Pmdd help please

[Helpplease101]

Hi all I would love some help as this is completely ruining my life. I have one Ovary and one fallopian tube due to a large dermoid on my other one years ago. I know I also have a dermoid on my remaining one although I dont know the size. Every month my bleeding is so heavy and lasts for 8 to 9 days. The week before I have severe pmdd symptoms. Brain fog, anxiety, irritated, moody, tearful and just an awful person. So this is all taking up more than half my life.

I will be 44 next month. I have asked if I can have blood tests to see if I'm pre menapausal and my gp said no.

I'm considering asking for a hysterectomy in the hope it will help my mental health. I'm a single parent and I really need to get myself together. I have no tolerance to the pill by the way it makes me even worse!!

Any advice appreciated.

Hi there @Helpplease101
I just wanted to post to say I hope you’re ok and ask how you’re doing?
I’ve just joined this site for the same help and trying not to work out if it’s best to go to the gp about my symptoms but need to be taken seriously by them.
Have they worked something out for you?

Ask to be referred via NHS Choose & book to a gynacologist at your nearest private hospital, I had exactly the same symptoms & had a laparoscopy which removed a cyst, my ovary & both tubes & was diagnosed with endometriosis. I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy, was only in the hospital 14 hours before being discharged home.

Would you consider a Mirena coil to control your bleeding ?

@Nat6999
hi there, can anyone do NHS choose and book ? I’m terrified that the gp I visit won’t take me seriously or have any knowledge on this condition.

mirena would a really common, useful thing to try in the situation described by OP.

I have had PMDD for years. Its so awful. I dont think people often understand. I am also sensitive to hormonal medication.
Since Ive been in perimenopause, Ive worked out (and had confirmed) that I have progestorone intolerance. This includes intolerance to my own natural progesterone, but artificial progesterone is worse, which has affected contraception choices too, and meant that I couldnt tolerate the progesterone part of HRT, even bio-identical, and yet no HRT at all is hideous. Its been quite a horrible time tbh.
I am having a bit more success with tibolone instead of HRT, but its making me quite tired, but im not even two weeks into it yet.
Like you, ive also thought about whether hysterectomy is the answer, but I cant imagine getting that without a fight.
I didnt want a mirena as its still progestogen, and I have had it before a long time ago, and I remember having side effects from it then and being told that it was impossible, until I read all the stuff online about other people also having side effects. I was also concerned that it wouldnt be easy to get them to agree to remove it if they didnt think id given it enough of a try.
What they dont seem to appreciate is that if youre giving something a try, thats all very well, but if the side effects actually make you feel like a monster or a different person, or unable to cope with anything, then how long are you supposed to try that for??
At least with a tablet or a patch, you can stop taking it if its awful or break it in half etc

Bussylizzamumma any GP can refer you, just insist you want referring through choose & book.

I have PMDD and am now on the list for a hysterectomy and bilateral salapingo oophorectomy at 37 but it's taken me years to get to this stage. You have several different 'levels' of treatment to get through before the NHS will consider surgery. These include ssris hormones and chemical menopause. At your age you are likely to get surgery easier than me though. Pp is right we who suffer are often intolerant to progesterone but it can work for some people. GPs range wildly but most have very little understanding of PMDD if any. You need a gynae referral, best thing to do is go in with the symptom diary to show you are only suffering in literal phase and ask for a gynae referral. Good luck, it's truly and horrendous condition.

*luteal phase

Also there are support groups on Facebook, the IAMPD one is good for discussing treatment options and knowledgable practitioners etc

If you get a hysterectomy approval, ask about the laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, it is done keyhole & you keep your cervix which helps avoid a prolapse later on. You are normally only in hospital one night, have a catheter & drain for about 8 hours & once you can wee you can go home. I was pottering around at home the day I came home & even managed a walk to the corner shop the same day. I was back driving 4 days later & able to have sex after 2 weeks.