Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

PMDD - anyone any advice on treatments?

15 replies

PapierMacheCake · 28/04/2023 13:53

I'm beginning to think that DD (14) may be suffering with this. She gets really severe anxiety, and I'm realising that the bad times (and they really are very bad) coincide with pre- or during her period. She can't actually tolerate school - or anything else much - during this time, as her physiological anxiety symptoms are horrendous. I've been looking into hormonal treatments, like progesterone gel, but it's hard to get much reliable info. Any experience? Many thanks in advance.

OP posts:
JoanyY · 28/04/2023 22:24

We (DD 14) have / are going through the same. Have just had 12 horrific days with the things you mention and considerably worse; then suddenly all smiles, laughing and back to normal - the day after her period.
She ticks all the boxes of PMDD and although the doctor hasn't offered that up yet as a diagnosis, has just started her on the pill. It may work or may not; may take some tweaking to get the right type. The aim is to reduce the number of periods and thereby smooth the hormonal peaks to which she is sensitive. The next step after that, if the pill doesn't help, is to go on anti-depressants (which we'll probably say no to as have heard so many stories).
In the meantime, (during this sunny interlude) am trying to educate DD as much as possible in the hope she can at least understand what is happening to her; trying to establish better eating habits (magnesium and Vit D are supposed to help) and warn school what is going on and that home schooling might be a necessity at times. We're also on the CAHMS list. Not sure it will resolve but frankly will consider anything...

PapierMacheCake · 29/04/2023 07:55

@JoanyY I'm sorry to hear your DD and you are going through this. Trying the pill sounds like a good first step. We haven't tried anything medical yet and, like you, I would be very (very) reticent about trying antidepressants. Also like you, we've just come out of the worst episode to date, and I'm going to try to work with DD on anxiety management stuff (or just some awareness of what might be going on?) for the next time. DD also has an irregular cycle, so it's all very unpredictable. Thank you for the info on vitamin D and magnesium. Are there any other dietary things you're trying? I'm gently trying to reduce sugar/processed foods, but in the context of DD's mood difficulties, I'm a bit wary of putting any kind of focus on it - really don't want to trigger an eating disorder on the back of this.
Thanks for your message. It's good to discuss this. Please feel free to PM if you fancy more detailed discussion of strategy! All the best.

OP posts:
brookby · 29/04/2023 08:31

I'm in my late 30s and have suffered with PMDD since my teens. Yasmin was the only pill that ever helped me but not a great deal. I can now manage it most months and my best advice is awareness and tracking so that I have an idea of where I am in my cycle and what that means for me (the book Period Power was great for this). In practical terms the things that really help me the most are sleep (like excessively in the week before my period) and cbt type therapy - I've realised that a lot of the suffering is in the thoughts that arise during that time. Cyclical citalopram helped a bit as well. Your daughters are very lucky that you recognise what is going on and helping them from now.

PapierMacheCake · 29/04/2023 08:36

@brookby thank you so much for posting. Sorry that you have this too, and glad you've learned ways to manage it. I'll look into that book you recommend - I haven't actually bought any books on this for DD yet...
How old were you when you realised what was going on, if you don't mind my asking?
Thank you again for posting, Wishing you all the best with it.

OP posts:
Over40Overdating · 29/04/2023 08:45

Oh your poor DD - it’s an horrendous thing.

I was diagnosed in my 30s after peri meno ramped it up.

I was offered the pill and anti depressants which I wasn’t keen on. I started on a really consistent, strict regime of magnesium, D, evening primrose and high dose b6 supplements. No caffeine and no sugar. Regular sleep, exercise and cycle tracking.

After a couple of months of that not only was my cycle like clockwork almost to the minute but the symptoms lessened hugely.

I still had very dark days just before and after my period but I knew to expect them and to work around my moods. It helped to know that if I woke up and felt like the world was ending and it was all pointless or I was in a towering rage over nothing, that it wasn’t real and would pass, like a cold.

