Severe PMS / PMDD - what worked for you?

[Ceetee23]

Hi

Since the birth of my daughter I’ve had really bad PMS/PMDD. I’m so aware of my cycles as it’s so stark the difference in my mood and wellbeing.

I can tell when I’m ovulating as get a little anxious, stressed and very down. I then come out of it after a few days and am ok for a few days. Then the stress and irritability and short fuse comes about a week before my period. Then I start feeling very depressed before my period. With my worst day being before my period starts where things are very bleak and I feel so hopeless and non functioning.

I’ve tried to go on the combined pill mercillon which sent me into a deep depression and suicidal over a month.

I saw a gyno who prescribed Esmya which stops progesterone which again sent me suicidal.

Anti depressants give me terrible side effects. I’m currently on 10mg citalopram but having to come off soon due to side effects after 6 months. My PMs still impacts even on these.

What worked for you?

Supplements?
Probiotics?
Mirena coil?
Mini pill?

Any ideas welcome x

I have a similar issue to await any wiser persons comments with you! Synthetic hormones also make me suicidal. Anti Ds take the edge off as I can tolerate them.

I feel a difference from taking Omega 3,6,9 capsules. By difference I mean I’m worse if I don’t take them but not ‘cured’ by taking them if that makes sense?! I am in the middle of a terrible period right now. I think that diet plays a significant role ie sugar intake and blood sugar stability. I usually eat Beth healthily however over Christmas I have eaten double if not triple the sugar. Yesterday I had a panic attack that lasted 90 mins.. coincidence I think not!

I also take probiotics and the Mirena has been suggested but im waiting for the side effects of my new anti D to settle before I’ll consider it

I had to come off any sort of hormonal contraception as it was making me really ill. We now use Natural Cycles and it has worked for us so far. Check it out online. It helps you work out when you’re ovulating with a special thermometer thing and then tells you the days you should be avoiding having unprotected sex if you don’t want to fall pregnant.
Do you get enough sleep? I find my PMS is 10x worse if I’m really tired. I also listen to an app on my phone (Glenn Harold) which has anxiety and stress release hypnotherapthy videos to listen to before sleep. They really help me to sleep deeply when I’m feeling like crap.
Have you had blood tests done to check for hormonal imbalances?

Ill try the omega 3 thankyou. I currently take B6 and calcium and starflower oil which help a little. Like you say, it by no mean cures it!

I want as few hormones as possible! But can’t deal with this until post menapause! I’m 38 now so a while to wait. Hope we get some info on here... anyone? Xx

I’m so sorry to hear that you are suffering. I have suffered with PMDD for years and it’s crippling.
I had the mirena coil fitted , not only did it not alleviate symptoms it gave me horrendous boil like spots on my face , so that was removed .
I’ve tried various contraceptive pills alongside venlafaxine (for depression). Since stopping the pill altogether (still on the venlafaxine) I definitely felt better and wasn’t nearly so tired and felt more like myself than I had in a long time.
Exercise helps - I have started running and find it helps.
Vitamin D3 5000 IU also takes the edge off the anxiety - especially in the winter months. I think they call it the sunshine vitamin.
Unless you suffer with PMS/PMDD I think it’s hard to understand just how debilitating it can be. You feel like the only person suffering with it. Keep trying different things , there’s no cure as such , it’s finding out what works best for you. Of everything I can recommend , exercise is a real help. I started with couch potato to 5K for my running . That was 6 months ago and I’m no where near 5K but it has certainly helped.

Thankyou for your reply that’s really good to know. I was thinking of starting couch to 5k actually. It is debilitating, I have friends who claim to have PMs but it is nowhere near what I have!! I’ll keep trying x

I can really see myself in your post. I used the moon dreams diary to record my moods last year and I was helpful looking back to the day of the last month to see I felt the same and obviously that the feels had passed at some point. It was by no means a cure but it gave me hope. I tried drinking kefir (full of probiotics) for a while and taking vitamin D but I can't say the difference was noticeable. I don't drink caffeine as rule as this makes me feel more anxious, but doesn't seem to help or hinder any depressive feelings. Open to new ideas if anyone has any!

I also tried the kefir! I’ll try anything. It feels so unfair to be a woman. Gyno suggested injections to put me into chemical menopause but considering my reaction to other hormones and changes I can’t imagine having that injection and not being able to take it away if I suffer a terrible reaction! Must be another way. Sorry we are all suffering

God I sympathise with everyone on here. Sometimes I feel like my life revolves around my fucking menstrual cycle. What really gets me is that it lasts a whole bloody 2 weeks, basically from ovulation onwards its a steady nose dive into worse and worse moods with sore boobs and bloating along the way.
That basically means half of every month!

