Premenstrual Dsyphoric Disorder...can it be affected by diet?

[Tyniclogs]

After an absolutely hellish couple of weeks feeling as though I am going mad I think I have reached a breakthrough today. Basically I have had a history of depression and PMS over the years and after two children I also had PND with worsening severity after the second child who is nearly two. My periods have always been regular 28 day cycles and some months are better than others. My mum has a history of quite severe PMS and used to take Cyclogest. I am generally a very happy person these days and don't class myself as in any way mentally unwell anymore. The past few weeks I've felt anxious, self concious, depressed, completely lacking in energy and definately negative. Physically I've been uncomfortabley bloated and peeing at night, achey, tense and lacking in any co-ordination.

I started at slimming world about 5 weeks ago (because I would like a breast reduction operation and need to have a BMI of 25 before the NHS will allow it...my BMI is currently 29) and have been losing weight whilst eating a low carb, low diary diet...and that is where I think everything has collided! I think the change in diet has had a drastic affect on my mood and yesterday I felt suicidal and couldn't stop weeping. My mood has been so erratic and I've felt like a completely worthless mum. My period started showing on Monday but I didn't start to bleed properly until yesterday. Today I have woken up and feel like a completely different person. Having looked everything up online I feel I seem to fit the PDD catogory just due to the severity of how I've been feeling...although it hasn't been that bad in previous months.

I have made an appointment with the GP for next week and am nervous as to what they will say as I am going to ask for a referal to a dietition rather than to go down the route of hormones or anti depressents. I wondered if anyone had any experience or advice to add?

I don't know if this will help but I get really bad PMT and at this time i NEED carbs, my body tells me to eat potato, pasta, rice whatever. So I do. You need to keep your blood sugar on an even keel at at this time otherwise you will feel like you are going mad. I try to avoid chocolate this time of the month which i find really hard but it helps and never drink alcohol the two weeks before my period. I try and eat little and often.

OP, the reaction you describe is prob "withdrawal" from the usual carb/dairy foods. I have read a lot about how wheat affects health and it's quite poss that if you stick to the diet you would rebuild your health and figure. It's hard and you might want to do it in steps. I ditched wheat when my ds had to go gluten free and feel a lot better, switched on and energetic and lost some weight too.

Also, the early phase of withdrawal is like detox, so make sure you drink enough water to speed up the process.
Read up on wheat or gluten and you should find a lot of info how it affects health.

also, take vit B complex

I have many symptoms of this too OP, i can definately relate to the feeling that you are a worthless rubbish mum!!! And crying, feeling like everything would be better if you wern't here :( I have a terrible time and then the day the bleeding starts, i wake up feeling absolutely fine! I am sick of it. It only got this bad after the birth of DD2. I have had a severe anxiety disorder and have come through it but for a few days every month i get these horrible severe symptoms. I went to the doctors and came out with loads of print-outs and that was it

Thanks for that nightcat, im going to read up on that!!

I too crave carbs and can't stop eating for a few days.

Thanks everyone, I shall definately be looking into the diet aspect and will wait to see how sympathetic the GP is! I definately need to be drinking more water but its just one more thing to remember. My sympathies 25...definately with you on that one, its hard enough being a mum without hormones flooring you every month.