You mention progesterone gel - for me progesterone is the driving force of PMDD. My symptoms start and increase in the progesterone stage of my cycle. In hindsight the times I have been on the POP were also some of my worst, mentally.
I’m now on HRT and having to take the progesterone part vaginally as it’s too much of a risk orally.

A gynae I spoke to about it also flagged that some people are just much more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations, which is biological. To the extent that a lot of women who have historically been diagnosed with bipolar actually had PMDD / hormone sensitivity and were ‘cured’ by menopause.

There’s also a high crossover with people with PMDD also being neurodiverse. In my case, at its worst, it would trigger severe anxiety, OCD and I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.

Mindfulness can also help but as a teen that probably isn’t appealing!

As a starter get her on the b6 at the highest dose you can find for now and add the rest as you!

Good luck to her.

brookby · 29/04/2023 08:59

I can't really remember how old I was, maybe mid 20s? Honestly now it sort of doesn't bother me, I know what's happening and why - before I used to think there was something fundamentally wrong with me which made the suffering so much worse - now I know that's it's just my hormones and I plan around them. I know when to rest and most importantly cut myself some slack - in the week before my period my house will be messier, dinners will be crappier, my hair will be dirtier, I will feel uglier and I'm not the best company as my energy is lower and I'm irritable. If my anxiety or depression gets bad I remind myself that it's the hormones, NOT ME. That's where the cbt helped. Some months are worse than others, usually depending on how much external stress I'm under. The worst thing is expecting the bad weeks to disappear or that I should be the same all month. It won’t go away until menopause and trying to make it go away prolongs the suffering. I'm a big believer in medication then use that time to work on solid self awareness and self care (would have punched someone in the face if they told me that years ago though when I was really suffering haha).

brookby · 29/04/2023 09:01

@Over40Overdating 1 million percent agree with everything

JoanyY · 29/04/2023 13:42

@Over40Overdating and @brookby thank you so much for your posts; will definitely be looking at diet and supplements. Also interesting to hear CBT has been beneficial; there certainly isn’t a silver bullet to this and I feel we have a journey ahead. For my DD the symptoms have been there for months but it is only this last cycle where things have been so low for so long that the penny dropped for me. As you say, self awareness of mood and behaviour is also key to this.

orangeflags · 29/04/2023 19:22

Exactly what @Over40Overdating said. My DD saw a Harley st specialist about this a few years ago. She's on Yasmin back to back. Diet is important, no alcohol, Solgar extra potent B vitamins. Magnesium and loads and loads of exercise.

PapierMacheCake · 03/05/2023 10:28

That's very encouraging, @brookby - great to hear how well you're able to manage it.

@Over40Overdating I'm sorry you've struggled so much, and that's very interesting about the progesterone. Am taking a lot of notes about diet and supplements.

@orangeflags I wondered about private specialists, and may go down that route if we can't get things sorted without. We're quite a distance from Harley Street, but would travel, and it looks like experts in this are few and far between.

Thank you again all for posting. It's so good to hear others' experiences

OP posts:
PapierMacheCake · 03/05/2023 10:29

@orangeflags hope your DD is doing OK now.

OP posts:
orangeflags · 03/05/2023 12:40

Yes she's fantastic now. Sticks to the regime and is at the gym or cycling every day. Definitely worth getting on top of

SquirrelSoShiny · 03/05/2023 12:45

I wanted to mention ADHD as a possibility too. I am perimenopausal and take HRT to manage the hormone shifts on the advice of my psychiatrist. Some of us are very prone to hormone sensitivity and neurodivergence can be a factor here. It's just something to consider.

RandomMess · 03/05/2023 12:53

I found a great website on this (American) and have never been able to find it again as well as magnesium, B6 etc is said natural oestrogen (not synthetic) was the treatment.

I react horrifically to progesterone.

Over40Overdating · 03/05/2023 14:25

@PapierMacheCake you’re welcome! It can be such an isolating thing as you feel like you are half mad and overreacting yet it’s totally out of control!
My cousin struggled for years with her MH and on the back of my experience also was diagnosed with PMDD and ADHD!

Google Dr John Studd & the London menopause & pms clinic. The advice and related forums were so informative for me.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread