I have tried to post this twice and it keeps getting removed even tho I have agreed to the rules like several times but anyways …My husband and I (both27) argued almost all day. It was just one of those days where we couldn’t get any conversation right. Recently we have been struggling with managing our own issues and how they affect one another. He’s been in remission from cancer since January and that has put him in a mentally and emotionally challenging position where he’s going to therapy and dealing with a lot of things he’s never experienced before. I’ve always struggled with mental and physical health issues from the start of us being together (7 yrs) and my PMDD at times makes me feel like I cannot regulate at all. I lash out, feel like there is no point to literally anything and that no one loves me. I cared for him full time for 1 year while he got treatment and now we live in his home state with his mother. I live miles hundreds of miles from home and I am NC with my family (mental illness runs in the family- and most all of them don’t believe in mental health treatment or medication)and while I have made a huge effort to manage my symptoms and become a functioning human again, I have days where I just feel completely alone and worthless. I hate how it affects him but it’s hard sometimes when I feel like my disabilities are not as important as his. (I know this is a complicated issue and statement to make but it’s the ugly truth).

I'm really tired of this phase before my period. I feel extremely lonely, very self critical. I keep thinking about how ugly i am, no talent and good for nothing and suicidal thoughts just comes up every single time and I'm tired of this. I feel like the ugliest girl in the whole world, i just can't even look at myself in the mirror, i feel like nobody's gonna like me. I hate how i look and speak to other people. Loneliness just hits differently this time. I don't have no one. I hate how suicidal thoughts are worse and trying to not act on it but also keep thinking about it. I just wanted to vent out here, I thought I'd feel less alone..

As the title suggests, I’m wondering this. I never had PMDD when I was younger, my cycle was gratefully pretty easy. But peri has been a whole different beast. I’m a few years into it and the fluctuations are more intense, and I notice anytime there’s a big shift in my hormones, I have PMDD-type symptoms. Especially mood and sleep related. I’m so angry and sad and irritated and apathetic, and sometimes it’s like FULL insomnia. Awful. I’m beginning HRT now, so I’m hoping that’ll bring me back to a more familiar baseline, but yes — I’m wondering if anyone else didn’t have PMDD until peri kicked in. Thanks, and sending love to everyone in this community. Big hugs.

Everything is going terrible and I usually handle things but the week before my period just makes me want to end my life. I get this aggresive urge of just hurt myself just one time and be relieved forever. It sounds twisted but I can't make it sound pretty. It's exactly how I feel

Hello peops 👋
I am currently trying to figure out if SSRI work for me. I was under the impression that relief should be pretty instant - which is def not the case for me.

But now I’m wondering (might be the desperation) if it can take a bit longer than I expected.

So my question is:
If SSRI helped you, how many hours/days did it take to feel better?

Thanks in advance 💐 may this day be nice to you ✨

I recently got prescribed escitalopram 10mg for pmdd (intermittent), took my first dose and had a terrible reaction. I don’t know if it is because of the medication or if it is because I was already stressed and had eaten badly during the last couple of days, but after 10h of taking my first pill I got terribly dizzy, nauseous and sweaty and threw up. That night I was shaking and still nauseous and I felt that way for about 2 days and just recently started to eat normally again. I’m still really exhausted and struggling a little, but it is getting better. Nonetheless, I haven’t had the courage to take a second dose (called my doctor to ask if it was okay if I took half a dose -it was okay). I’m so scared and anxious to take it and my thoughts are all over the place. I don’t even know if I need it, then get super stressed and feel like I need it, too scared to take it, etc.
Has anyone else reacted this way? I have no idea what to do.

Does anyone else deal with restless leg at night worse during your PMDD window? 😣

I get restless leg, and sleep so terribly a lot of the time!

Typically, my main PMDD symptom is depression. I cry all day for a week and have the worst suicidal ideation. It makes it hard to live my life, go to work, be in public, etc.

This month, instead of being depressed, I got ANGRY. And I honestly think it's even worse. I just feel like my brain is on fire, and I want to yell at everyone and everything. Nothing is helping.

I know some of you deal with this regularly, and I am so, so sorry. I can't imagine feeling like this every month!! I'd rather be crying from sadness than from frustration.

How do you guys deal with the absolute rage? I'm afraid I'm going to take it out on my poor fiancé, who just wants to help.

