Periods and anxiety

[Happy-go-lucky]

Hi everyone I not posted for a while and this is partly because I have been feeling great. But am due on my period and I have the worst anxiety. Is this normal for under active thyroid. It's really effecting me and don't wanna be like this. Am putting things in place to take my mind off it, like filling my day with activities. Hope everyone is keeping well and will try and on here more often xx

[Pastille]

Hi Happy-go-lucky , anxiety is both a hypothyroid and a PMS symptom so I would say have you got any recent blood results to share? Then maybe members here can help see if you are under medicated and that is exacerbating your PMS anxiety. I take Evening Primrose oil and have had good results with PMS with these. Particularly with breast pain they have really helped me

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to Pastille]

Not had my bloods done in ages. I just started on slimmers world and have lost half a stone in 2. Weeks was thinking this may effect my thyriod. Will give it a couple of days and see how go. It's good to get advice on here first xx

[Pastille in reply to Happy-go-lucky]

Well done!! I'm sure others will respond x

[nightingale-56 in reply to Pastille]

I'll second the Evening Primrose Pastille . It obliterated my breast pain completely with quite a low dose. I now realise that my arthritis was much better then (20 years ago) so have just started back on it again.

[Pastille in reply to nightingale-56]

Yes me too with the low dose, even though I know you can take quite a few of them, they have worked really well, I'm amazed actually

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to nightingale-56]

Thanks guys I will defo try the evening primrose x

[JOLLYDOLLY]

Hi Happy-go-lucky,

Yes I do believe that anxiety and pms, go hand and hand with under active thyroid, especially before a period, It did for me anyway, I used to get so irritable and frustrated too. I think for me, what added to the anxiety, was that I knew what was coming as I suffered with very heavy periods that seemed to go on and on and on (sorry for any guys reading this). Got to the stage where my iron medication was tripled for a while, (not good for your liver) and the "H" word mentioned But five months now since my last one and it would be a miracle if I was pregnant, because of my age

You take care and I hope the anxiety calms down.

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to JOLLYDOLLY]

Thanks it's been ok today. But been cooking all day and cleaning so it takes your mind off it. My periods went on for 10 days. Then when started getting B12 injections my periods got lighter x

[JOLLYDOLLY in reply to Happy-go-lucky]

Unfortunately it didn't for me - I think the anaemia and B12 made it worse, but perhaps it is just me

2lb a week is a good target - remember that is 7st 6lb in a year! (I not assuming you have to lose that amount, but just saying that it is an achievable target)

Good luck and let us know how you get on with it

Take care xx

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to JOLLYDOLLY]

I was 11st 12IB but I was always really slim and I have been over eating the last few months so need to rain it in. Hoping to be 10 st by Christmas which will be my target weight x

[JOLLYDOLLY]

PS to my previous reply. Just to say, I am also doing Slimming World too - has taken me nine months to lose 3 stone (the last stone been on and off for the last six months) but I enjoy the recipes. So good luck with it and well done for the half a stone loss already

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to JOLLYDOLLY]

Thank you. 3 stone that is amazing well done you. I lost loads the first week. But I know things slow down. So going to aim for 2 pound a week xx

[108Optimist]

Hiya Happy Go Lucky! I happen to be a hypo patient who is also a women's holistic health educator! My speciality is periods and PMS and menopause and IBS (and thyroid of course

You have received some sound advice here about interlink of thyroid and PMS.

PMS is often caused by either

1 - a oestrogen dominance (in relation to pregesterone)

2 - a progesterone resistance

Understand progesterone as being a natural valium. She drops off during the last week of your cycle and so you have less chill, thats normal. But when she is really low PMS can flourish.

Of course, this could get complex and there is a link to stress (the HPAdrenal axis - ehich of course relates to the HPThyroid axis). Stress can block progesterone receotors, and it can block thyroid receptors too

But enough of all that, I write this article that many women find helpful: It has 4 holistic and PROVEN remedies for PMS that you may be using already:

thesistahood.org.uk/2016/05...

If you are also having heavy periods or painful, then you may have estrogen dominance (this is all incredibly common!). And one of the best things is to eat heaps of cooked cruciferous veggies as it detoxes estroegn.

DO detox estrogen you must be pooping regularly (good luck to many hypos!) so is this happening for you?

Take care, You are definitely not alone in this.

Claire xx

PS, when you get down to it, very bad PMS is not okay, but many women dont realsie PMS holds very useful messages about life. I educate women on the FOUR parts of a menstrual cycle (not just 2 PMS and bleed). If you want to know more then let me know Ill post a few links here, but I also dont want to bombard you with stuff you havent asked for! Take care x

[Happy-go-lucky in reply to 108Optimist]

Thank you Claire your information is really helpful. I have pernicious anemia 2 but that don't bother me only when due for loading dose. I do get very painful breasts and stomach pain. I also suffer with IBS. But that seems to be calming down. I started slimming world over 2 weeks ago and lost half a stone. Am not badly over weight just want to lose 2 stone. So am eating lots of fruit and veg. I wanted a healthy lifestyle and felt that needed educating. It's going really well. I might try evening primrose again. If you have any links I would appreciate that. I like to research xx

[108Optimist in reply to Happy-go-lucky]

Hiya Happy go lucky! I will respond to this more earnestly when I have a bit of brain power!

Many women do say EPO helps. As it is an omega 6, be mindful to balance it with omega 3 (eg, mercury tested fish oils, or oily fish, or walnuts etc).

Is the stomach pain you mention , period cramping? Or is it something else?

Painful breasts are often the same hormonal cause as PMS as i have mentioned above. And to raise progesterone you need vit c. Some women use vitex/agnus castus to help with PMS but usually they have an irregular cycle too....and yours is regular?

Sounds like you are doing great reducing the inflammation in your body!

Women with PMS (so studies show) eat far more sugar than women without PMS so your fruit and veggie lifestyle will really help

Adding tumeric to anything is a good idea as its a powerful antioxidant and antiinflammatory and therefore helps to ease all sorts of pain and cellular damage.

Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugars (1/2 tsp a day). The more balanced your blood sugars are. the less ups and downs you experience.

Ill write more but not right now. Take care x

[Eddie83]

Hypothyroidism is legendary for its ability to cause anxiety, and even high anxiety with panic attacks. I've read many places that PMS is aggravated by hypothyroid. Do you have test results to share?