Serious PMS/wild hormone issues

[Froel1982]

Hopefully someone has some experience. Since having my 2 kids and hitting my mid 30s I have started experiencing awful symptoms around Ovulation and period.

I have always had irregular cycles (38-75 days long ish), but never experienced emotional problems until recently.

Ovulation symptoms
Noticeably hot (husband calls me a radiator)
Ovulation pain
Headaches
Bloating
Tearful
A bit paranoid (mostly around my parenting and relationship)

Period symptoms
Intrusive thoughts
Anger (like a dark cloud coming over me)
Paranoid
Back pain
Sleeping issues
Hot/night sweats

I could go on but the above gives you an idea of what I'm up against. The rest of the month is fine. Once Ovulation happens or my period starts it's like the sun comes out and the black cloud lifts.

I've been on hormonal contraception all through my teens/20s and really don't want to go on it again if I can find a way of managing this more naturally.

Any help/tips/advice would be welcome.

@billydessert I'm OK mostly. 3 weeks out if the 4 are good, and hell week is miserable. But I have started cutting down on my caffeine, ny youngest (2.5yrs) has started routinely sleeping through the night so I've been able to start working on the quality of my sleep, which is nice. I've also found eating a high protein/lower carb breakfast helps with my blood sugar levels, if I eat things like cereal or oats first thing I get very hungry and tired mid morning. So I've been eating yogurt bowls, with apples from my friends tree, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and flax seed which keeps me so much happier, even during hell week.

Does anyone have any experience of taking Rhodiola Rosea? It's supposed to be good for anxiety.

How is everyone else doing?

@Billydessert it essentially switches off your ovaries and triggers a chemical menopause. It stopped all the mood swings but I was too sensitive to the HRT to take the amount my body needed, so for the whole course I struggled with joint pain, hot flushes and night sweats. My mood was flat the whole time and I had no motivation for anything. I was pretty much just existing, which in hindsight was perhaps preferable to PMDD 😳

My 15 day period has finished just in time for this cycle's luteal phase. I'd lost track of things in my head, thinking I was still in follicular (because that's what one tends to think when one is still bleeding...), so was confused about why I was suddenly feeling so low and irritable today until I checked my calendar.

Hi @VictorianBigot thanks for explaining. It sounds like either way has been difficult for you. I hope you find a solution that suits you going forward.

@Froel1982 glad to hear you're making some progress and getting better sleep. That's got to help!
I've also been trying to focus on eating plenty of protein, especially at breakfast, and it's definitely helping.

The pill has finally kicked in for me and I've stopped ovulating or feeling like I need to have a period. I'm being very cautiously optimistic but for last few weeks I haven't felt on my knees with fatigue. I feel there's so much more time in the day because I don't need to keep stopping for a rest and I have so much more patience.
Last night I was able to sit and read a bedtime story to my son which sounds small but I haven't been able to do that for about a year. I've been so tired by that time in the evening that I could barely string a sentence together.
Small wins like that mean so much.

Hiya, hope everyone is doing OK. In recent days my pmdd symptoms have died right down (thankgod), but have been replaced with bleeding every two weeks 😒. Not heavy enough for a period, too heavy for spotting, and lasts about 4 days. I went to the GP and she did a physical exam, swabs, blood test and ultra sound. She tested everything: thyroid, diabetes, hormones to see if I was perimenopausal, anaemia, and a lot of other tests besides. All normal, except for thrush (never had that before and no symptoms bar the bleeding. I still have the ultrasound to go. But usually this would send me into a tailspin, but I'm trying to follow my husbands advice and only think about it when I have to. So I've been trying to keep my mind focused where possible: lots of visits to family and friends, reading, gardening, work, staying off screens, reducing caffeine, etc.

I'm fully expecting my pmdd to return, as it usually returns after a few cycles, but for now I'm grateful it's calmed down while I deal with this!

How is everyone?

Great that you are feeling better, and that your Dr is taking a good look at everything.

Just FYI, a blood test can't tell you if you're in perimenopause or not. Basically the nature of peri is that your hormone levels fluctuate wildly, so measuring what they are on a single day isn't that meaningful. But it might provide other useful info to set alongside the other tests and what they know of your symptoms.

All the best to you

Hi all, I just wanted to update everyone. I've been having some tests done for some midcycle bleeding, and I've just had an ultrasound. I've been diagnosed with PCOS, which looking back at my history from when I was about 13, makes perfect sense. It also explains a lot of the symptoms that I've put on this thread.

I have an appointment booked with the GP to discuss the results (not until end of June though annoyingly). So until that point I'll be making some changes to my diet, adjusting the supplements I'm taking (nothing controversial, bringing back Vit d, c, and Zinc etc), and adjusting my exercise routine, and tryingnto reduce stress.

This thread was so helpful during my lowest moments, so thank you all again xxx

Thanks for updating us. I was also diagnosed with pcos. I have had to be my own gp and do a lot of research and advocating for myself it’s much better now I am: taking oestrogen in the weeks before my period, taking inostiol every day, focussing on weight lifting and strength training, managing my blood sugar really carefully, meditating and continuing to make the best of the phases of my cycle.

I've just seen this and could have written it myself, thank you for updating. The consultation I had earlier this week has led them to start the ball rolling on investigations but are thinking it could be early perimenopause. I am finding I can barely function. Can't concentrate, can't think straight, emotional, angry, so so angry, impulsive, everything hurts, I feel like I'm about 80 years old. Then as quick as it arrives it disappears for a couple of weeks before it slaps me around the face again

I started suffering with those symptoms at about 36. Im now nearly 39. I paid privately to see a menopause specialist who said it sounded like classic perimenopause symptoms and prescribed the progesterone pill Slynd which is also meant to be amazing for PMDD, and the estrogen patch.

As for food, read the book or watch the program that goes with it called Ultra Processed People. You’ll never look at food the same. It’s been life changing! I now look at unhealthy food as I would a cigarette. Full of chemicals and not wanted in my body!

Sophie Morris is a good one to follow on Instagram about swapping to unprocessed foods.

Good Luck 🤞

@Newgirlintoon how is the HRT working for you? If this is what's going on for me, I'm not bothered about it in principle, don't want any more children etc but I cannot go on feeling the way I do currently every 2-3 weeks

I’m only on day 4 so too soon to tell

A little update..I got my first period whilst on Slynd on Saturday and had zero pmt symptoms before hand! Amazing change.

I have had painful, heavy breasts, light bleed and some racing thoughts at times which I had previous for before the pill.