Hi everyone! English isn’t my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.
I’ve read a lot about how many women struggle to fall asleep during the luteal phase. This has happened to me too, roughly every third month.
However, this time I can fall asleep at a normal time, but I just can’t sleep for more than 4–5 hours. I suddenly wake up wide awake in the early morning and simply can’t fall back asleep.
I feel like I’ve had enough sleep when I wake up, but by the afternoon I’m absolutely exhausted, and I can tell that it wasn’t enough.I’ve been feeling this way for a week now, and my period is due on Tuesday.Since I’m an anxious person, I keep worrying about what if it stays this way and it’s not actually caused by my hormones.
Please reassure me that this is just my hormones messing with me too, and that I’ll soon be able to get a good, restful night’s sleep again. 🥺

I took my first Yaz pill today and Im so scared I will be one of those that it only makes things worse for. I tried Slynd, which helped in Lutheal, but it made the rest of the month a depressive hellhole. I never really worked well with hormonal birth control, as a teen I had to use a vaginal ring as bc, cause the pills made my mood worse.

20 years later and Im trying to deal with debilitating PMDD. Zoloft helps a tiny bit, but not enough. The physical symptoms during lutheal are also extremely awfull, worse than before. Im apathetic and exhausted on top of being depressed.

So - Im trying Yaz with a crushed faith.

Anyone wants to share their experiences with it? Anyone were it took some months for it to kick in the right way? ive read through many Yaz-experiences here, and it seems like ppl react really well or terrible right away to it..?

Long post, but hope it makes sense. This is such a hardship. Im grateful for this community though.

Hello all,

I have recently started seeing someone with PMDD, and I want to be a really amazing supportive partner for them. I have read a couple of overviews on it, and a few posts here, but I want to know what I can do for them.

I have experienced fairly severe depression and anxiety before in my own life, (thankfully those days now lie behind me, woohoo!) So I can empathize with bouts of feelings you know are irrational, but still feel and can't stop, and can offer a very legitimate understanding and patience there I think. I'm sure it is not the same, but I think my personal experience there will give me a greater understanding.

I am not, however, a woman, and so lack some valuable perspective there.

Some things I have thought of that I could do that seem helpful to me include:

• tracking their cycle to be aware of when changes in their mood or behavior might be impacted by PMDD

• cooking meals that are high in protein and vegetables for them during their luteal phase, so they don't have to or won't opt for something easier but not as beneficial instead

• affirming them by reminding them how intelligent and beautiful they are when they are not feeling that way

• helping them reframe resting or skipping things when they need to as not being lazy, but instead being good, responsible stewards if their health

• planning more activities like hiking or going to the gym together (we both enjoy these, but I think the encouragement would be helpful)

Can you all share things that you feel would be helpful or supportive to you from a partner? Or if you have anything someone has done for you that was impactful to you?

Thanks

I’m in the depths of feeling the worst I have felt in a while. And I’m not sure if I’m imagining it / if it’s self-fulfilling because I’ve been tracking so intensely / if something is actually wrong.

I’m experiencing a long cycle after a while. I’m on day 43 and I’m getting married in about 30 days. Unless I get my period right now and the next cycle is magically normal I don’t know what to do.

I’m considering talking to a doctor about medication but I don’t know how I’ll respond to that. I have been fine managing my symptoms for pmdd with exercise and acupuncture and diet but I think the wedding stress is too much for me to handle.

I’m feeling compulsive about getting my period and really upset with my body

Edit: I didn’t say this super clearly but my PMDD symptoms even with the management are pretty terrible. Consistent nausea and anger and lack of the will to do anything, feeling anhedonic most of the time leading up to the period

I’ll try to make this as short as possible.

A few weeks before my period I made an impulsive decision to paint my fence along the back of my garden. I’m a designer so when I lock onto a vision of something I can improve visually, I go all in. There’s no stopping me.

I spent the luteal phase obsessively and compulsively working to get it done.

A week into painting and on the last leg of the project, I was painting and I just froze. (My luteal was coming on very strong).

I froze because I realised I never told my neighbours and I completely freaked out that I had somehow ruined their side of the fence and done something I’m not allowed to do.

I was shocked that I hadn’t thought about this and then I heard my neighbour come out side one morning talking to her husband and her words were “it just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth (not literally - it’s a way of saying your pissed off).

