anti-depressants for severe PMS - any experience?

[Mij]

Hi all

Been to see my GP because my PMS is returning with a vengeance, unlike after I had DD1, and with two small children I can't just take myself off somewhere I won't upset people like I could when it was just the two of us.

My initial thought was to go back on the pill (haven't been on it for 10 years and have no risk factors) to try to moderate the extremes of the up and down moods, and I'm giving that a try, cycling three packs together to see if that helps enough, but he actually suggested anti-depressants first. That took me aback, and he said two brands - Citalopram and Fluoxetine, are considered good for PMS symptoms. He would assume I'd start on a low dose.

Anyone have any experience of anti-depressants for PMS, or any experience of those two brands? I really want to know how they would make me feel. I'm concerned that the price I'd pay for smoothing out the downs, would be losing the ups/energy/other thing that makes me me the rest of the time. I'm also concerned about being on medication long-term, as I know you can't just stop anti-depressants and have to come off them gently.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Songbird started a thread about this. I think she is on citalopram. Try looking further down the list of threads or do a search as she was looking for other people in the same situation.

Thanks PiggyMad, will do

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feeling_depressed/965185-Citalopram-for-PMS-PMDD-anyone
voila!

Thank you again!

Anyone..?

i combine the pill, tri cycling it with sertraline. this very effectively manages ,y pmdd. neither is enough on it's own

I'm reading your mail and it could be about me! I was put onto anti-depressants twice (after each child) to deal with bad PMS. This wasn't something i had huge problems with before having children, but hormones went haywire after pregnancies. Anyway, used to dread the monthly black moods where at one point i was even looking at flats on sale so i could leave DH (he is great husband and father, no idea where thoughts came from)...I was put on low dose fluoxetine and to be honest, i didn't see a huge difference. Each time i came off about 6 months later. I have since tried going back on combined pill, but have so far been through 6 brands and had side effects with all of them (hormones must be really shot!!). I have now been prescribed minipill to see if this helps as doc says maybe i am having a reaction to hormones in combined pill. FWIW, in between pregnancies when i didn't want to go back on pill, i tried taking Agnus Castus (a herbal pill that helps progesterone levels i believe)...This really seemed to help with black moods, but FYI, it has added effect of increasing fertility if you are having fertility issues (which i was).

monophasic pill btw - best for balancing hormones.

I have found 5htp - 50mg - 100mg last thing at night very helpful and I also do the following:

combined magnesium/calcium supplement - take last thing at night with the 5htp.

passiflora

cut out caffeine - increase general fluid intake

cut out all sugar and as much gluten as you can manage - cutting out the sugar makes a huge difference. You can use a low gi natural sweetener like agave syrup if you crave something sweet.

a combined vitamin B complex

All these things have helped me.

I totally sympathize, i've struggled with pmt for years, some months worse than others. I will watch with interest any suggestions as had a baby 10 months ago and been breastfeeding and therefore feeling quite 'normal' but stopped a couple of months ago and pmt back with a venegance
Things i have tried-
St Johns wort- maybe made the ups/downs a little better
Agnus castus/ evening primrose/ b12- didn't notice much difference tbh
Citalopram- can't really comment as only took for a month as really didn't want to go down that route as trying for another baby/having fertility treatment but did feel a bit 'high' which i put down to maybe not really needing it as such for the whole month iykwim
Also tried homopathic stuff- think natrum mur, which helped slightly
am thinking of trying marina coil/ implant as heard might help??? Can anyone comment on that??

My GP put me on Cerazette, the contraceptive pill, as I needed to start some form of birth control anyway. It has worked wonders for my PMT and I don't feel like I want to murder anybody each month anymore, usually DH.

wow, thanks everyone.

I'm breastfeeding my 11mo and judging by the fact that she a) eats almost nothing and b) my nearly 4yo is still having a snack every few mornings, I'm expecting to be carrying on for some time. So that's something I have to consider when choosing a treatment too.

Thanks for the heads up on fertility - my issue is the opposite; absolutely not having any more kids! Too old, too tired

PrimroseCrabapple could you explain the tricycling thing please? Not familiar with the other drug you mentioned.

I know it's too early to tell, and the placebo effect is very powerful, but in the week I've been back on the pill I haven't blown up at, or reacted unkindly to, either child. It could be that they've just synchronised in a sweet phase of course...

combined monophasic pill, take 3 months consecutively before having a break. Sertraline is breastfeeding friendly prozac.

My friend had severe PMT and at certain times of the month contemplated suicide, struggled to maintain her relationship with her hubby etc. However her G.P put her on to Fluxetine (Prozac) and she hasnt looked back. She says she feels better than she has in years and is on 20mg.

Tras, wow, that puts my problems into perspective.

atomicsnowflake I used a lot of supplements based on a (reasonably well-referenced) book, before I had kids, but my problem now with changing diet and taking pills with two tiny ones around is that I just don't remember. No amount of notes, reminders (electronic or otherwise) knots in handkerchiefs are a match for my scattered concentration and sleep-deprived brain so I'd be spending a lot of money to do something in a half-arsed i.e. destined to fail, way. I'll probably revisit it when the wee ones are a little older, though. And we're all sleeping a little better.

A lot of CBT-type mood-lifting things also help (in particular fresh air and exercise, ironically as I used to be a fitness instructor) but again, I often can't get enough of what I need, when I need it with the tinies, especially as DP is away sporadically.

PrimroseCrabapple how does Sertraline make you feel? And am I right in thinking you take it just one week in 10..?

The sertraline evens out the mood swings, i take it every day though, the on off stuff wasn't a goer for me.