hormones and depression

[livvylouis]

I suffer with pms, have done for years but the last 2 years it has been getting progressively worse. I can be fine for 2 weeks and then boom straight after ovulation the symptoms begin. I have physical symptoms such as bloating, acne and tender breasts, but I can handle that, the depression I cant!
I have been taking sertraline for the past 2 months and have felt no change, I am now as the end of my tether. I feel like a complete failure because of my hormones I am a crap wife and mother for half of the month and I can see no end to this. To be honest I dont know why I'm even posting this I suppose I just want to get it off my chest :(

i too have had this for years and years- i do understand, and you can feel that you have half a life.Half prior to ovulation then within hours the pmt kicks in ? you think when you feel ok you can fight it, but then it happens again.I got refered to hospital re breasts as so sore and lumpy gp though t i had alump.I spend lots of money trying to cure it - diet ,acupuncture,natural hormones,high level oil primrose on prescription,the pill,homopathy.Th e pill sorted it as stopped ovulation but i cant stay on it.I think that its a sensitivity to progesterone? i have had to go prozak - not for depression but gp says that it can be prescribed in severe cases of pmt.it has worked.!! however it affects orgasmic ability oh well.didnt feel like it b4 anyway.hope this helps and at least you know you are not alone x

I can completely emphathise with you. I feel this is a much underestimated condition which can really spoil life- it is difficult to discuss with anyone as people who dont get it probably just think I am a misery. Psychological symptoms are much worse than physical symptoms and there have been times when I have barely been able to drag myself out of bed in the mornings-obviously have to having 3 children. The only thing that has made things bearable is to take anti depressants. I have taken fluoxetine and have tried taking for 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off and have also taken them with out any breaks. I have stopped taking them again as I was lulled into a false sense of being better (and they have unwanted side effects)but after a couple of cycles my symptoms have returned reminding me how bad things can get so I am going to start taking them again soon. Maybe you should try a different type of medication. I know it is not ideal but for me it is the only thing I have found to make 2 weeks of every month bear able. I am with you in realising this thing is a beast which must be slain. Probably haven't been too helpful but you are not alone.I too would appreciate any advice anyone else can offer

Thank you for your replies, I have another appointment to see my gp tomorrow so I will ask about changing my meds. I still feel awful today just dont want to be around anyone, not even my kids. I feel so guilty for what I am putting everyone through that I even thought about ending it all last night, I couldn't go through with it as I love my dh and dc's far too much to put them through that but I cant help but think they are better off with out me around. I feel so alone as no one in "real life" understands how i'm feeling, a few days ago I was so so happy I felt full of life, full of energy. Now I just feel numb, like I want to crawl away and hide from everyone and everything. I really do appreciate any support as I somehow feel this is the only place I can express how i'm really feeling.

I can honestly appreciate how bad you are feeling.It is so difficult to explain to anyone who does not suffer from this as 1/2 of the time life is normal and over the good weeks you can hardly imagine how bad you have actually felt . I am usually so relieved to see my period start because I know within a day or so I will feel normal again and cant imagine why I might want to see a doctor. I think this went on for years until I finally admitted this is a real problem and spoke to a GP about it. I read somewhere that women who are susceptible to severe PMS have extremely low levels of serotonin (happy hormone)due to the levels of I think progesterone( dont quote me!) after they ovulate and so it really is a chemical/ medical condition. Go and see your Gp again for certain and maybe get a different medication this is an illness after all. Lets just hope someone can find us a cure with out too many side effects as mentioned by dangbody. All the very best of luck to you.

I totally understand too. My emotions show a definite cyclical pattern but my GP said there's little you can do. Eventually I have been prescribed Prozac (Fluoxetine) to take one a day, and alongside that Noristherone which helps progestogen. I only take that on days 12-26 - no idea why these days! I have been on tham for 6 weeks now and feel like a different person. Like Dangbody, my GP said Prozac was effective for bad pmt.
My problem now is that I don't know which of the meds is making me feel better, or whether it's a combination of the two, but definitely worth it! HTH x

Hi, I also suffer from this - at that stage where I feel life is just not worth it. Logically I know it's PMS and it will go away but I can't stop the powerful feelings. It affects all areas of my life, work, relationships and of course my family.

My GP very reluctant to prescribe anything - but I'm not sure she really gets the overwhelming nature of the problem so just suggests the typical PMS 'cures', healthy eating, exercise, sunlight.

Does anyone suffer from insomnia during this phase as well? This seems to be a major problem for me which of course makes my mood lower as I feel shattered.

Is this any help?:

www.studd.co.uk/pms_treatment.php

Ignore my link, apparently the guy is nuts...

Did your doc say when you could expect the sertraline to start having an effect? It may be worth asking as I know some of them take a little while before they're up to full effect. Sorry I can't offer anything further.

Hi

Noop, I've been pinning my hopes on seeing professor Studd as I suffer terribly with hormonal related depression. Found out about him after reading an article about Denise Welch and how he turned her life/depression around.

What do you mean when you say apparently the guy is nuts?

Thanks

Noop that link made perfect sense to me, as I'm like a lunatic on the pill, or injection. The progesterone sends me mad, and I'm starting to see a real pattern of self destructive behaviour hormanally.

Loving the term menstrual madness. I can relate to that.