Severe PMS/ PMDD. What do you do to help yourself...

[allegrageller]

Hi all

I'm just coming to the conclusion that my PMS has got totally out of hand and become Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder.

Last week was hell, I shook, cried for hours, couldn't face people at all, could hardly move from bedroom, everything seemed totally unbearable. Now with onset of period I feel so much calmer. Still depressed and anxious due to acute life stress atm but able to function and see a way out.

I even felt the mood shift happening on day 1 of the curse! Like the madness just lifting off me.

I need to find strategies to deal with this. It's becoming really crippling and I fear for any future relationships I may have and for my kids (I tend to keep going better when they're around but only have 50% custody which is part of the problem I think.)

I'm thinking cut down coffee (argh!), yoga, herbal remedies (what??)...do any other MNers have this problem and have you found any ways to deal with it?

I am currently taking agnus castus (herbal remedy from Holland & Barratt) as an experiment. Had good results in a study reported in BMJ so thought it worth a try as PMS is a bit of a blight for me too at the moment. Not had a period since I started so I don't know if it will work yet. fingers crossed.

ok reikizen I may try that again. I recall taking it years ago. Life's been so stressful recently I haven't been taking care of myself so that no doubt doesn't help...do you use oils etc (evening primrose, starflower...)

I have tried vitamin b12 and evening primrose oil with no real success. I am currently also having monthly relfexology which seems to help with the food cravings and period pains but not with the terrible psycho/emotional/irrational/furious person I become each month. I did also visit my GP once who said dismissively that I should 'visit Holland & Barratt for that sort of thing.' If you google agnus castus the BMJ study should come up, that's how I found it I think.
I think you are right, when things are stressful it is hard to focus on 'health' issues sometimes.

Im on prozac, I know it seems exteme, but it was taking over my life. Im much improved now, it dosent seem to effect me day to day but my pms is much better.
I am on 40 mgs though.
Good luck, its awful i know.

My herbalist made me a tailored remedy that was mostly Wild Yam tincture and it worked absolute wonders for my hideously severe PMT. The stuff you buy in health shops wasn't anywhere near as effective for me, so I'd definitely recommend a chat with a registered medical herbalist.

prozac and te pill taken back to back for about 4 months at a time

floury I've been on SSRIs for about 16 years, I think they used to help but they're probably ceasing to have an effect on me at all by now

I actually think I would hardly need ADs if I could always feel the way I do now- e.g. week 1 of my cycle. Week 2 isn't too bad, week 3 gets gradually worse and more crabby, by week 4 I am a shaking crying wreck who just wants to die (not much of an exaggeration really)...!!

It's a weird thought for me- that what's been diagnosed all my life as borderline bipolar disorder/ chronic depression could mostly be hormone-related

I am just so tired of hormones ruling my life and wonder why it is happening... Maybe only a hysterectomy will do it for me?!

ta spiderlight I will try the Wild Yam tincture too...
xx

Primrose did you find the pill actually helped? I just went bonkers on it (in a different way than usual) and got really fat

yes I too go 'bonkers' on the pill, I have been reccomended the depo injection but Im too worried about the effects.

Its so misunderstood isnt it? I also have been diagnoised several times with clinical depression, pnd, seen a therapist etc but eventually the pattern was too strong to ignore.

My month goes exactly like yours, week 1, feel fine, happy even, sometimes seem to get a bit on a high, Im so relived the crazy days have gone. Then gradually worse untill week before my period I feel terrible, argumentative, insecure and plain bonkers.

My mum had terrible hormaonal probs and only got better post-menopause which fills me with dread!

I keep trying to stop prozac but now feel I just need it, prob need to go up to 60mgs and accept it tbh.

Maybe a different a/d?

I have heard good things re agnus castus also.

That was a long post!

I dont really talk about it too often tbh, as soon as I feel I cant cope, my period comes and things feel a little better agin. And on the cycle goes, it was dp who eventually said this time I needed to go back to the doctors...... 3 days of me in bed telling him we had no future and to leave me was enough.

