PPMD please can anyone offer advice on how to cope

[Fluffymummy1]

Hi all,

Long read sorry but prob easier to give full story. I'm early 30's with 2kids and I'm pretty sure I have PPMD.
I have 2 autoimmune conditions and a history of anxiety. A few years ago I had a bit of a breakdown where I suffered really bad panic attacks for a short time but they scared me so much I became afraid to go out or be alone. It was a very bad time but with support I overcame it, I reckon it took a good year or so to feel like I was having a life again.

In the past year I have started to notice that every month the week before my period I feel like a monster, I fight with my husband, my kids irritate me, I hate my job and I just feel horrendous. Then I get my period and bam! I'm me again I love everything and my life feels great. It's totally jeckall and Hyde

I've looked online and it seems the first line of treatment is antidepressants which unfortunately I can't take as this is what they think caused my previous panic attacks. I don't smoke drink alcohol or coffee and I'm fairly fit from exercise which are the other solutions.

Please can anybody give me any advice as to what I could do, I feel my family is being held together by a thread and I'm starting to feel a bit desperate for a solution.

Thanku in advance

Hi OP yes I am like this too but finding a combo of agnus castus and magnesium is working brilliantly at preventing the bitch from emerging. I'm on the week before period now and I'm doing ok.

Have a research online and just let me know if you want to know which tablets I bought

Hi I hope you don't mind me jumping on but I could have written your post ! I have never really suffered with any form of pmt since before my second child but since my periods have returned when breastfeeding slowed down at about 9 months post partum, I am having severe episodes which led me to Google as I know it's more than pmt. I get so depressed that I don't want to be here, the anger I feel is to the point of having to physically walk away from situations as I'm afraid of what I may do. I've never ever felt like this and it disappears as quickly as it comes. I've been writing down my symptoms and dates etc and it's generally the week upto my period and then I feel fine a day or two after I've started. I would be very interested to know how anyone else copes with this ? I also would love to know the previous posters combination of Angus castus and magnesium please. Hope we can find a way to cope soon ! X

Hi honkhonknose,

That would be great if you can post which you use, my docs phoned and they have come up with trying a course of the pill on top of my coil to see if that balances me out a bit.
Hi Jo, dont mind you posting how you feel at all its nice to know im not alone.
Ive also realised in my quickness ive called it the wrong thing, should be PMDD oops. Will try change the title, thanks for your replies x

Fluffymummy, I have been there. It's hard for anyone who hasn't been there to really understand how bad it can be.
I used transdermal oestrogen for a week or so premenstrually, that worked beautifully. The sudden drop in oestrogen and rising progesterone are what causes severe PMDD and often PND too.
Things have changed for me recently and as I go further into perimenopause (with its associated crazy fluctuations in hormones) the PMDD comes and goes all month long, but I'm tackling that now.

Many women find relief from PMDD with the combined pill. However I don't get on too well with progestins, the mini pill sent me loopy. I could never risk a Mirena because it's progestin only.

So if you can find a combined pill that suits you, it will stop the fluctuations after a couple of months.

By the way, I tried SSRIs for this. Citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine are all SSRIs. I did not get on with any of them. For some, me included, they send your agitation off the scale and unfortunately this didn't subside after 8 weeks of torture.
If you want to look at meds, there are other types that help.

OMG I just came on here to write the exact same post!! I have suffered for years. I've had 2 children so for a time it eased (during pregnancy and a while afterwards). Dd is 19 months now and got my periods back a few months ago and pmdd has come back with a vengeance. I feel like I have no control over my moods and am ashamed to say, I do take it out on my kids. They get shouted at a lot during 'the bad week', especially my nearly 4 yr old ds who is pretty naughty anyway. I am desperate to stop this before this behaviour truly rubs off on them.

The pill never agreed with me when I was taking it as a contraceptive so I don't want to go there. I'd like to try natural remedies before I consider some type of antidepressant. I've seen vitamin B6, calcium and I think magnesium mentioned when doing research, although struggle to find a remedy which contains all these things.

I just hate feeling like this. ....I'm going through the bad patch now. I've felt so low over the past few days. Period due on Friday (woop woop).

I've only just discovered the term pmdd and I'm so glad it is actually being recognised as something much worse than PMS as this never seemed to quite cut it for me and it seems that people who don't suffer with it just don't understand.

Sorry I'm not offering any helpful advice just so glad I have found a thread about this. I hope we all find solutions very soon! X

Hi couchtofivek,
I had the same thing with ssri's years ago they sent me off the rails so not going near them, I wonder if having the mirena removed would make any difference? I would rather not take more tabs if can be helped, will look down the natural route definitely X

Hi lmonkey,
I felt the same when I found the term online everything just matched, don't be hard on yourself when it comes to the kids I'm the same with mine, it just makes me feel bad afterwards.

I'm currently just finished my period so feeling pretty good but I dread in about a weeks time that it's all going to change again. I'm seeing a therapist who is going to research it and I'm thinking of trying jogging, no caffeine and just trying to remember I'm not really a monster.

Fingers crossed we can find some relief xx

I have just been looking at a multivitamin called Premtis on naturesbest.com which has all the recommended stuff in that I have read about which is meant to help, plus loads more. It's got great reviews on the site and I really think it could be worth a try. Only thing is though I'm still breastfeeding 19 month old DD (STILL! - Literally I can't get her to stop lol) and it does say not to take if breastfeeding.....hmmm. I'm so desperate to try this that I'm wondering if it would be OK if I just take it in the evening after she goes to bed which would be about 10 hours before her next breast feed?? Or maybe I should seriously consider stopping bfing for the sake of saving my own sanity. Will feel kinda sad though

But maybe worth a try for you guys too? X