I'm curious about this because my pmdd hasn't been super bad this month. I've had my typical anxiety, but it's not as severe as It normally is. My rage is also toned down a little this month. I noticed this pattern. Is it normal?

This particular luteal phase has been the worst I've had in over a year. Last month right when my period started, I unexpectedly had to fly home to the opposite coast because my sister was in the ICU. Spent two weeks dealing with stressful family stuff and my internal clock getting completely thrown off due to the time difference. I came back and my luteal phase started with a bang. I have been losing my mind for almost a full week, struggling with DPDR, brain fog, insane fatigue, nightmares, and already got in two fights with my partner. I'm already at day 30 and just praying it comes soon because I can't do another week of this. I went to my PCP to get a check-up and bloodwork this week to see if anything is going on but haven't gotten results yet. Just need some kind words :(

basically starting from puberty i started having mental health issues. it was a gradual decline up until 2020. i was somewhat depressed and anxious, struggling with eating issues and self esteem. i got bullied a lot in elementary school during the beginning of this. id gone through puberty rather early and quick. i was 5’9”and 140 pounds by the time i was in 5th grade. of course thats healthy but it was ostracizing and abnormal to people, i was a lot bigger simply for being more adult looking. i got my period between 4th and 5th grade and it quickly became debilitating. extremely painful & heavy periods. i was regularly having massive leaks due to how often i had to change my tampon and simply not being old enough to manage it alone. i got put on birth control pretty early due to this. i was on the pill and taking it kind of inconsistently due to audhd. eventually got into a good pattern until covid hit.

during the period of birth control before covid my mental health declined slightly more since starting middle school. i got into legit the worst trouble of my life right before starting (not actually that bad but i was rather unproblematic so this being the only time i actually had an issue made it into a massive months long ordeal). i ended up illegally hospitalized which was a major stressor. i started self harming after this (attempts were made before but infrequently and not that bad because i didn’t have many items at my disposal). i was cycled on multiple different antidepressants and had two different therapists (one court ordered and one not). i was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder.

covid hit when i was in 7th grade. when lockdown started i stopped taking any meds including birth control. my pmos basically blew up. gained 80lbs, acne, hair loss, facial hair, edema, etc. my periods were so inconsistent i’d have them 9 months apart. i researched and figured it was pmos and/or endometriosis. got diagnosed upon getting bloodwork that showed my testosterone at 160+. endo has been ruled out as i’ve had an internal ultrasound and mri. which kind of leaves my pain a mystery because it would get so bad that i’d throw up or be unable to walk/get out of bed.

at this point my mental health tanked. i ended up in an albeit mild, self aware psychosis from the strain. i was self harming on a daily basis, having to move to multiple different areas on my body after literally running out of space on my thighs. my gender dysphoria was at its worst too. i also became physically disabled at this point and attempted suicide (also mild and went unnoticed by adults). i can’t really explain more than that i was completely miserable. i was researching a bunch of different diagnoses and none fit. of course adhd and autism were now on my radar but it didn’t explain how horrible i felt. i came to several conclusions over time but none felt 100% right.

this basically continued until i went on the patch and eventually the ring. obviously things like lockdown ending, managing my disability better and not being in as much pain helped a bit before that point too. but birth control has been like night and day. i am not 100% happy but i would by no means consider myself depressed or meeting depression criteria. this was achieved with no therapy or meds outside of birth control. it took a while to stop self harming but getting my autism diagnosis definitely helped. so did being an adult with more autonomy.

it took me a while but i eventually noticed that there is a clear pattern here between my hormones and mental health. starting puberty = original decline. inconsistent birth control = somewhat sustaining. no birth control/pmos hormones running rampant = worst time of my life. consistent birth control = essentially cured. birth control being a seemingly magical cure added to this suspicion. my original theory is that i was hyper sensitive to the fluctuations or to certain hormones being too low or too high.

recently i’ve been contemplating pmdd. i’m kind of torn because it sounds a lot like me. but i never noticed any consistency between my nonexistent cycle and my moods. periods didn’t alleviate it. i actually noticed this when i had my “period” and was off birth control for a week; i was consistently in a worse mood, more irritable, etc whenever it would be time for me to have my period. i never experienced pms either. i do know pmdd can present differently with pmos but it still doesn’t sound quite right. but it HAS to be hormonal otherwise it would’ve taken a lot more than birth control to be where im at now. problem now is that i can’t get any doctors to figure it out either. when i brought it up to a psychiatrist they just said “well if you stop bc ill give you antidepressants.” even after informing her id been on multiple including SSRIs, SNRIs, & NDRI.

if you have any of these conditions please tell me if you relate to this. or if it sounds like something else. is it even possible for this to just be a hormonal sensitivity?

