PMT help needed, feels like I am slipping back into depression every month - any advice welcome.

[Tillysmum99]

I suffered with PND after the birth of both my dcs, my eldest dd is now 13. I took medication and also had private CBT which really helped. I still find I struggle every month with really bad pmt. I get really anxious that my depression is coming back as I am so weepy and irritable, I just want to hide from the world including my dh and dcs for that week, but once I come on it all lifts again. I am sick of going through this once a month. Does anyone else experience this? If so do you have any advice or can recommend anything that helps. I have thyroid problems so I can't take some meds like St Johns Wort.

Have you considered taking a mini pill like cerazette? It changed my life where PMT was concerned as I just stopped having periods and it didn't have the same side effects as the combined pills did. Worth a go?

Also, strangely, something that really helped with my PMT was swapping to a low carb diet. No idea why though so it may have been coincidence.

Thanks Keema, I have tried different pills - combined and mini and also the merina coil in the past but I found they made things worse, ( really increased my anxiety). I dont use any hormonal contraception now. As for my diet I have been doing a paleo diet which cuts out grains and it has helped with my moods generally, the pmt doesnt last as long now but still 3-4 days of feeling super low.

It is my dcs I feel bad for as I have no tolerance, I just want to be alone when I feel like this. And then I lose my temper with my dh as he finds that so odd. So I feel guilty on top of it all.

I have the same problem Tillysmum - up to a week each month where I truly struggle to get out of bed - in fact have spent most of the lovely sunny weekend under the duvet and dragged myself into work late today. I am taking fluoxetine - have been for about 5 years - and that took the edge of the really terrible, despairing anger I used to have (including a couple of suicidal episodes) but the depression and tiredness continues. Not much to say except that it totally sucks and try to be nice to yourself and remember you will feel better in a few days x

Thanks upnorth, for the support x to you too it is horrible just like a big black cloud! I really feel like walking out the door and not coming back sometimes, and then in a few days I am perfectly normal again. I just hope I don't say anything too horrible when I am like this as I know I can be completely irrational. I have thought about going back to my GP to discuss medication. I know it can take a few weeks to for ads to work so I dont know if it would be possible just to take them on and off? I will check out the link about the agnus castus too, thanks Flick.

Flick I found this link www.drbriffa.com/2001/01/30/agnus-castus-and-the-pre-menstrual-syndrome-pms/ it says there has been published evidence that it helps with PMT in the BMJ so I will give it a go, starting to feel much more positive now :)

I have ordered the Agnus castus now, it gets good reviews from what I have been reading. I am due on in the next couple of days so hopefully next month might be a bit better. Thanks for the advice x

Be aware that if you have the PMS which gets worse with the mini pill, then Agnus Castus is also likely to make it worse.

Watching this thread with interest. I could have written your post Tillysmum.
I'm off antidepressants now and the PMS is brutal. All weekend I've wanted to climb under the duvet. I can't sleep, my mood is SO low.

I've been taking vit B, omega oil, starflower oil, evening primrose oil, magnesium and the agnus castus and it's not helping.

I'm getting desperate now.

Oops, posted too soon.

Much as I really don't want to go back on the pill (10 years off it) I'm thinking of trying the minipill because I just can't go on like this.

I suffer from horrendous PMT and nothing I've tried has really made a difference until the last month as I've started taking MACA powder. I have all the physical symptoms but I haven't had that teary, irrational wanting to hide from the world feeling at all. It's really bizarre. It also gives you loads of energy. The flipside is that it tastes like rotting root vegetables.

I suffer from PMDD, which you may also be suffering from. I got to the point where I was feeling suicidal. It was hormone related and I decided to have the mirena coil fitted.

5 months later and I am almost back to normal. I still get some PMT but it is only a fraction as bad as it was. I also know when I will be feeling this way so it myself some slack and try and treat myself a bit.

I hope you find something that helps you OP. I know how hard it can be.

Supposed to say I cut myself some slack- stupid iPhone

St John's Wort has also been recommended by many people on here...look into that too

I've read so much about the Mirena making depression worse that I'm afraid to try it.
I can't buy St John's Wort in Ireland but I've asked my sister to send me some 5-HTP from America.

sj73 where did you get the MACA, was it a health shop?

Thanks for all the suggestions. I take medication for an underactive thyroid so I can't take St Johns Wort. I will try the AC and keep an eye on the symptoms in case they get worse. I have seen Maca mentioned with herbal remedies along with Vit B6 on some other threads so I will bear that in mind as an option if the Agnus Castus doesn't help. I will update but may be a month before I see any difference!

Welshnat I am glad to hear you are feeling better, unfortunately the Merina made my anxiety much worse again so I would rather not go down the hormonal route. Generally I feel well now it is just that week I feel really down whereas when my period starts it lifts again.

Or even Mirena:)

Violator: It's really easy to get hold of. I got it from Ocado for about £7 a bag. I must warn you that it is absolutely vile and impossible to get used to the taste. It honestly has made a huge difference though where SJ wort and Agnus Castus didn't.

Thanks so much for posting this op. I came on here to ask much the same. I am fed up with losing a week per month to the anxiety and upset it causes. I will search out some ac and possibly the foul maca! Thanks and good luck