Severe PMT, feel like leaving home every month. Any advice?

[livingstondaisy]

This is my first ever post so hope you girls can give me some advice. I am going to see my GP as my PMT is getting worse. I have always suffered with it but since my baby was born 18 months ago it has become unbearable.

I feel so low, angry and irrational. My hubby is fab and gives me lots of support but it is unfair in my family having to deal with someone who is crazy 2 weeks a month. When I have it it scares me as I feel that I could happily walk out and not go bk, I just long to be alone til my period comes.

I have tried st John's wort but no change.

Can anyone give me any pointers before I see the go, I would prefer to go with some idea of what treatment etc I want so I don't get palmed off.

Thanks

My friend was given Prozac that she took for a time every month, I can't remember if it was a week of a fortnight..... This was a while ago, so there are probably "better" drugs now, but if it is as bad as you say( and I am not doubting you) I think it is worth talking to your gp about it, you seem to have exhausted all options.

FloJo you can get it at Holland and Barrat but I get mine from Healthspan.co.uk as is cheaper and exactly the same

Magnesium OK was brilliant for me prevented homicide

I can sympathise OP. I've had awful PMT for the last 3/4 years. I also feel like running away every month and will totally lose all sense of perspective (and my temper) so easily.

The last 2 months haven't been so bad. I started exercising in November. I do 20 minutes a day on weekdays and it's made a huge difference. Last month I felt stressed and irritable for the 2 days before but I didn't lose my temper and become a shouting lunatic. It might work for you. You have nothing to lose by exercising.

Good luck at the GP and I hope you feel better soon.

ADs for friends were UK based. One was just on a mild AD. The other was on Prozac - but even in her teens her PMT had been horrific. It works for them - and tbh there are times I think it may be worth a shot!

As someone up thread mentioned, cutting out sugar and refined carbs (no bread/pasta) has cured my PMS. I suffered badly with it.

I have tried ADs (worked for a bit), Agnus whatsit (made no difference at all to me) but low carbing has really sorted it.

Low carbing will help if you have PCOS, you can be insulin resistant with that and it makes you feel like shit.

I am also suggesting cutting out carbs, the effect has been amazing. For the first time in my life I was surprised when I got my period. Previously I had a week of feeling murderous to warn me of it's arrival.

I did the bootcamp for a week -10 days then relaxed a bit, but I have completely lost the taste for sugar and am just not interested in sweet things anymore. I'd highly recommend it, it was life-changing for me.

Have any of you 'low carbers' had the PMT at Ovulation time thingymajig? If so did it also reduce that?

Wow, thank you so much ladies. It feels great to know I am not alone in how I feel.

I will try the agnus castus and the magnesium. I don't have any caffeine anyway or alcohol and have hardly any carbs (am doing slimming world) but I do love my chocolate. I will cut that out too.

I will ask for the thyroid bloods to be done as well. I also was taking metformin to help regulate insulin to help the pcos but haven't taken it for ages.Think I will get on to that again too.

When I have it I an scared of what I wouldbe capable of doing, it makes me sad to think of how bad I feel at that time of the month.

Thanks again

Just want to point out that low carbing isn't just about giving up sugary food/bread - it is also about eating the correct amount and type of fat in your diet (I feel this could be unlikely on slimming world, doesn't pasta count as a free food?).

Do hope you feel better soon, PMS is utterly vile.

I found acupuncture great.

Thinking of trying it again as am now menopausal so different hormone swings.

HumphreyCobbler you are right, it is a free food. I tend to eat a fat free yog for brekkie and an apple then a veg soup for lunch or a chicken salad then meat and roast veg for dinner. If I do have carbs its usually rice or spuds. Do you know of any good books about pcos and low carbs so I can be more tailored in how I approach this?

don't know about PCOS specifically, but Briffa's Escape the Diet Trap is good.

Depo injection works for me

Thanks again for the suggestions, have started magnesium, zinc and agnus castus today. I will report back and let you know how it goes. I will also get that book, thanks!

I have also started on agnus castus, magnesium and B something or other, today.
So it'll be interesting to see how we get on over the next couple of months.

My first cycle with agnys castus. I was told it takes three cycles to kick in but I've already noticed a huge difference. Like I was very grumpy before my period instead of psychotic.

Have posted on here before about PMT. It was so bad. Agnus castus changed my life too.

Omega 3 can help a lot! But get a good brand that is pure. Good luck!

Well the agnus castus seems to have done the trick. I had a "stressy" day but apart from that have had no pmt! Am amazed.

On the downside though, my libido has disappeared. Totally. So, I have stopped taking them. Wish there was something I could take to bring that back up to normal and I could take that along with the agnus castus because having no pmt is amazing but no sex drive is crap.