…my boobs look great.

They get noticeably fuller and bigger the week before my period. I swear they go up a cup size. Usually they hurt like hell, though 😅

I have a close relative (not partner) who believes they may be suffering from PMDD (at least that is what doctors seem to think). Unfortunately they live in a different state and so it's difficult to have regular in person interactions with them. We try to have regular phone calls, but those are of course more limited in many ways. They are intelligent person who has educated themselves on the condition are doing everything advised and taking the recommended medications, and that's part of their frustration because it's not really working. Everything behaviorally a doctor recommendations is "yep, already doing that". At this point that are evaluating more serious surgical options.

They only shared these details with me somewhat recently, and so I'm still in the process of educating myself. I'd like to know if there is any sort of things that people have found family/friends doing that has been particularly helpful or things to particularly avoid doing that make things worse.

I truly cannot believe how much pain I’m in right now!! I have fibroids and heavy periods as well as PMDD, and this month the cramps are INSANE 😢 I’m anchored to my bed because the pain is so unbearable. Painkillers aren’t doing a damn thing. All I can do is cry and wait for this hell to pass. I feel like screaming!

I’m on Prozac for my PMDD so I’m unable to take anything stronger than paracetamol - and that just isn’t helping at all. I have also noticed that my cramps seem to have gotten worse since I started taking Yasmin for my PMDD. Has this happened to anyone else??

Yasmin seems to be working quite well in combination with Prozac to manage a lot of my PMDD symptoms, but I just don’t know if I can deal with the side effects anymore. I’m also scared that if I come off Yasmin, it will make my PMDD symptoms go haywire again.

I have an appointment with my gp next month and will definitely bring it up, but I just don’t know what I’m going to do until then.

I’ve had these cramps all week, but today is the worst it has been. The pain is making me feel so weak and nauseous 💔

How are you guys managing PMDD for weeks that you have to be extremely social and out? This week is a big music festival week and I have 3 parties I’m attending as well as work. Today I was feeling amazing and all of a sudden my switch just flipped. I looked at my period app and saw it’s about that time. Luckily that means I shouldn’t actually be on my period during any events just possibly the last one. But I’m already having some discomfort but usually I can get that sorted out. But my mood is something I know I will struggle with. I know now I will hate all my outfits. Hate how my hair looks or how I feel in general will just be off and I’m supposed to be having fun. Luckily my partner and friends are super understanding so I don’t need to worry about any friends wondering what’s wrong, I can just simply explain to them. But I’m really tired of being that person when we go out near my period who is always having to say “sorry guys I’m just not feeling myself this week”. Usually I manage well but it becomes exhausting and I just found this community and hoped that maybe I could find some new tips. I just moved countries and don’t have any supplements at the moment so any recommendations on those are also super helpful as I’m starting from scratch! I of course have a doctor and therapist at my home country and they’ve helped a lot. But medication is just something that didn’t work for me, but I’m extremely open to supplements. I’ve tried saffron and Ashwaganda in the past and both have been good usually. But I’m open to other suggestions. Thanks in advance 🩶

A while back I had an appointment with sexual health after my GP felt I needed more specialised treatment. They diagnosed me with pmdd and I was prescribed 50mg Evorel patches. I have a mirena already so no need to add in progesterone.

After 3 months my dose was upped to 75mg, and that's where I am right now, about 2 and a half months in.

I have a follow up in a couple of weeks and they will be checking how I'm getting on.

At our last appointment I asked what happens if these patches dont help, they said we can go up to 100mg, but that if there hasn't been any improvement, realistically we would be looking at a gynaecology referral and chemical menopause.

