not cure, it'd be worth trying.

I got to the 'I can't do this anymore' stage too. It's awful. I'd have to live my life around my period hormones, and I remember feeling so horrendous one month I was on the phone to the Samaritans wanting to die. The next day my period came and like a switch going off, I was so much better and myself again. I thought right, that's enough.

It's not fair is it. Right then I'd have happily been born a man.