I do feel its an awful thing, to just have no control over your own emotions, I hope you find a way to feel better.

Vitamin B6 and magnesium helped me a lot.

Yep, pill evens the hormones out - marvellon - marvellous lol!

I got v fat on progesterone only stuff though.

mine is a mono phasic pill even hormones all through the pack

info

yep floury- am on 40mg citalopram- maybe I need to go back to 60 too

it makes you feel so out of control doesn't it- and I really think you start feeling you're going insane.

I always tend to 'dump' the person I'm wit when I have PMS too- that's a big sign of PMDD I hear

Dumped my last boyfriend during that period at least partly because I can't handle subjecting someone else in my life to all this crap. The PMS also had a terrible impact on my marriage (now very much over) I would fly into rages with H completely out of the blue.

I am going to have to put some sort of action plan into place for it next month- book reflexology appointments, cut down the coffee, get the herbs in...

Primrose I was thinking of trying the progesterone only pill as I've heard PMS is to do with low progesterone or something like that....

suppose if I get TOO fat I can just come off it...mind you fat and happy got to be better than my current state!

O.K. deep breath (prepare for flaming)!!

If you not only cut down or if you're feeling brave cut OUT caffeine and alcohol and nicotine.

You also could try changing yr.; diet like not eating wheat, or high sugar foods (You CAN buy no sugar chocolate) .

Chamomile is amazing for relaxing and female balancing, as is Evening primrose oil. You have to try different herbs till you find one that agrees with you.

why would you get flamed for that ppeat??

sounds like sesible advice.

I stopped smoking and cut out almost all booze last month(had 1 glass of wine a week) and my PMS got WORSE (worse month for stress events though generally)
I rarely eat chocolate (except at Easter/Xmas) but my diet isn't really good enough generally.

just need to cut the coffee...problem is I literally can't wake up without it!!

Thanks allegra.. My DD uses green tea to help cut the coffee addiction; if you also put a mint tea bag in the cup as well it takes away the 'thinness' of herbal tea that some people find hard to get used to.

allegra - smoking is an anti depressant some good articles if you google.

I do think it will take about 6 weeks to make any difference to your moods.

Another tip to beat nicotine craving (which only really works if you can go to bed for a couple of days 'cos you will feel shit really bad) is to just eat fruit for two days.

Good luck

Primrose.. if you believe that you will believe anything!!

I know some people who are manic depressives and are heavy smokers.

hehe Primrose, don't say things like that to me

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or any other of many sources

ppeatfruit - I am sure that all the things you mention are useful, they do make a modicum of difference as i do/have done tried all of them.

However the sheer despair of PMDD is not alleviated by small measures. TBH the camomile route reminds me of the Billy Connelly sketch about a horrific car crash and a woman shouting "let me through, i am aromatherapist" and rubbing lavender oil on the temples of someone with a broken leg.

Ah you poor thing, I believe I get this too, it hasn't been diagnosed as when I finally cottoned on to what was happening and spoke to the doctor (who said I should write down my moods/cycle for a few months) I fell pregnant within three weeks!

It's (by comparison) bliss being pregnant, although I still get moods and feel hormonal sometimes it's nowhere near as horrendous as the PMDD, I really have felt suicidal during those days, I just cry and cry, can't cope with normal life, don't want to get dressed or leave the sofa.

And yeah the rows with dp and the number of times I've told him we should end it - the worst episode was when I told my dsis I didn't deserve to have a child and I should move out and leave him with his dad. She was really scared and upset to see me like that, and I was so embarassed when two days later I was fine.

I think the doctor recommended prozac - I didn't much like the thought of being on that every day just to control the few days a month when I feel so bad, but it may be necessary once my periods return.

Yeah primrose but a complete change of lifestyle is not a 'small measure'.

there are positive moves that we can all do, eg. I have been through the menopause without HRT. I just took herbs (most allopathic medicine is based on herbs)and i eat really well.

better that than living a half life on anti depressants.