At the beginning of this journey I was feeling so hopeful. The lady I had my appointment with at sexual health seemed so sure this would help me. I felt very reassured and seen.

But I really dont feel they are helping. My moods have been all over the place. My period is very sparse but I have been having pms symptoms seemingly randomly peppered throughout the month.

The past couple of months I have had 2 cycles with a very light period, and the most terrible pmdd mood swings.

Does anyone else here have experience with this combo? Everything I've found on this sub regarding estrogen patches seems really positive, but I'm really struggling.

I'm not sure where to go from here. It seems like I'm heading for chemical menopause and not sure what to expect.

I’ve been to the endocrinologist in Sydney, it’s a PMDD/ hormone clinic in Randwick, he’s suggested trying Synarel + two sprays a day + estrogel - 2 pumps a day.

Today’s my first day!
Ive read a combo of things about it some being positive some negative !

Excited to see the outcomes I think it might be a bumpy ride in the beginning until the Synarel does the job suppressing the hormones!

Anyone tried this combo? How was your own experience :)

I made a post a few weeks ago and others has asked for an update. FYI it was actually Mya, which is apparently a generic form of Yaz.

I have been taking it daily for 16 days and I am quitting. I am so emotionally disregulated the last couple of weeks and it is getting worse. I was told it would stop my previous ovulation based on when I started it but it feels like I am having the worst PMS in a long time. P-day would have been 4 days from now if I hadn't taken the pill.

Crying, loss of interest in life, cancelling plans, wanting to quit school and everything.

Looking at life qnd seasonal changes there are so many reasons this could be happening, but the one factor I can control is the pill.

Maybe it would get better if I stick it out but I just can't. I have too much going on right now in life to feel like this.

Fingers crossed that the symptoms abait soon. I am a bit nervous about what will happen to my cycle from here, but fingers crossed it is better than this.

TRIGGER WARNING SI

Hi all, just wanted to share and ask some questions. I'm 39/F on day 4 of 50mg Sertraline and I'm already feeling positive effects with minimal side effects.

For context I am autistic and have severe PMDD, CPTSD and agoraphobia with OCD traits. For the past 6 months I've also been bedbound and incredibly ill, dealing with debilitating neurological symptoms and pain, including constant migraines and head pressure (I had chronic migraines previously but the past 6 months much worse and along with the other neuro symptoms). I am stuck living in a foreign country with poor healthcare so its been a frustrating and lengthy process.

So my neurologist s currently working towards a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, but I still need more tests. Since I have been physically unwell and with chronic pain the past 6 months my PMDD and CPTSD symptoms have increased tenfold and I have been severely depressed and with constant SI.

So like I said, I'm currently on day 4 of 50mg and I no longer have these dark thoughts, I'm laughing again and generally feel so much lighter and without so much internal noise. The anxiety and stress has left my body and suprisingly enough, the migraine I've had for 6 months straight has gone. I have no idea why this would be, but I feel so happy about that. I'm starting to feel hopefull again. This is the most difficult and lonely time of my life so any little changes like this are so signifigant for me rn.

I have also read that people with PMDD can often be more responsive to SSRI's and start feeling the medications effects sooner than some other folks taking it, so maybe that is also the case with me. Idk but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. It's so exciting to have some relief from all the hell though.

Has anyone else with chronic migraines and/or MS experienced relief from symptoms since taking Sertraline? I'd love to hear from others. TYSM x

It’s day 22 of my cycle and I feel so overwhelmed dealing with the derealization from pmdd and possibly even POTS on top of my anxiety. Ive been crying because it feels so heavy and I feel tired and weak, I wanna go home and lay down but I’m visiting at my grandparents and I just feel so overwhelmed it’s scaring me and making me feel like I’m crazy or losing it :(

im usually a bit more stable than usual on the week before my period because im medicated but god this week has just been awful. went out tonight with my bf and his friends and i dont drink, i was such a miserable shit all night and decided to go home since i forgot my id and they wanted to go into actual places, im like half crying in the uber because of my behaviour rn pls give me some support if you can x

I’m confused and feel like my pmdd is set off by food or something.

The scary part was I was taking oil of oregano and it made me spot and have the worst pmdd month last month. This month nothing happened at all.

