# PMS-Premenstrual Syndrome



## Surlysomething (Jul 28, 2008)

Do you have it?

If so, how do you deal?

I have it so bad that i'm finally starting to recognize that it probably impacts my relationships in a negative way. Haha! I'm not easy going, i'm angry (er) than normal and i'm completely IMPATIENT. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

Any suggestions? I think it's about time I figure this out (you know, for the safety of others)

Thanks
Tina


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## Waxwing (Jul 28, 2008)

I have it, badly. I don't get impatient but I go get profoundly depressed-- despairing actually. I (no kidding or exaggeration here) get suicidal for about 48 hours every month.

Fun.

Nothing I can do about is as far as I know but realize what's causing it and hide until it's over.


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## Surlysomething (Jul 28, 2008)

Waxwing said:


> I have it, badly. I don't get impatient but I go get profoundly depressed-- despairing actually. I (no kidding or exaggeration here) get suicidal for about 48 hours every month.
> 
> Fun.
> 
> Nothing I can do about is as far as I know but realize what's causing it and hide until it's over.



I think it sucks BIG TIME. And it's such a 'joke' now that people don't recognize it with any seriousness. I think i'm Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during that time and i'm getting kind of tired of it. 

Hysterectomy, anyone?


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## Waxwing (Jul 28, 2008)

Surlysomething said:


> I think it sucks BIG TIME. And it's such a 'joke' now that people don't recognize it with any seriousness. I think i'm Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during that time and i'm getting kind of tired of it.
> 
> Hysterectomy, anyone?



People really don't take it seriously. But it can be debilitating! I hate it so much.


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## largenlovely (Jul 28, 2008)

I've had one instance where it was so bad that i was sitting in the bathtub bawling my eyes out..feeling like i was literally losing my mind. It was crazy and I'm almost scared to talk about it because it was just soooooo bad. I remember my "rational" mind trying to tell myself that it was PMS and i would be ok soon...but there was this huge part of me that felt like it was never going to go away and i would be left feeling like that for forever. I wound up crying myself to sleep praying and begging God that I wouldn't wake up that way...and yes it was THAT dramatic. It took me 3 days before i felt back to my normal rational self again. 

This has only happened to me once...but it was the most horrible experience. 

Most of my PMS is considered "bad" but that was just ..off the charts. My regular PMS has interfered with my life too...The best advice is to watch the calender. After that last episode that i described, I started keeping up with my periods and the week before i cut back on coke, chocolate and salt as much as i can. PMS is all about water retention from what i understand and those three are the main culprits..and the things i love the most. I'm not one to regulate what i eat..but i try to at least watch it the week before my periods and i've not had an episode like that since.

*edit/add* i remember reading somewhere that it was documented that PMS is caused from water on the brain, which really temporarily leaves you mentally debilitated. That's why it's best to watch the foods that will make you retain water. I don't know if that's true...i don't have a source. It was just something i remember reading at one point. I just know that since i've been cautious about watching my intake of certain foods that it has improved.

Now cramps...that's a whole OTHER story


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## Surlysomething (Jul 28, 2008)

largenlovely said:


> I've had one instance where it was so bad that i was sitting in the bathtub bawling my eyes out..feeling like i was literally losing my mind. It was crazy and I'm almost scared to talk about it because it was just soooooo bad. I remember my "rational" mind trying to tell myself that it was PMS and i would be ok soon...but there was this huge part of me that felt like it was never going to go away and i would be left feeling like that for forever. I wound up crying myself to sleep praying and begging God that I wouldn't wake up that way...and yes it was THAT dramatic. It took me 3 days before i felt back to my normal rational self again.
> 
> This has only happened to me once...but it was the most horrible experience.
> 
> ...


 

Thanks!

That's really interesting. I'm going to start charting my cycle so i'm better prepared and take a special interest in my diet.

Something has to give here, it's making me crazy.


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## Waxwing (Jul 28, 2008)

largenlovely said:


> I
> *edit/add* i remember reading somewhere that it was documented that PMS is caused from water on the brain, which really temporarily leaves you mentally debilitated. That's why it's best to watch the foods that will make you retain water. I don't know if that's true...i don't have a source. It was just something i remember reading at one point. I just know that since i've been cautious about watching my intake of certain foods that it has improved.



That's reallly interesting. I'll knock it off with the salt licks. Water on the brain...good god.

I know herbs like Dong Quai are supposed to regulate hormonal changes and reduce the intensity of this kind of thing, but I've never tried them. Hm...I think I will and I'll report back.


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## CAMellie (Jul 28, 2008)

My doctor is having me keep a chart to verify that I have PMDD...an extreme form of PMS that is pretty much debilitating every month. Almost exactly 7 days before my period I pretty much go insane. I'm already on meds for a bi-polar disorder but it's like I'm on nothing for that week. Within a few hours of starting my period ALL the symptoms go away....except the cramps. Damned cramps.


