Debilitating PMDD Anxiety: To Medicate or Not to Medicate?

Ativan is the only thing that helps my anxiety but it is addictive so you have to use it in moderation

I take citalapram and find it very effective for PMDD. There are some slightly annoying side effects (wakefulness, anorgasmia, etc.), but I now get almost none of them by taking it cyclically and splitting the pill so I take half a dose morning and evening. I've never noticed the slightest hint of withdrawal. People will tell you that SSRIs take a while to kick in for depression, but I find if it's hormone related, then it gets to work very quickly, within a day or so. I track my cycle to try and take it just before I feel foul, but if I miss the timings it still limits me to just a day or two of dreadfulness, which I can ride out ok. I initially held off trying it as I felt the same as you, but I really wished I'd done it sooner.

Your post was everything I was feeling but I gave in and I'm now on Fluoxetine. I did ask my DR if I could take something just for when my anxiety is bad but she said they're too addictive, (but then I'm like anti depressants aren't?lol) but saying that, this trial period wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and glad I did it because my anxiety was getting out of control during the PMDD and made my depression 100x worse. I've had my first period since being on them and so far the PMDD symptoms have dulled, I just hope it continues like this 💕

What I would suggest is to speak to your doc or a psychiatrist and ask about doing the DNA medication metabolic test to narrow down what medications would work best for you thereby reducing trial and error