Really horrible depression the week before your period. Any tips on improving it?

[OhioOhioOhio]

After more than 30 years I've realised that the week before my period the intense depression and fatigue I experience needs better managed. Does anyone have any advice? I do try and exercise etc but can't manage very much during that time.

You could have PNDD. I have this and have been prescribed antidepressants to take in line with my period, previously. Look it up :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3881493-to-ask-about-pmdd There is a thread in active. Lots of info on this.

Pre-menopause, I used to find it helped simply to mark it in my calendar and recognise it for what it was, rampaging hormones. Reminding myself that it would be over in a few days got me through it.

No advice but I’m exactly the same OP. I just become so low, bloated, spotty, lazy and angry. Absolutely no reason why because I have a wonderful life! Usually lasts 7-10days before my period.

Taking Agnus Castus has taken the edge off mine

My friend had it really bad and ended up paying for a hysterectomy. Bit extreme for most people, but it sorted her out.

Magnesium, evening primrose oil... see a natural health practitioner.. this is unnecessary suffering.

Oh great. I've actually had a lot of personal non medical drama of late and managed without anti depressants. Don't want to start but would certainly be interested in your suggestions. Will go and look. That pnnd suggestion. Omg. I'm sure that is me. Thank you so much.

Ironically, given the current situation, my doctor recommended vitamin D supplements to improve this and I have noticed a marked improvement.

Are you perimenopausal? I found that my PMT went off the scale in my late 40's, terrible anxiety, depression, psychosis even and all manner of strange physical symptoms. I went on HRT and it has been a total revelation....I have never been so emotionally steady in my life despite getting divorced and moving house! I now believe that I have suffered from PMDD all my life...have been on anti depressants for most of the past 30 years, but even so I could still suffer before a period, yet somehow never made the link. Just assumed I was depressed like everyone else assumed.

How would you know if you were peri menopausal?

I went back on the pill and found my crippling pre mentral depression lifted more or less straight away. It has been a relief to have had four months with a clear and balanced head. So while I put it off for years my hormones were very out of whack and now they are not.

How’s your diet? Do you take any vitamins?

Holy shit, I just flicked over to the other thread and I have found my people. I've had this since my periods started. Was prescribed pill at 13 to try and overcome some of the issues. Been variously diagnosed as having anxiety, depression, bi-polar and a learning difficulty. I'm considering now that the bulk of my troubles can be explained by PMDD. How did I get to 40 without ever hearing of this?

OP - what has worked for me is the nexplanon implant. It regulates my hormones and I don't need to remember to take it. The bonus for me is I don't have periods, although not everyone is that lucky. Since I got the implant my life has improved immeasurably and now I'm 'normal'. I have never been able to explain my behaviour prior to getting the implant. I hope that you find something that works for you.

Basically we are all peri meno from about age 45! Plenty about this on other threads. As we start to lose oestrogen we have more obvious pmt, depression etc but there is a lot of help avail

Same here
Exercise helps

I got a Mirena for other reasons but a huge bonus is been the lack of a week of crippling fatigue and brain fog in the run up to my period every month!

I'm 44 and yes I do think I've been like this for my whole life and never realised. Post separation from my abusive xh I thought it was my attitude and a bit of feeling sorry for myself but now... Omg! Am almost relieved. Really don't want chemicals. Actually I don't think I want anything that would be described as an anti depressant. But I really don't want to cope with this ever decreasing cycle of debilitating depression if I don't have to.

I had that too. It was terrible. GP prescribed anti-d's even though I was fine the rest of the month, but these made no difference. Long story short, after 6 months or so, I came off these and was referred to gynae, who recommended I have my hormone production suppressed and go onto HRT to even out my hormone levels, as the dr suspected this was causing the low mood. Did this for a year and it was like an overnight cure. At the end of the year I had my ovaries removed, remained on HRT and never looked back. I was only 40 at the time, so not peri-menopause. I'm honestly a different person because of it. I'm a positive healthy upbeat person, but for a few days every month I wanted to do serious harm to myself.

Try evening primrose oil works wonders for me

To answer your question Ohio....I couldn't prove I was peri, in fact a blood test showed nothing . However I was becoming so extreme emotionally speaking in the run up to each period that I persuaded my GP to let me try it as I felt I had nothing to lose. If you're able to, one way to judge whether you might be peri is to find out at what age your mum or any sisters feel they were menopausal, it's fairly genetic.

I have sent you a PM

are you using hormonal contraception op?

this only happened really badly for me when i was on the pill.

OP someone posts about this about every month so it might be more common than you think. I realised last year that what I thought was just normal PMT clearly went above and beyond what most of my friends seem to experience before their periods. For me it seems to affect me life, work and relationships for a full week. I feel annoyed, angry, depressed, stressed and I can’t control it or hide it well either eg if someone is annoying me...

I don’t know what to suggest and will see what others have suggested to you but have read evening primrose oil helps. It helps for me to try to realise what’s happening and not escalate things eg arguments with DH can turn into feeling like we will divorce. Exercise, sleep and eating well help a bit. Doesn't make it go away but just means I don’t feel worse because I’m tired / hungry and have PMT.

Maybe we need a PMDD support group