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## Waxwing (Jul 28, 2008)

CAMellie said:


> My doctor is having me keep a chart to verify that I have PMDD...an extreme form of PMS that is pretty much debilitating every month. Almost exactly 7 days before my period I pretty much go insane.



That sounds like me. I hate it. I'm sorry you deal with it, too!


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## Surlysomething (Jul 29, 2008)

CAMellie said:


> My doctor is having me keep a chart to verify that I have PMDD...an extreme form of PMS that is pretty much debilitating every month. Almost exactly 7 days before my period I pretty much go insane. I'm already on meds for a bi-polar disorder but it's like I'm on nothing for that week. Within a few hours of starting my period ALL the symptoms go away....except the cramps. Damned cramps.


 

That sounds a lot like me too. I'm an emotional disaster. But AS SOON as it starts I feel myself change. Instantaneous.


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## Waxwing (Jul 29, 2008)

Surlysomething said:


> That sounds a lot like me too. I'm an emotional disaster. But AS SOON as it starts I feel myself change. Instantaneous.



YES exactly. Literally the same hour I'm normal and sane again and stop composing suicide letters in my head.


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## CAMellie (Jul 29, 2008)

Waxwing said:


> That sounds like me. I hate it. I'm sorry you deal with it, too!





Surlysomething said:


> That sounds a lot like me too. I'm an emotional disaster. But AS SOON as it starts I feel myself change. Instantaneous.



Print the chart from that site, ladies, and take it to your doctor. They might have some great advice on what you can do next.


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## rainyday (Jul 29, 2008)

I read this week that a side effect of Allegra (a common allergy med) is menstrual pain, but the incidence is low. I assume they mean during, and not "pre" though. I've taken it for several years, but haven't noticed anything different.


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## Dr. P Marshall (Aug 2, 2008)

First off, every time I post here I feel the need to state, I'm NOT a doctor despite the username. BUT, I did find this information at this site. I can say from personal experience, that while I've never had bad PMS, when I started supplementing a calcium/magnesium supplement for other reasons(sports related) I noticed that what few symptoms I did have, completely went away. If it weren't for the fact that my cycle is like clockwork, I would never know when it was coming. Also, potassium helps with cramping and water retention as well. If you supplement calcium, it's best to take one with magnesium as well because magnesium helps with calcium absorption.


http://altmed.creighton.edu/pmdd/calcium.htm

Calcium Therapy for PMDD

Philosophy 

Recent studies have shown that the underlying pathophysiologic changes that occur with PMDD could be a reflection of an important physiologic disruption in calcium regulation. Significant alterations in the hormones that manage calcium metabolism have been studied during the menstrual cycle of women with PMDD with the results pointing to calcium imbalance as a possible causal factor. Retrospective and prospective investigations have identified a relationship between PMDD and bone loss, further promoting a derangement in calcium metabolism as a potential biologic trigger for PMDD. Therefore, dietary calcium supplementation may be a possible therapeutic modality for PMDD. 

Previous clinical investigations have shown calcium to be helpful in alleviating symptoms such as irritability, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, headache, and cramps. In a double-blind randomized crossover trial done by Thys-Jacobs et al5 in 1989, a 50% reduction in PMDD symptoms was found among 33 women on a daily calcium regimen of 1000 mg. In a similar study by Penland and Johnson in 1993, increasing dietary calcium intake to 1336 mg per day reduced mood, pain, and water retention symptoms among women during their menstrual cycles.


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## goofy girl (Aug 2, 2008)

Waxwing said:


> I have it, badly. I don't get impatient but I go get profoundly depressed-- despairing actually. I (no kidding or exaggeration here) get suicidal for about 48 hours every month.
> 
> Fun.
> 
> Nothing I can do about is as far as I know but realize what's causing it and hide until it's over.



Me, too. The only thing that really makes me feel better is crying. And the funniest thing (for a lack of a better term) is that when it's gone, it's instantaneous. I wake up and I'm all happy and bubbly and fulla cheer.


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## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (Aug 2, 2008)

LOL.

I get serious PMS. SERIOUS PMS. Over the past 3 days I have gained 10lbs (all water I hope!) and I am one raging bitch, lol. However, I tend to stand up for myself more when I am PMSing. I actually yelled at someone at work yesterday, lol.....soooo out of character for me....I'm one of those people who just take shit...but not yesterday, lol.

Mike always knows before I do. When he says "I hope you start bleeding soon" means that I am being a total bitch and he wants it over lol. I don't notice it so much unless I get the blues. Then it turns me into a depressive mess....but alas, I am on meds for that so now I just have the anger bits.

I have no clue on how to deal with it. Find a loving partner who accepts that 1.5 weeks out of every month til you are about 60, you will be the worlds biggest drama queen/bitch/cry baby. I found one so they do exist!


