PMDD , what can I do? :(

[Hayleyandbaby17]

Ever since having my baby two years ago I've noticed how terribly I'm effected by my hormones. I thought for a while it was hormone imbalance because last year I went for blood tests from my doctor but they came back normal and nothing really happened from there so I'm wondering if anybody has any advise/ solutions before contacting doctors again.

Not only are the two weeks prior to my period horrid, I feel completely depressed, tearful fatigued (worse in the second week) I also feel off around the time of ovulation. So I feel like I barely catch a break throughout the month.

Would the contraceptive pill help this?

(Just to add - the blood tears doctors sent me for last year were kind of a full MOT. I don't think they did specific in depth hormone testing but a basic check of everything)

Have you been told it's PMDD rather than PMS? As in dysphoric disorder? A friend has PMDD and she is literally flying through murderous rage followed by suicidal thoughts through her cycle - she was so frightened. She is under gynaecology and is on a form of HRT to manage her cycle (she's only 32) and is finally feeling well for the first time since her periods began.

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/premenstrual-syndrome/ - that's the guidance your GP should be following with you from diagnosis through to management. Management of PMS does bring up Yasmin as a pill option or other combined pills, taken without a break. It also suggest anti-depressants if they are appropriate to your symptoms.

Have a good read of the guidance and go back to the GP would be my advice - I find taking the NICE guidance into an appointment tends to focus the GP and show you're not to be fobbed off.

I’ve suffered with PMDD especially when my children were young, so around the age and stage you are. I found a combination of antidepressants and the mirena coil sorted me out.

I take "levest" combined pill, three packs back to back and have a 4 day period every few months (known as tri - cycling). It was bloody awful for the first couple packs as I hit a massive depressive slump but I feel so much better now more than 6 months later. I always cycled between murderous rage and depressive nothingness every period, it was awful. My GP was great and said life is too short for periods when you don't have to have them!

Oops forgot to say I've been on sertaline for a couple years and that combined with the pill as above has seemed to help me lots.

I have tried 2 options, combined pills back to back so you only have 4 periods a year, or sertaline.
since children, I prefer sertaline. It’s a total game changer for me, and I wish I’d “given in” and taken it sooner.

Pmdd won’t show up in hormone testing as it’s an intolerance of progesterone not an imbalance. Go to gp after tracking your cycles for a couple of months.

I had this......
What has worked for me

Iron
B12
Vitamin D high strength

You might be best checking your levels first
Xx

Pretty sure I have this, I wouldn't say I was totally fine pre kids but since I am an absolute wreck around ovulation time and then again pre period. I'm about to start the combined pill back to back to see if just stopping the hormonal fluctuations helps for a bit.

P.s tried Agnus Castus for 3 months which has zero affect!

Thanks for the responses, I'm going to speak to a GP and see what they recommend wether it be a contraceptive pill or antidepressants to try.