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verasama

1y ago

Dealing with PMDD Symptoms: Seeking Advice

does anyone have any suggestions for dealing with the mental symptoms of PMDD? I was just diagnosed earlier this year, and my biggest problem seems to be that my anxiety and depression both ratchet up in severity dramatically about 2 weeks before my cycle, and the week of, as to my headaches. I would diagnosed with migraines and tension headaches several years ago, but I've definitely noticed more consistent, more severe headaches during the time period I mentioned. I've also been dealing with slightly unpredictable cycles, in that they tend to happen about the same time every month, but they occasionally shift a week forward or a week back, and the flow severity and symptoms are kind of all over the place. I'll have cramps and a heavy flow one day, and a backache and a light flow the next. I've been trying to look up things that I can do to help with all of this, and I started taking chasteberry extract because I read that it was supposed to help balance your hormones which in theory should help. does anyone have any other suggestions for supplements that I could take while also taking antidepressants? does anyone have any suggestions for what helps them get through this sort of thing? I'm really open to any ideas.

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Emerald_star

1y ago

I have bad mental symptoms from it and the pill was a massive help for me in the past. I took it continuously so I didn’t have hormonal changes and periods. I also have endometriosis so it was a god send. I am going back on soon. Only stopped as I was ttc for awhile.
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Ceramie

1y ago

If you have mental symptoms, then the pill may be the worst possible thing to take. PMDD guidelines in my country suggest a course of GnRH analogues to identify the condition. (It basically stops all hormones in their tracks for a bit.) You can't be on them long, but I can be useful for diagnosis and a bit of a break, so long as you don't want to get pregnant any time soon. I never got the opportunity to try that, but my best results have been with citalapram for managing the depression and mood swings (works brilliantly for me, plus I find I get very few side effects if I take it cyclically). When I've had to be on the pill, I've used oestrogen patches and progesterone suppositories to minimise side effects. But I've also gotten good results from taking a good Agnus Castus/chasteberry supplement (look for one made with the roots). It's a bit like a light touch version of progesterone and works best if you take it cyclically. But if your worst time is before your period (when progesterone is high), you may not find it suits you. Currently I track my unpredictable periods with a temperature monitor (I use Tempdrop) so I can take my meds at the most appropriate time and figure out exactly what's happening with my hormones. I also get premenstrual migraines and I find that magnesium (and sometimes potassium) supplements are hugely helpful.
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Katharina

1y ago

Yes!!! I starting taking Flo vitmans and after 6 months all if that was cut in 1/2.
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verasama

1y ago

is that the girl with the flow vitamins that I see on Amazon? I noticed those, but I thought they sounded awfully expensive so I wasn't sure if I wanted to try them given the price.
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Alistrange

1y ago

I'm also on a low dose of amitriptyline for the prevention of migraines and on vyvanse for adhd.
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verasama

1y ago

I've never heard of primrose oil pills, but I'll look into them. Thanks.
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Alistrange

1y ago

Primrose oil capsules I find do help with premenstrual cramps and moods. I've noticed my periods are a bit off since Feb this year. I was irritable and stressed today hate it when I feel like this I just want to rip someone's head off. And the cake-eating is out of control I find when you have ADHD as well as pmdd it can be quite a dangerous mix of hormones and rejection sensitivity dysphoria.
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verasama

1y ago

I'll have to look into primrose. I've done a lot of research in the past, but that's not one I've come across before. And I have noticed that my ADHD NPMDD do seem to feed off of each other. And boy, don't I get the fear of rejection. I just spent most of the morning sitting at my table and trying to psych myself up to contact my OBGYN. I am mostly blind, and usually I have a friend to take me to these appointments to help me fill out paperwork, but in order to get a more recent appointment, I had to schedule it for a time when none of my friends were available, so I had to call them and ask them if somebody would be willing to help me fill out my paperwork once I arrived. It's a normal, routine matter, but I was still anxious that they were going to yell at me and tell me to stop being lazy or something, or cancel my appointment or you know something else ridiculous. I did finally get that sorted out, but I felt emotionally drained afterward.
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verasama

1y ago

I'm on escitalopram specifically for PMDD, and venlafaxine for depression. I'm also taking nortriptyline off label so to speak to treat nerve pain associated with my tension headaches, as well as methocarbamol for muscle soreness contributing to tension headaches and migraines. For anxiety, I'm on buspirone and hydroxyzine both daily, and Xanax on an as needed basis, and quetiapine mostly for insomnia, again, off label. Actually, I think at least the hydroxyzine might also be prescribed off label, but yeah. I take fioricet as needed for headaches, and rizatriptan as needed for anything that the fioricet doesn't take care of. And since I've listed literally everything else here, I guess I'll mention them also on Vyvanse for ADHD. I was on Adderall for the last couple of years, but with a nationwide shortage, I wasn't able to get it, so my doctor switched me over to Vyvanse and I've been on that for a couple of months now. I didn't really start to notice the uptick and headaches and migraines, anxiety and depression related to my cycle until about 10 months ago, but my prescribing psychiatrist didn't diagnosed me with PMDD until January of this year.
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KaramelCorn

1y ago

Are you on the pill? When i was first diagnosed I was put on the mini pill to try and regulate my hormones and there was a massive difference in my mood around my periods. My period made me severely depressed (occasionally had suicidal thoughts) anxious and irate but it massively helped my mood. I can't take anti-depressants with my other medication so it was one of few options but worked. I will say though it didnt stop my periods, i vomit the first 2 days of every cycle from pain and they can last from 3 days to the longest i have had being 3 weeks. Hoping the marina coil will stop them altogether.
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verasama

1y ago

I am not currently on the pill. My previous OBGYN kept making comments that it would help me with this issue or that, but then when I would ask her if she would subscribe it to me, all she would tell me was I "wasn't a good candidate", and she would never give me any more information than that. I'm in the process of trying to get in to see a new OBGYN, but her schedule and mine have yet to sync up where I could actually schedule an appointment. My prescribing psychologist is the one who diagnosed me with PMDD, and she told me to start taking hydroxyzine as a maintenance anxiety medication, and she added escitalopram daily for me to help manage the depression symptoms. She's got me taking both all month, and in addition, she put me on a dissolvable Xanax as needed. But even with that and my other medications that feel like they are too numerous to name, I just kind of feel like I'm barely holding on with managing the symptoms. I legitimately spent about 4 hours crying my eyes out at my best friend on Sunday because I felt overwhelmed with everything that needed doing, and with certain situations at home, and all of that. I occasionally have small meltdowns, but that was by far the biggest and ugliest I've had that I can remember. And it's right about the time of the month that I start experiencing the PMDD symptoms. Basically, I'm willing to try just about anything and everything in order to feel like I can manage with what's going on. The majority of each month is me dealing with these symptoms, but it's not like my life can just stop during that time. And sorry, that's probably a bit of a tangent from answering the original question.
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BoneDustWoman

1y ago

I have the same issues, and I take Paxil for anxiety and depression, and amitriptyline and Imotrex for migraines. I also have started seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist to address the tension at the nape of my neck, which may be contributing to my headaches and migraines.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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