To ask about PMDD??

[ladymary86]

I have had previous issues with my mental health - depression and anxiety during my separation and divorce from my ExH. I was on sertraline for around 2 years but am no longer on it and would really like it to stay that way.

Unfortunately since I came off sertraline I have had horrendous PMS symptoms. Utterly horrendous. In the week before my period and the first few days of it I feel angry at everything, like I can't cope and tearful all the time. It's unbearable and at the darkest moments I feel like I can't go on and feel there's no point in being here.
In searching for ways to cope I came across PMDD details on the NHS website and it sounds very similar to what I experience every month. I haven't been to my doctor with this, and obviously won't be for the foreseeable while the current situation is ongoing so I don't have a diagnosis and appreciate that It could just be very bad PMS but I have literally never experienced this before in my life. I'm in my thirties and have two kids and never had bad PMS before.

I am about 18 days away from the start of my next period and I am desperate the find a way to prepare and try to minimise the feeling of this when it comes. I don't want to go through this every month.

In any other time of the month I am calm and happy. I feel like I turn into a totally different person and I can't control it.

I would really like to speak with anyone else who has experience of this and find a way of coping and getting through it.

Hi. I think i have had it too. I suffered for many years, suicidal and I would hurt myself, because I was unable to cope with the misery and anger.

There's no help and nobody seems to know how to make it better. I make sure i have every vitamin and mineral going. i pay special attention to magnesium. I do also take St johns wort and its helped.

I make sure i eat well and run daily. My symptoms have become fewer over the years for doing this. I feel for you as its evil and i felt it was destroying my life.

Thank you for replying.
Magnesium and St. John's wort? Any others that help? I do exercise but really seriously struggle with motivation during that period of time.

I have pmdd.

I take a low dose of citalopram for 10-12 days a month and it absolutely works wonders: it has transformed my life. Antidepressants work differently with pmdd- you don’t need to take them all the time and they kick in quickly.

Nothing else has worked for me: exercise, vitamins, herbs... nothing.

@Greenmarmalade is that an antidepressant?

This is going to sound awful but one of the reasons I don't want to take the sertraline anymore is because it numbs all of my emotions. I also really struggle to orgasm when taking it and I just don't want to go back to that.

I was referred to a gynaecologist with PMDD, and the treatment offered was essentially the combined pill. I take the packets back to back without a break so that I end up with either 3 or 4 periods per year. (Which are utter bastards)

@WhoWants2Know
Do you still have the symptoms with the periods you do have?
@Greenmarmalade When in the month do you take the pills?

I have started vit b6 and it seems to help. Got nowhere with gp....except more sertraline

I think I struggle with the same thing OP

Only discovered PPMD and haven’t discussed it with a doctor but I understand how tough it is and knowing it’s hormonal does not help

I am absolutely terrified that this is going to ruin my relationship.
I'm going to look into the vitamins mentioned.
Thank you for the replies. It feels nice to know there are others in the same position. Could we start a support thread somewhere? Is there one already?

I get this. To the point I’ll be exploring suicide methods and trying to buy certain things online. I mentioned PMDD briefly to my GP but she didn’t look into it. She instead gave me a print out on PMS.

She did talk about how some new studies have found that taking certain anti depressants for a week before and a week after your period helps. Sertraline might have been one. She gave me fluoxetine. I tried it a couple of times and maybe it worked. (I don’t get the terrible hormone-depression issues consistently every time. I’m terrible for not tracking my period so haven’t done the fluoxetine-interval more).

I’m still looking for the answers. Maybe it’s to set a reminder for a week before to start the drugs! I’d rather not take antidepressants though (was on them for years).

Things I think may help:

• certain vitamins and minerals (not tried but have seen lots of articles about this)
• running/exercise (definitely helps and I remind myself of this a lot when I can’t be arsed)
• distractions. Certain activities, including mind numbing things help eg binge watching something addictive. (But planning to meet people doesn’t work, I’ll just cancel or have a bad time).
• acknowledging it is hormonal and it will pass. This is strangely helpful at the time and helps stop me from buying the things online.
• meditation (but like the minerals and exercise, it needs to be done all the time. It won’t work if you try in that state. And it’s unlikely you’ll want to try then if you’re like me).

Hopefully others will have better/actual solutions!

Also- a different GP recommended back to back on the pill, stopping my period. I’m reluctant to do that not least because I forget to take medication all the time

I had PMDD too and I had tried everything exercice, cut some food, agnus castus, evening primrose oil, no alcohol.... it was so bad, 1 week to 10 days before I used to get my periods : I turned into that horrible mess of a person, I had suicidal thoughts, picked horrible arguments with my dh, crying constantly it was horrible. I got blood test to check my hormone levels and it was all normal. It got to the point that as soon as an attack finished I was already dreading the next one so I went to the gp and got the pill back to back, I know it’s not ideal but at least I’m free !

Back to back monophasic contraceptive pill here. It gives you absolute consistency of estrogen and progesterone every day so the post ovulation awful doesn’t happen.

When your periods are regular the on and off SSRI does work too but once they aren’t it’s impossible to work out when to take it. I could not cope without the pill, I’ve tried. It’s too overwhelming and I can’t be rational while in it.

And PPS yes, it makes my relationship difficult. My partner complained that I’m negative while I was in the middle of this stage and I spent hours wandering around a strange city looking for shops selling certain things that might kill me. It is fucking bleak!

Hi there I've found agnus castus really helpful for horrific black moods and suicidal thoughts during pmt, don't seem to feel as black. I'm 48 peri menopausal though xxx

High level of agnus cactus

Totally get where you are coming from it is hell

Agnus castus but boots is sold out at the moment. This really helps but it takes a few months to kick in.

I take citalopram (antidepressant) 7-10 days before my period. I also find it affects my sex life but it’s something I’m more than willing to sacrifice in order to not be an awful mother, partner and unhappy person. It really works!!

For me mirena coil has been life changing 7 years of no periods and distictly less symtoms and no worry about forgetting. I was offered oestogen patches in combination but didnt get on with them.

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I'm shocked at the number of responses.

It makes me feel like I'm a horrible person and when I feel like that it makes it feel even worse.
I do still struggle with anxiety and now the anxiety relating to this is making it even worse.

I found a really great website.

Magnesium, taurine, B6

But the real treatment is taking natural oestrogen (not synthetic like in the pill) but it's hideously expensive 😢

I have PMDD and it was absolutely unbearable until the Dr prescribed me fluoxetine (aka Prozac) to deal with it. I feel like an absolute new person!

Cut out sugar. Made a huge difference to me. Exercise too.

I’ve been on sertraline for PMDD for the last 2 years. Always had quite bad period pain etc but the emotional side of things really got a lot worse towards the end of my 30s.

I tried to come off sertraline after a year as I’d had a bit of a lifestyle overhaul (more exercise, less booze) and thought that might make a difference, but no - had to go back on it in order to cope with the irrational anger and extreme moodiness.