PMDD

[Msheatherlady]

So after talking to my psychiatrist today she believes that I have PMDD, so I was wondering if anyone else has it and how they cope with it!

[Kels78]

Hi sorry I know this is a month after you posted but I’ve only just seen this.

I haven’t actually been diagnosed with this but I believe that I could have it and am thinking about investigating this further with the GP when the Covid thing goes away and all back to normal.

When I think about it my periods have always been a huge problem for me throughout my life. When I was younger (late teens early twenties), my Mum used to joke that I’d quit jobs or break up with boyfriends when it was my time off the month so thats how she could tell I was on my period! It was kind of funny but also I feel quite sad that something like my period could affect me in this way to the point that it influences big things in my life. I don’t know how women with this condition are expected to manage this? If there’s anything that helps I would love to know! I’m on Citalopram 20 mg and 40 mg of Propranolol. I don’t think I could cope without these but I still have very low times and quick temper while being on these at my time of the month. The worst thing is, my periods are irregular so I never can even plan ahead to when I may become stressed or low. 😟

Sorry I can’t really help, all I can do is empathise.

[Wanderlust90]

Hey

I actually got diagnosed with PMDD years ago, and well, some months are more bearable than others.. and some are absolutely awful (like this one, which is what brought me to this site). When I found out I had it I didn't really do anything about it for years, but it has been getting harder to deal with to be honest..

I tried to see many doctors in the public healthcare system here and well, I've been living in Spain for the past couple of years, and my experience so far is that they don't really recognize PMDD much here.

I spoke to many and they all suggested going on the birth control pill, but I went on it twice in my early 20s and it made me even more depressed. But I do know that it has helped some women, so maybe it's something to consider?

My aunt has it too and I know that she's taking anti-depressants for it and they help her a lot (I don't know which ones but I can ask her and get back to you). For me, I guess I wanted to leave anti-depressants as a last resort.

I've read about evening primrose oil and st-john's wort, and they apparently help to some degree. I'm going to try that. Read this: medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

Honestly, I still have a hard time coping with it and it affects my relationship. But here are some little things I try to do which sometimes help me:

-- when you're having a really rough day, try to remind yourself that it's temporary and in a few days you'll feel like yourself again. it's not permanent although it may feel like you're never gonna get out of this.

-- avoid alcohol on those days!! for me, alcohol just made it so much worse. I would just drown even deeper in my depression.

-- don't feel the need to force yourself to socialize all the time. sure, it can help sometimes, as a distraction and if you feel like you're up for it, go for it! but some days, when you really really feel like you don't have it in you to be out with people, don't do it and don't feel guilty about it either. Sometimes I just need to stay home, wear comfy clothes and watch 'Friends'. Remember that it's temporary and it'll be better in a few days.

-and another thing that sort of helps me is reading other women's pmdd stories. Sometimes it can feel like no one around you understands you or they think you're exaggerating, and it can make you feel hopeless. Reading about other women's experiences at least helps me remember I'm not alone in this.

I wish I had better solutions to offer, but as a woman suffering from PMDD, I guess we look for something than can even help us cope with it a little bit.

I hope some of these things help you

[happyseal in reply to Wanderlust90]

Hi,

May I ask you how did you get diagnosed? I’ve complained about the mood and insomnia to my GP but not much luck. GP did offer the option of having antidepressants but I don’t actually want to take them. I have done few talking therapies but I guess unless is ongoing counselling it doesn’t really help. When I’m in those bad days it does help having sessions since it gives me some routine.

[Wanderlust90 in reply to happyseal]

Hey!I was actually first “unofficially” diagnosed by my friend who was studying medicine in my early 20s. We were basically at a bar just talking. About pms and I talked about what I go through thinking it was just some bad pms and he told me “you have PMDD.....” and then I looked it up and I was just in shock. Like reading everything, it helped me feel like I had an answer as to why I felt sooo miserable every time. The problem is that I just left it like that for years and 2 years ago talked to doctors about it in Spain (I live here now) and they suggested the birth control pill (I’ve been on it and it made me worse)

And then I spoke to a psychiatrist last month. And that changed everything. Basically, I lots been going on in my life and I could barely cope (me and my fiancé had broken up too) and he suggested antidepressants. I always wanted to avoid that.. but I told myself you know what? Whatever. Why should I suffer? So I star d taking escitalopram 15mg about 5 weeks ago.. I just got my period this morning and all I had for pms were 2 days where I felt a bit down last week. That was it. No hysterical depression, no feeling hopeless.. and I realllllyyy don’t want to jinx it... I hope this wasn’t a one off. But if these pills got rid of that misery.. I’m staying on them. And I just made myself get over the taboo of antidepressants. I just feel more like myself again. It’s not fake happiness. It just helps me be back to your normal self.

I’ll try to keep you updated next month to tell you if I didn’t have the PMDD symptoms again. (Fingers crossed)

Believe me I spent years saying “I don’t want to go on antidepressants “

Just take your and think about it .

I hope this helps ! ☺️