does anyone else suffer from really REALLY bad PMT?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Ok firstly I'm being a bit previous. My period has just returned today four months after having my first baby. I haven't had one in a year but I've been dreading them returning because I get the most horrific PMT.

I usually feel incredibly depressed, tearful, irrational, faintly aggressive and can't cope with normal life while it's happening. Many times in the past I've had to take a day or two off work because I just couldn't function properly, crying all the time and snapping at people, and just wanted to lie down in a dark room and not do anything until it was over.

Does anyone else have pmt like this and how do you cope? and has anyone been to the doctors about it or got any help with it? Thanks.

I am not an expert in this and I don't suffer from PMT, but do you use a chemical contraceptive? If so, have you ever noticed a difference between your symptoms on and off of chemical contraceptives?

Have you thought about consulting an alternative practitioner eg a reflexologist who specialises in woman and fertility, or a homeopath?

I wasn't using any contraceptives in the year or so before getting pregnant (using the pull out and pray technique- hence why I got pregnant) because I had bad reactions to depo provera etc

So I think I get bad PMT anyway, but I can't remember having it so badly in my teens so I'm not sure why it's been so bad in recent years.

No, hadn't thought of consulting a naturopath, I don't mean to be skeptical but I have no spare money to spend on things that may not work.

I understand what you are saying about spending money on things that may not work, but for what it's worth, here's my point of few:

It is most probably something to do with a chemical/hormonal balance within your body. If you go to your GP they will probably do one of two things: nothing, or treat the symptoms. Treating the symptoms, does not find the cause. Alternative therapies tend to tackle both.

Good point, thanks for your help.

Does anyone else have any experience with bad pmt?

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i suffered with severe PMT,could have literaly killed someone, ive been on tablets for depression to help with this for 7 years now and they are fab! i am pmt free and wont be getting arrested for murder any day soon!

Yes, I become a bit insane about two weeks before my period and two weeks after, pretty much all the time then!
Seriously though, I know exactly what you mean. Everything and everybody annoys you, it's hard to relax, you don't want to get out of bed and you feel very negative about yourself. Great isn't it? I haven't tried to find a solution, the only thing I do is to talk myself out of a bad mood. Sounds a bit strange, but I remind myself it's just my hormones and on a different day I will feel much calmer. This may stop you snapping, and it takes a lot of self control and willpower.
Also I find watching some good comedy is excellent because once you start laughing it instantly improves your mood.
One other thing I would suggest is an aromatherapy massage, it will make you feel fantastic.

i feel quite aggressive, which usually happens when i'm driving.

"Magnesium OK" in Womens HEalth Section at Boots £10 for 90 tablets..take one a day and Agnus Castus tablets (from Justvitamins online) changed my life..!! I am no longer a MARDYBITCHFROMHELL!!

Honest,ask my DH!!

Mirena coli changed my life literally !
Was getting really bad pmt 2 weeks before which reached near hysteria and then i would get my period and be on a high !
The mirena has entirely got rid if every trace of pmt.

OOps meant mirens coil !
Coli sounds like a wierd infection

Same here with the Mirena. I had bad PMT too - mainly depression and tearfulness, and paranoia (sounds dire). Since having the Mirena, I haven't had the mood swings hardly at all, but I would say that my mood has been generally flatter all month, so while the PMT hasn't been so bad, I haven't been that cheerful either!! Don't really want to go back to the PMT though, so think I will stick with it.

I was like that all the while its not as bad since having dd
i find choclate helps
i also eat raw spuds (just one) as the starch is good for pmt apparently (my a level biology teacher said so anyhow)

If you go to your GP about PMT guaranteed they will prescribe AD's. They may offer you the contraceptive pill or something like norethisterone to help but usually it is AD's.

I too suffer really bad PMT 2 weeks before AF but refused AD's - I wanted to try alternatives first.

I have reflexology once a month (helps a bit but not enough imo), and as santaslittletoiletflusher said, Magnesium Ok & agnus castus is good, or eveining primrose (high strength), vit b6.

I am thinking about trying a homeopath or acupunture for it as the reflexology doesn't seem to be working for me anymore.

I used to have horrific PMT, coupled with grief when I lost my DS1 5 years ago I could have easily killed someone. The worse things I did included throwing a very large stainless steel microwave at my other half and ripping a door off it's hinges!!!

Needless to say, I'm not that bad anymore! I went on the Depo injection, which stopped my periods completely, therefore no PMT and when I came off that to try for a baby 2 years ago I found my PMT was no where near what it used to be. Then PMT was coupled with not being pregnant...which made me an emotional wreck! But a year down the line I got pregnant and DD is now 15 months old. I just get very emotional now, a little bit angry and snappy, but thats it.

I think it runs in famillies. My mother and sister suffer too.

My symptoms are mainly aggression , tearfulness, intense irritation of others, noise and depression , lasts 2-3 days & completly gone once bleeding starts.

I think these symptoms gradually got worse into my 20's, but were much improved after pregnancy. The symptoms have built up again and I have tried b6, magnesium, these did not work.

Over the years I have learnt to live with it, managing my diary accordingly & taking multi vitamins with iron + evening primrose every day. This def helps, but i am also very regular and so tend to plan as little as possible for these days, I eat anything I WANT AND WHEN I WANT As (oops caps!!)
I am so hungry. I'd say be nice to yourself and allthough would not consider ad's , evidence suggests this can be helpful for extreme symptoms and PMDD.

I always had fairly severe PMT. Do you know it disappeared when I moved abroad for a while. MAkes you wonder... So now I don't drink water from the tap and try to avoid non-organic meat and dairy products - all sources of extra hormones you don't need.

I have this atm and am exhausted and can't stop eating (literally)