To ask if you've found a 'cure' for your PMS?

[tiajon]

Every month for about a week before I come on I feel absolutely awful. Irritable, depressed, anxious, insecure. No energy or enthusiasm. Just generally so low and panicky. And I also tend to eat everything in sight.

Then, as if by magic I feel fine almost as soon as I've come on!

(I also have a day or so of feeling low immediately after ovulation too - must be a hormone thing. I'm very in tune with my cycle).

So I guess what I'm asking is if you've found anything that really helps. Vitamin supplements and the like. Dark chocolate. The only things that works for me is red wine and I have to wait until after hours for that!

I have several children and also work, so self-care options such as a day in bed watching weepy films, or a massage and manicure, are unfortunately out of the question.

I'm just so tired of feeling like I'm in a black hole for a week of every month. What will help?

Thanks in advance.

Yes absolutely - oil of evening primrose with vitamin B6. Life changing for me!

Vitamin B6 seemed to help me when I was younger.

For me it's been regular cardio. I used to suffer massively from PMS (as in, relationship-threatening stuff!) but since I've been doing spin classes a few times a week, I don't get any symptoms at all.

Divorce was a good solution.
Then I fell off the wagon and remarried..
Dh knows to keep stashes of chocolate..

Joking aside about divorce, I do this there is an element of truth in the the suggestion that women in bad relationships have worse PMT.

Think

Following this as I'm the same OP.
I can always tell when I'm a week away from starting my period as I'm moody, tired, want to eat everything in sight, I hate being around people and I just don't want anything to do with the world.

I've tried exercise, didn't change much for me just left me feeling really guilty on the week before I came on as I just couldn't muster up the energy to even think about exercising.

CBD

I went on Prozac. It really helped with the extreme lows. But it did dampen things down so I didn't have any "'highs" either. But at the time it was worth it to save my sanity.

Divorce for me too!
I tried evening primrose for a few months and whilst I wasn't angry I cried every day.
I find tracking it on a calendar, getting early nights and generally acknowledging it helps. Also not to build up resentment in my relationship and let rip in pms week by dealing with small things as they happen.
Scheduling film nights for the kids on those days so that it isn't a stressful evebing with kids running wild.

By fluke I found cutting dairy makes a massive difference. DD has cmpa and as I'm feeding her I cut out dairy. I've had no PMT, no cramps, my period now arrives without warning.

That’s interesting I have heard lots of people say that about going dairy free

Following with interest as I'm the same. Will be trying the B6/ evening primrose.

Something I've found that helps is just simply being aware of it. I use an app to track my cycle, and if I wake up one day feeling really tired and irritable, it's like a comfort to check the app and realise that it's because of where I am in my cycle. It helps me take a step back and see my bad mood a bit more dispassionately, I suppose. I remember before I made this connection with my cycle, l felt a bit out of control. Now I can tell myself with certainty that it will pass in a few days and I won't always feel this way. It's so predictable I can almost laugh at it now. (Almost....)

Prozac

The mini-pill. On the downside, it's given me acne like a teenager (I'm late 30s), but I don't bleed on it (had to take a double dose to start with as I originally had constant bleeding) so I chalk it up as a huge win.

A hysterectomy.

I was really suffering, with mood swings, anxiety, dizziness and heavy bleeding. I went on the mini pill and that seems to have worked for me with the added bonus of stopping my periods too!

Exercise.

Thank you, all. Really helpful to see what's working for you.

Interesting about dairy!

I'm breastfeeding so the Pill /anti depressant route isn't for me at the moment, but thank you.

I've just picked up some multivitamins in the supermarket and will be looking specifically for Evening Primrose and B6 later online.

I totally agree that checking my app/calendar really helps. As a pp said - it's so predictable every month. And it will end almost as soon as my period starts. In the meantime it's like wading through treacle for a week - such a black time. Wish I could curl up in bed but no chance of that.

Choc and a glass of wine tonight and kids to bed early I hope. Thanks, again.