17 year old daughter terrible moods with period

[MillyHilly99]

She is completely emotional, crying or angry for over a week of every month. She can't seem to function at all. She's doing A levels and it's really impacting her. She almost failed her driving test because of it. Not only emotional, but she's exhausted for that week too.
Is there anything that can help? We would rather not anti depressants as for the other weeks shes absolutely fine. Any suggestions?

GP. Ideally one with a specialist interest in women’s health.

Pushing to get blood test to check things like iron and folate would be beneficial.

ADs would be entirely inappropriate and not prescribed

she does need to go to docs though

and might be worth exploring more alternative practises? I have no idea what but I would imagine lots of offerings

St johns wort? Evening primrose?

My DD17 has bad mood swings before her period but not quite as extreme. What about going on the pill? That might regulate her hormones a bit? But I agree with having blood tests rule out any deficiencies.

How long has she (and the family) been suffering like this?

She could try 1000mg of Evening Primrose Oil a day...this was recommended to me off the record by a breast surgeon for hormone regulation and pms symptoms. It does wonders for me with all PMS symptoms. She told me to build up to 3000mg a day but I have stuck to 1000mg

Do you take it every day or just during period? I’ve been wondering about using it myself so thought I’d ask

Yeah every day it's been really great for preventing boob tenderness as well as moods. It's apparently good for Peri-Menopause. Definitely worth a try but also look at the iron too as others have said.

Try extra calcium. It does wonders to ease PMT.

Thank you. I get PMS symptoms and also peri, if that’s even possible. Think I’ll have a look into it, I’d like something herbal if possible. Have you had any side effects?

Maybe a little loosish tummy at first but didn't last very long I think you can build it up so either a smaller amount at first or take every other day for example. It's pretty harmless really.

Thank you @Kaleidoscopic101

Hey Milly,

I'm a herbalist with specialism in Women's Health. It sounds quite normal what your 17 year old daughter is experiencing. I have given some girls at this age Vitex Agnus Castus tincture (sometimes also milk thistle) which can help regulate hormones. They take it 2 times daily in morning with breakfast and then with evening meal, and as long as they remember to take it, it can have a really helpful effect. I recommend getting a simple Agnus Castus tincture and using it for at least 3 months.

Hope hat is helpful!