SSRI for PMT

[SarahAshley2]

I have general anxiety and depression which isn’t too bad but my PMT is getting awful! It’s lasting longer and I’m just horrible for about 2 weeks each month so half of my life! I had a consultation with a menopause specialist, but I’m only 35 so she said it wasn’t likely that. She mentioned SSRI’s taken just around this time but we didn’t go in to depth. Does anyone take them just for PMT and how and when do you take them? It feels odd to take something like that then stop and start again as surely you need it in your system all the time so you don’t get withdrawal?

Any tips?

I mentioned supplements instead of SSRI’s but she didn’t seem interested and said not a lot of evidence that they work. I’ve read about magnesium and vitamin b so maybe they’d be better first.

Thanks for your advice.

I started ssris for pmt as my lows and anxiety were getting unmanageable. It worked a treat.

Do you take them just for two weeks and which ones?

Sorry for the delay! I take it all the time. There's no way I would have remembered to start and stop like that, and I'm not sure it's great to be going on and off.

Yes I tried this as was having the same issue as you (I was 38 at the time) - low dose fluoxetine around ovulation. I didn't really get on with it as it seemed to have an estrogen effect and my boobs swelled up and became painful whenever I took it.

I'm 40 now and have tried various things. Cutting out alcohol and supplementing with a natural progesterone cream are the things that have worked for me I only really get 2 bad days pmt a month now

Hope you find something that helps it can be utterly miserable and you have my every sympathy 💐 x

I was prescribed Escitalopram for my PMT. I was sceptical but it's changed my life. I take it all the time, not just for the two weeks (although I believe that suggestion was put forward originally), and I never want to stop taking it. I couldn't go back to those highs and lows, I'm much more stable now.

Thanks so much for the replies! I can’t quite work out how it would work to stop and start either and tbh who knows what exact date is best to take it?! I have a GP appt on the 10th to suggest how to take it. I’m PMT now and it’s hard to remember how it feels until it creeps back again! Thanks for the replies x

@SarahAshley2
Did you get this sorted as my pmt is just awful and I'm so down about it? Did anything work?

@billyberryboo yes! I take citalopram 20mg a day and it’s gone! Started off on 10mg as I have heart issues and was a bit nervous! Felt sick and had tummy pains at first for a while and same when I upped to 20mg but I wouldn’t know when I was due on now whereas before I was an angry emotional monster!!

@SarahAshley2
Thank you for replying, I'll look into this

Sertraline has been amazing for my pmt. I tried the 2 weeks on/off but it made me feel funny every time I stopped and started so now on it continuously and am not such a crazy bitch these days😂