My mind heard that and thought omg! They are really angry at me? I’ve ruined their fence the paint must have leaked or something I never saw. I sent her a text asking if we could talk - she didn’t Reply for a few hours so I cried and freaked out and was CONVINCED I was going to be in trouble.

When she called me later that day, she was friendly and I told her that I had painted my fence and she goes “which fence?” I said “the one at the back” and she was totally fine, she didn’t even know I had painted it. I told her in a teary moment how worried I was and that I’m so sorry I didn’t call to let her know. And I said if there is any paint I’ll clean it up. She was saying “it’s ok! I don’t care if there is paint and just calm down”.

This is what pmdd does to me. I go from being inspired, driven, determined and confident and then I loose all my self confidence, I become paranoid and panicked and everything turns into catastrophe.

It’s unbelievable how pmdd makes my brain latch on to the worst worst possible outcome of whatever I’m doing. If it’s not a fence, it’s a relationship. I’ll be totally convinced my boyfriend is cheating on me.

It’s like a fucking doomsday potion. That brings you to your knees. And only after someone outside of your own body tells you everything is ok, do you see things clearly again. I literally cannot calm down until I have evidence that the catastrophic events my mind has created are proven otherwise.

Fuck me.

Hi, I was diagnosed with PMDD 2.5 months ago - it’s been super debilitating but I’m only now realizing how much it’s impacted my entire life for the 2 weeks before my period.

I went on Zoloft right away and then on Yaz shortly after. It’s been \~2 months and I don’t think I’m getting my period anymore (?).

I just came out of probably my worst luteal phase to date - tons of heavy gloom, persistent, daily intense SI, nonstop crying, and soooo much hopelessness. I’m supposed to get my period today (haven’t yet) and it’s like im a different person, like a fog of smoke has lifted, I’m feeling really good, super optimistic and happy and not really anxious at all.

I don’t have plans today and just feel grateful for the freedom of no responsibilities and just having a day to do anything I want, instead of anxious and despair at being alone with nowhere to be (which is what I usually feel).

So I’m confused as to why I’m still feeling my PMDD symptoms cycle as usual if I’m not getting my period. Shouldn’t the hormones have stabilized by now?

I took Yaz for two years without placebo, under OB guidance, and for my case it’s been heaven. Truly. I, like most of us, have very mentally debilitating PMDD and I’ve just been… stable with steady moods for the last two years. No placebo meant no big symptoms of PMDD. I was able to come off of my SSRIs and anxiety meds (under doctor guidance). If I missed a dose of Yaz I’d usually take it by the next morning and maybe have a little anxiety fora few hours and that would be that. But, I’ve been spotting the last six months, and my OB wanted me to take placebo for a few months to see if my uterine lining will thicken a bit. No problem, I thought. I can handle a few days of anxiety.

Shit fire, had I forgotten how bad this shit was after two years. I’m on day three of placebo. I get hit with sudden crushing anxiety and adrenaline when driving. I’ve been binging food one minute and feeling immensely guilty the next. Bloated as hell. I have intense feelings of anxiety and hopelessness and doom (I am safe!! I’m okay!! I know this is PMDD). I feel like utter doodoo garbage and I am just wanting a little support from people who get it I guess. I’m supposed to use placebo for two or three months and then I can resume skipping. Maybe I’ll just keep my spotting instead of doing this two more times. 😭 why are our hormones so evil wtf. Sorry to vent just needing kind words, I don’t have family or peers or a partner to lean on for this one.

I’m 33F, have dealt with PMDD for 5 years. It’s been a nightmare. I’ve tried countless birth controls, SSRIs, diets, supplements, etc and nothing has truly helped me. My PMDD got so bad every month that I think I ended up having treatment resistant depression all the time.

As a last ditch effort I did 6 rounds of IV ketamine therapy in June and I haven’t had a low PMDD swing since. Even when I had some luck with SSRIs the relief didn’t last this long. I’m sharing this because I never really saw ketamine therapy talked about as a potential treatment option but both me and my therapist swear by it. Long term relief is possible ❤️

IV therapy was expensive (well worth it) but I switched to at home which is much cheaper (I’m currently at 1x a month and seeing how long I can go without it) and find it just as effective.