Anyway, I've found no synthetic medication to be of any use either. I second exercise and also would suggest natural supplements. There's one I take that is actually for the menopause but works for PMS/PMDD too as it helps to regulate hormones. Can't remember the name - might be black cohosh. Also Agnus castus and St. John's wort help me, in a similar way a pp said, ie, that I feel so much worse without them. A decent dose of B vits is also good as is either evening primrose oil or starflower oil, which is stronger.
And yes, I do rattle when I walk but I genuinely notice the difference- especially with breast tenderness; if I slack off with the supplements I find myself wincing in pain when I take my bra off for the second half of the month, which is a handy reminder to get back on them.

Prozac...(fluoxetine) It has changed my life hugely, I now only have one or two ‘normal’ mardy pms days, as opposed to the previous 14-17 days of crazy hell that I went through each cycle before. No understatement, it was terrible, from the age of about 30! I was like two different people in the different halves of my cycle, now it’s manageable and I no longer worry that my family will have me committed. (Only half joking... )

Oh and to add to other PPS here, sadly no pill worked for me, they all made me 10 times worse. The much lauded cerazette was the worst in fact.

OP I hated citopram too, Prozac was/is worlds apart (for me anyway).

Citalopram sorry!

Glad you have found something that works, good news! I tried fluoxetine before and had terrible reactions. In that sense citalopram is better but doesn’t stop things just takes the very edge off. If I could up my dose it may help but side effects bad enough as it is so can’t go higher.

I’ve heard about Agnus Castus actually I wonder if that’s worth a try. Seems to really work for some people

I had dreadful PMS, bordering on PMDD. It started after having children, and my theory is that stress and lack of sleep triggered it. Stress can have a really nasty effect on your other hormones, as can lack of sleep.

It's taken me some years, but it's more manageable now. I started by reading up on hormones, mainly Sara Gottfrieds The Hormone Cure and Christiane Northrups books. That put me on the right track, but it was a lot of trial and error. I now take vitamin B6, which really helps. I also have magnesium flakes baths or use magnesium lotion after a shower. I go swimming and use the sauna after 2-3 times a week. I say no a lot (work and DH, mainly), and I look after myself and try to put myself first. I have started to see PMS as a symptom of an imbalance in my life that I needed to address.

So my best advice is to read up on hormones and give everything you try a few months before you give up. You need the whole picture, body and soul are connected. Good luck, you are going to need it.

Try a vegan diet + no refined sugars for a month (Carol Vorderman 28 day detox is good). Modern dairy and meat contain a lot of hormones. Any PM cramps disappeared for me once I cut out dairy. If you find it works for you, you can gradually reintroduced fish and grass fed organic beef etc.

I went vegan for 4 months in the hope it would help, it didnt work for me tbh, if anything it made me worse and I was very careful to take full B12 and vegan multivits everyday, plus monitoring my nutrient food intake. That said, it can work well for some, so could be worth a try, I liked being vegan, so would have continued happily, but my family were a nightmare as they hated all the food! (they are fussy fuckers though.)

In fairness, I should say ‘plantbased’ rather than vegan, as mine was a lifestyle, rather than a political choice.

Jesus, meant ethical not political. I am due for AF, can you tell?

I tried several types of pill before I found one which really worked called lucette (something to do with the estrogen I think) - the others made me a raving, aggressive monster but I was determined to keep trying! That combined with vitamin d, b vitamins and exercise have helped a lot. I don't think it can be cured but it's definitely manageable now.

I'm so so glad I've found this thread!! My PMS has always been bad and it runs in my family. My DM for half of the month was a raging cow, she has said when she was younger would get suicidal thought etc. Growing up you would see a difference in her in the 2 weeks running up to her period. It was like she was 2 people. Also my sister is the same and is on AD. When she's due on too she's a different person. I always thought I weren't as bad and I weren't up until I became pregnant and then had my son. My hormones went crazy and now when my periods are due from the 14 days before I can feel my mood going downhill quickly. It's now at the point where little suicidal thoughts pop in. I would never act on them because they aren't strong and I know the mood will pass.

I know don't take the pill because it makes me 10x worse. I now have the copper coil. I've seen some helpful tips on here. I've also done a bit of reading up on the Prozac too. Anyone else got this prescribed for PMDD and what were your experiences?

See my post above dusk