AIBU to think PMS gets worse as you get older?

[Twinmummy2018]

I turned 30 a few months ago and have noticed that since then a week before my period I am thoroughly depressed, feeling shitty and just horrible to my DH. And I can’t control it, so it’s definitely PMS and I’ve never suffered with this before. Does PMS get worse as you get older?

God yes the tears and the rage!!!
In my 40's.

@mintcucumber the progesterone pill didn’t agree with me either so maybe I’ll keep away from the cream

This thread sent me down a rabbit hole last night reading about women's experiences of hormonal contraception. e.g. so many women having years of depression/anxiety that lifted within weeks of coming off the pill, esp microgynon (which sent me crazy for a month at uni).

It's really worth reading about, then making sure you're not personally being negatively affected.

to everyone suffering

@summerpavillion yes this is so true! I have never been able to take the pill due to it sending my hormones crazy!

I have always stayed away from hormonal contraceptions for this very reason.

teinmummy I tried the prgoesterone pill and didn't agree with me either but that was years ago. The cream you use a tiny amount and it builds up slowly. Its impotant to listen to your body.

PMS is thought to be a drop in both oestrogen and progesterone after ovulation. Both low oestrogen and progesterone can cause PMS type symptoms. But as we start heading towards menopause (even 10 years before) our progesterone levels start to drop quicker than oestrogen, leading to the oestrogen dominance. Also PMS is linked to low serotonin, and 95% of serotonin is made in the gut.

I am a nurse and training to be a natural nutritional therapist so have been studying for my course about this, but also I experienced it first hand. My gut was in a real mess (diarrohea all the time), so I was probably not producing much serotonin.

On top of all this, if you think about how most of us probably are on this thread, we have kids, we maybe have elderly parents, many work and juggle child care and employment, and most of us have probably spent years giving to everyone else and not so much ourselves. I know so many women my age and older suffering with PMS or menopause symptoms. The modern diet doesn't help either. Many women are burnt out. That impacts on our sex hormones and well being.

I think you have to find what works for you, but when at the begining of the year my 11 year old son found me sobbing my heart out on the floor (almost wailing) and I could not really tell him why, I knew I had to do something about it. I had had a really traumatic break down of an abusive relationship and I know that the stress really exacerbated my symptoms, but in hindsight I think my symptoms started about 18 months ago when I had my mirena coil removed (had progesterone).

I hope everyone finds soemthing that helps them, but being aware of how to manage symptoms and what causes it helps a great deal. I was trying to explain to my partner the other day, men go through 2 shifts in their hormones, at adolescence and andropause. They do not have to have these shifting hormones all the time and it can be so debilitating in temrs of day to day life. We women are warriors really!

Summer & Pudding you got me thinking.

As a woman I totally play down the pms and class myself as a vile bitch.
I am so used to DH's comments like 'can you just bleed / you're obviously due on soon' that I take no notice and see he has to say that to make him feel better.

I've struggled for years and it's only coming off the pill to ttc that I realised how it negatively affects me as trying to go back on a pill has been disastrous so I haven't (I'm still a bitch though). It's (I think) contributed to depression, self harm, low mood and much more in nearly 20 years I took it.

Thanks for this post. We aren't crazy but coping with life and hormones!

Try cutting out sugar too for a month and eating low carb. It had a dramatic effect on my pms.

MrsP I can almost guarantee you're not a bitch - you wouldn't be worried about it if you were!

My experience with perimenopause has shown me that absolutely nothing affects how you feel more than your hormones.

Agree strongly with Diana about sugar and low carb, also dairy! I swear it contains cow hormones that mess with our systems. I spent a month vegan once and got ZERO pmt that month, only time before or since in about 35 years of periods!

IMO YABU to assume that all women will follow the same hormonal path. My PMT (mostly mood swings and tearfulness) diminished rapidly when I was in my late thirties and didn’t return even during and after the menopause. As PP have said, I think coming off the pill helped. However trying to generalise about the life experience of 50% of humans is a fools errand.

I’m not trying to generalise. Was looking for other experiences which everyone is sharing in a nice manner. I know everyone has a different experience and that’s life! Just wanted to hear if anyone had the same experience and was asking a generalised question to know if that was the reason my PMS had got worse or not.

@OMGshefoundmeout

Nope
But then I’ve never had pms.

pudding21 I was diagnosed with PMDD. A consultant gynae prescribed oestrogen to be used during the luteal phase only. It’s helped enormously.

mintcucmber that is interesting, it highlights why it is important to have your bloods assesed and see where your levels are during your cycle. Glad it has helped you.

It also depends on whether you are pre menopause, peri or menopausal to get the right balance for you.

@mintcucumber I am also a PMDD sufferer good tip on the oestrogen.
Funny you mention progesterone, when I had my second DC my period didn't return for a year, the GP gave me a heavy dose of progesterone it mad me crazy.

many women having years of depression/anxiety that lifted within weeks of coming off the pill,

The answer to my pre kid heavy periods was always the pill - I took me couple of time going and on off it over the years to realise it was the cause of my anxiety.

I did some reading last night - and a a couple of the suggestions about vitamin and diet tweeks I'd already put in place recently for other health reasons - vitamin D, Calcium and Omega 3 being the main ones.

First [and subsequent] time after our first kid was brutal, though hard to pinpoint the exact reasons... likely some combination of a motherhood-driven lack of sleep etc + entering into mid 30s & probably the first foothills of perimenopause?

Does the oestrogen need to be prescribed?

I heard hormone related moods get worse during menopause. I better go live in a cave

Yes definitely worse! 33 now and I get rages. Since my husband had vasectomy 2 years ago and I came off the pill, my periods are nice and regular but the pms is horrific! Also the bloating and super sore boobs. Tried b complex and magnesium - no difference!

twinmummy I would advise you see a doctor who is skilled in managing PMS/PMDD etc. If you are oestrogen dominant, adding oestrogen with no progesterone could worsen symptoms. Same if you are low in oestrogen, if you add progesterone it will worsen things. You can buy oestrogen creams but I don't have experience of them.

Things that can help without seeing a doctor, are the high strength fish oils (you should chose one with 500-600 DHA and 2-300 EPA), vit D, B vitamin complex (avoid ones with folic acid, look for ones with methylfolate and B12 as methylcobalamin nad you could look at 5 HTP supplements.

Its a case of finding out what works for you. I live overseas and you can walk into a lab and order your own bloods, I have helped some friends and family find out their deficieinces and you would be suprised how many have B6/B9 r B12 deficiences and insufficent Vit D too.

Mine has been a lot worse through the early stages of perimenopause . As you are 30 - it would do no harm to make a Drs appointment

I agree with PP's, make a doctor's appointment to discuss it.

In my non-medical opinion, 30 seems on the young side for PMS to suddenly worsen so it's worth being checked out. Perhaps you need a change in contraception - I became more sensitive to hormonal contraception in my 30's and had to switch to a copper IUD until DH had a vasectomy

I'm 45 and it's definitely got worse as I'm hurtling towards menopause! OTOH, my periods have shortened so that's not so bad.

Sorry, just saw that you're not currently using hormonal contraception. Still recommend seeing your doctor, good luck.

I don't take any hormonal contraception after bad experiences similar to many others. I'm 32 and my PMS is pretty severe I think. Cramps, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, angry rages. But at least the mood swings and depression are only once a month and not every day as it was on the pill. It has been nearly 10 years since I took the pill and the thought of how I was on it still makes me upset. I will be warning my DD well away from hormonal contraception.

Actually spoke to my pharmacist about it recently and she's recommended evening primrose oil but am yet to see if there's any improvement. Worth trying though x