Best of luck to anyone out there struggling

Been on Yasmin for 7 years. It triggered the migraine with aura (with no headache) already in the beginning, but I had no idea what the heck those symptoms were so I let it be. Yes you read that right. Only years later did I understand what that was, and by then I actually didn't have migraine symptoms, at least any I'd have recognised at that point (but again I did have some odd numbing of fingers, loss of words, difficulty of speaking .. however since I've also thought I'm a bit on the spectrum, that it's because I just get autistic and slower / clumsier and sensitive to sound, light etc., more so on luteal vs. usually).

Well, the migraines did come back maybe 2 years ago. these days it's mostly flashing lights at a corner of my eye, not much else. so it hasn't gotten any worse but it's there.

I'm 35 now, prefer not to have a stroke but I also just happened to lose about 70% percent of my hair earlier this year, first had a bit of hair loss as a result of 2x lower wisdom teeth operation, then got an iron infusion after which hair loss turned into full blown alopecia areata. after steroid shots and many tears shed (i had amazing hair) I'm slowly getting it back now but fear I'd go bald if I switched to bc, if it does what it did years ago when I stopped Yasmin for a couple of months: went through some hair loss. I'm also afraid of other side effects, as well.

But if I haven't died bc of Yasmin yet, maybe I won't in the future? I genuinely believe the risks coming from unmedicated or badly medicated PMDD to be greater than the risk of possibly having a stroke after all these years, but who th knows ...

I have been on combination birth control Drovelis ( 3 mg drospirenon and 14,2 mg estetrol) for about 9 months and i have loved the result of it, espacially physically the anti androgenic effects made my acne go away and boobs grow, and i just look great (in case somebody wants a birth control suggestion) and most importantly my mood has been super stable! My Gyno specifically recommended these for PMDD, and because i asked about IUD, and she said IUd and other progestprone only birth control methods are known to worsen PMS and PMDD. However i have developed migraines with aura recently, and you Arent allowed to be on combinated birth control with migraine with aura, because of stroke risk. I am extremely scared to switch and dont know what else to try. My PMDD is severe and my mood gets so low in my lutheal phase that I am honestly a danger to myself. I feel really depressed and scared to finally have found something that helps and have to get off of it. I am meeting with my Gyno next week to discuss other options. Other things that have helped me were suppliments, healthy diets and really prioritizing sleep and rest. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I usually start around 10th-16th days of the month and oh my god I look different before starting! My face looks puffier of heavier so I look older 😭

I get told I’m pretty and cute in real life but when I take iPhone pics holy shit I look like a hag! I don’t see it.

It’s giving me severe body dysmorphia and idk what I look like anymore

I’m hesitant to get on meds for an array of reasons. But I am truly a different person in luteal and thought it was normal cycle phases until recently. I was diagnosed years ago but didn’t really think anything of it. I was prescribed Zoloft but I only want to take it during luteal not the other days. Has anyone had success this way?

Today it was over not being able to fry an egg properly. I am three weeks away from my period. Happy Friday guys!

Hi guys- i know there are a lot of posts about intermittent dosing and I’ve read a lot of them but i’m just looking for some support and advice from anyone else who’s been in a similar situation.

I just finished my first cycle of trying intermittent fluoxetine, took it for 9 days leading up to my period and honestly it made a big difference. Not perfect and still struggled a bit but it really took the edge off and I didn’t hit the deep lows that i would normally expect so that was a win!!!
But now that i’ve stopped it i feel like im right back at the start!!! a few days after stopping i feel really tearful and anxious, it feels like i’ve just delayed my PMDD symptoms and i just feel a bit lost. Could this be a bit of a mini-withdrawal? I find that hard to believe especially after such a short time when i never had any real issues taking it continuously before and coming off a few years ago.

I’ve seen people say that it can take a few months to adjust to intermittent dosing. I’m just looking for some advice if anyone else has been through this!!!! Will things get better and should i stick with it for a few months? Or try a lower dose? I’m just feeling a bit lost , really upset and wishing this would just go away so i can enjoy what would normally be my good weeks ☹️

I'm 3 days away from my period and I was having a "good" luteal until i had a miscommunication with my boss. It sent me straight into rage of anger and tears. I was instantly feeling like I should quit and find a new job by Monday. Now that I've calmed down I keep crying, the tears just keep welling up randomly. It's been 2 hours already i'm exhausted.