PMDD

[inthenickoftime]

Does anybody suffer from this?

I was diagnosed in 2013 and have been on the combined pill since. Ive been well for most of the time, barring the mood swings and irrational anger.

But this week i seem to have hit rock bottom. I feel completely hopeless and low. Everything seems pointless and i feel like a failure. My bf knows i suffer from this but not to what extent. Ive been awful to him all week and i don't think i can explain to him why when i don't understand myself.

I'm just hoping someone else out there feels the same way and that I'm not completely on my own.

Is your pill a monophasic one? I found that mine was a lifesaver. Marvelon taken 6 packs back to back.

I take microgynon but run on 4 packs at a time so its only when i have a break that th symptoms really hit me like a tonne of bricks.

i have been offered anti depressants but don't really want to take them. I tried them when i had mild PNT and i really didn't like the way that they changed me.

Changing my diet and getting more exercise has helped a lot too. Its just hard to take the complete change in my personality every 4 months.

I do (undiagnosed).

Stopped taking Cerazette as it made my mood extremely low, constantly.
Am now thinking a constant low may be preferable to the mood swings from hell.
I exercise and eat healthily, although I do have treats.
For two weeks out of every four I am in dire straits, and so is my family.
GP has prescribed antidepressants. I can't bring myself to take them (long story).

Would be interested to know if anybody has taken them successfully for PMDD?

I found myself to be a psycho bitch from hell on cerazette. Just constant anger and low moods.

I'm actually part of a pmdd support group on Facebook which has been a lot of help, although ive never posted.

People always get good advice on there so you could search for that Sticky?

Thanks inthenick. I don't use FB, but I guess I can take a look?

It's been a while since I stopped the Cerazette (twice), and tbh I can't remember if it was 'better' or worse than I remember!

I did have it but had surgery last year to remove my ovaries and now I'm cured

if you want to ask me any questions feel free. It really was the best thing I did, i can't believe I was so ill for so long

Blimey Fairy, that sounds drastic, but very glad it's worked for you!

Thanks for posting, Roland. I am very encouraged to hear about your experience. I have been prescribed Fluoxetine. GP says it's specifically for PMDD, not just a generic AD. Maybe I should give it a go.

I am also on a waiting list for talking therapy. Part of the reluctance to take the ADs is that I also have 'proper' depression. I am the sort of person who is more likely to respond to talking, so was sort of waiting to see if they called me in before I start taking the Fluoxetine. I'll make an appointment with GP now to see how much longer it can be. In theory, the call should have happened already.

I do (also undiagnosed).

I started getting suicidal thoughts and wanting to self-harm after a very short time on Cerazette. I avoid hormonal contraception now.

I have had huge, huge improvements recently since I started regularly taking vitamin B complex (plus eating healthily, regular exercise, mindfulness, enough sleep, healthy lifestyle stuff which was never enough on its own).

It's strange, though. The symptoms are reduced pretty much to the level of mormal PMS, although I still get a week of hideous insomnia, and I know that I now actually could do readonably complicated things on just about any day of the month, but after 25 years of PMDD I have stopped trusting in my own judgement and ability to do things. I still find myself turning down things that would involve a regular weekly commitment, and I've also noticed that I have loads of bad habits which started as a way of coping, but which are hard to break now that I don't need them so much.

It was drastic sticky, but it has worked and I feel normal all the time now, rather than for 2 weeks at a time. Never mind the fall out from the 2 weeks when the pmdd was bad. It's actually a relatively easy procedure, it's done via keyhole and you only need 2 weeks of work.

Was on sertraline for about 3 years, but the rage was still getting through for a week a month, i doubled the dose for a while but it turned me into a zombie on the 2 weeks I didn't need it. The worst time was when I had a mirena coil, I only had about 3 days a month without symptoms, I was a right bundle of laughs (not)

It got to the point that it was either surgery or waiting for the menopause and I couldn't wait another 10 years to get it sorted out. It's such a relief that it's gone, the house is calmer too as dp and ds aren't treading on egg shells all the time.

I take Fluoxetine for depression and its had the added bonus of sorting my PMDD. No more 10 days of depression and pure rage. It has only broken through after Christmas - lots of alcohol, sugar and no exercise. Worth a try - good luck.

Thanks for posting your story Fairy (do you prefer Biker? ). Amazing what biology can do to you, isn't it?

Thanks Queen, good to hear of a positive experience.

Still swaying between just taking them or waiting the two weeks until I see the GP (again). I am naturally reluctant to take any medication at all, and I've waited for years. Might as well wait another two weeks!

So those of you on antidepressants I'm assuming you have to take them constantly not just for the 2 weeks of craziness? I'm wondering whether i should consider a different type of antidepressant. I think I'm going to go back to the doctors and ask for some advice.

yes nick I take mine daily - best approach to ensure a stable level in your system.

I mentioned this to my gp last week she didn't even acknowledge it could be a possibility.
I've restarted citalopram but wonder if it's more pmdd than general depression