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## largenlovely (Aug 8, 2008)

hahahah thank GOD for those guys eh? Poor Bruce..before i started trying to regulate it, he even suggested we limit our phone conversations during that time. Mine usually only lasts 2 or 3 days prior to my period. Though, when it's on..he can NOT win in any conversation we have because either i become seriously irate or cry my face off...no winning lol. 

thankfully he realizes that if i do have bad pms from time to time, the other 28 or 29 days of the month are spent with a relatively sane woman lol



BigBellySSBBW said:


> Find a loving partner who accepts that 1.5 weeks out of every month til you are about 60, you will be the worlds biggest drama queen/bitch/cry baby. I found one so they do exist!


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## Flyin Lilac (Aug 8, 2008)

Holy mackerel am I lucky. All I ever seem to have is a bit of the bloat and _maybe _a backache a week or so before. That's it.

Oh wait I just remembered one other "symptom": I'm horny as all hell the week before and the week after, I mean even moreso than all the other days of the month.


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## CrankySpice (Aug 8, 2008)

I've been diagnosed with PMDD within the last year, and all the symptoms you all describe sound like I could've written them myself (esp. Waxwing).

I would strongly recommend that you all speak with your doctors about treatment. I'm very lucky in that I accidentally found a treatment that works for me-depo prevera stops my periods entirely, which greatly lessens the severity of my symptoms. I've been on depo for more or less the last 7 years, I went off it about a year ago and PMDD hit me like a mack truck as soon as my periods started up again.

Unfortunately, not everyone responds to depo the same way, so I can't recommend it as a treatment for others. I believe Yaz is the only BC method approved for treatment of PMDD, so that's an option to look into.

Also, I found that a lot of the crazy/depression was anxiety-based, so an anti-anxiety med helps with it. Xanax is my friend.

Oh! One thing I noticed but didn't see anyone mention here is sleeplessness. For about 3-5 nights, I would sleep maybe 4-5 hours (my usual sleep is 8-10 hours) per night. I wouldn't be tired at all and no matter what I did, I could not sleep more than that.


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## Surlysomething (Aug 8, 2008)

CrankySpice said:


> I've been diagnosed with PMDD within the last year, and all the symptoms you all describe sound like I could've written them myself (esp. Waxwing).
> 
> I would strongly recommend that you all speak with your doctors about treatment. I'm very lucky in that I accidentally found a treatment that works for me-depo prevera stops my periods entirely, which greatly lessens the severity of my symptoms. I've been on depo for more or less the last 7 years, I went off it about a year ago and PMDD hit me like a mack truck as soon as my periods started up again.
> 
> ...




I have a few things that could attribute to my sleeplessness though so I never even factored PMS into it. Interesting.

Last two weeks, complete GONG SHOW. Came pretty close to ruining a fledgling friendship. Now? I feel pretty normal and good. I look back and go, wtf? I feel so mellow right now.


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## activistfatgirl (Aug 8, 2008)

Oh my god you guys, I want to hug you all. Except for Lilac! 

I get very depressed/desolate for 5 days or so before my period, like clockwork. Always. The sad thing about it is that I always forget about it because I feel better most of the time and then when I'm in it I forget its a cycle and stress even more about why i'm so depressed. 

I tend to be very tired that week, also. Just tired and anti-social, and very sad. Things get better when I start to bleed, but I also have very painful periods and the fatigue continues. I feel great around day 2, but then tend to stop bleeding for a day or more until I get debilitating cramps. I went home early once this week because of it.

I feel like I'm on top of the world, by the way, anywhere near ovulation. Which for someone who doesn't want to get pregnant, is pretty irritating. I'm MOST LIKELY to have a sexual drive closest to that time, which is not uncommon.

Anyways, this is not news to you all, so just group venting. I'm working on some food/diet therapy for this and other possibly medical issues which are probably all inner-related (is my hair really thinning out?!?!?!)

Oh, to be a woman. It's beautiful, but rough. We are so much stronger than I think men understand.


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## Tracy (Aug 18, 2008)

My PMS has gotten really bad over the past 2-3 years and it has had an impact on my relationships that I have with family, friends and men I have been involved with. About 10-7 days before I start I become really anixious and I seem to be stressed out even if I have no reason to be, I get really really mean (like really harsh with my words), I get this sad feeling thats really hard to explain, I want to eat everything in sight and I dont sleep at night. I normally don't get the cramps but I have noticed the last few months my breast get really tender. I wake up around 3am every morning and my periods have changed a lot. I used to bleed for about 6-7 days but now its like I start one day and I'm finished within 2-3 days. After I start bleeding all of the symptons go away and I'm back to my old self. I have discussed this with my GYN but he assures me that this is normal stuff for the female. I think that I'm pre-menopause but he tells me that I'm to young at 39. I keep track of my periods so that I can prepare myself and those around me not to expect me to be the nicest person around. I guess the sad thing for me about having to deal with this is that it has impacted my relationships in a major way and I feel that at least one relationship could have blossomed into something more if the other person had been more understanding. Women are strong and beautiful creations and more men need to realize this.


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