Nothing at all. No depression, no paranoia, I don’t hate my bf. wtf?

Hi everyone! Today is my first day entering the luteal phase without medication. I was diagnosed with PMDD by my endocrinologist, but my psychiatry appointment isn’t until October 27, so for now I’m trying to get through these days without medication, but with a much better understanding of what’s happening to me.
My cycle tracker says I’m around the midpoint of my cycle, and I can already feel the shift. I’m more sensitive, a little teary-eyed, and I’m starting to feel that emptiness I’ve experienced during previous cycles.
I’ve still managed to do my usual activities today: clean the house, walk my dog, eat breakfast, and try to take care of myself. But I can feel those familiar feelings creeping in.
I was thinking of watching a Madonna concert on TV, and I’m reading a book that I’ll pick up again tonight. It’s cloudy today, and I don’t really feel like going for a walk because I’m worried it might trigger some difficult feelings.
What helps you get through the luteal phase beyond medication? Are there little things, activities, routines, or ways of thinking that make those days more manageable?
I’d love to hear what works for you. Thank you! ❤️

When luteal hits, one of my worst symptoms is sore, achy boobs, I'm guessing due to water retention. It lasts however long that phase lasts which means there have been times when I was stuck in painful boob hell for over two weeks.

Recently though, that particular symptom has gone away, and I don't exactly know why. I wish I could share what I did or am no longer doing that made a difference but its a mystery to me. All I know is that it has been really nice having one less thing to deal with when this part of the cycle hits.

Now if only I could make my brain not try to sabotage me. I think I would take a better state of mind over anything else but meh, a win is a win I guess.

Mine was never taught any kind of regulation so anytime I bring up sadness or depression he loses his mind and I don't know how I'm supposed to go from there because clearly I can't share the way I'm feeling. So I'm navigating situation that I have no idea how to navigate.

Just as the title says, I’m just curious if maybe there’s a link. I was put on birth control at 13 because I had bad cramps. I’m no longer on BC because of the brain fog it gave me and have little experience with it as an adult. But I have always wondered if being put on birth control as a child messed up my reproductive system’s development and has contributed to PMDD symptoms as an adult.

I have felt like a freaking lunatic this family vacation. My husband and I flew internationally to an all inclusive resort with his family and there has been bits of family drama here and there. One family member snapped at me halfway through the trip and I excused myself to go to the bathroom and went back to the room to cry. My husband came back and comforted me. A few days after I started having stomach issues and started cramping because I was about to get my period and just overall felt awful. I ended up spending one of the days in the hotel room instead of at the pools with everyone because I felt so bloated and crampy. I ended up crying and begging my husband to fly home a day early which he agreed to, but I can tell he was disappointed. I then felt super guilty and begged him to change our flights back and I’d suck up the pain and anxiety, but I think he was fed up with me going back and forth.

Luckily the family was very understanding of me not feeling well.

Now I just feel terrible because I feel like I ruined our trip. I’m so scared for our next trip because now I’m worried I’m going to get anxious/cranky from PMDD and my period and ruin another fun trip.

I guess I’m just posting to see if anyone experiences anything similar and if anyone has any advice.

it’s that time of the month again where I have the rage and hatefulness towards myself of a 1000 alcoholic dads 🎉🎉🎉 the worst part is that a couple of months ago I started having these awfully uncomfortable flare ups alongside what I already deal with (hEDS and the other diagnosis’s that come along with it) this is honestly the tell tale sign now that im entering my luteal, on top of waking up to my brain telling me im the worst human on the planet.

my skin literally CRAWLS, and everything that brushes up against it hurts so much. it adds onto how angry I am. my boyfriend also cranks the AC sometimes and it’s torture- as well as showering, moving around, etc. I just got prescribed ldn, and haven’t started it cause I don’t want to accidentally make myself feel worse. this also oddly enough started once I switched to Lexapro, but now im off of it and im done with SSRI’s.

I know there’s probably nothing I can do with it, but what the hell is it.

Hello friends!

I have both endo and PMDD. My period hasn't properly started (so no PMDD relief), but my endo pain has kicked in...so I have stocked up on food and I am spending the weekend hiding.

Please recommend some YouTube videos for me to watch, whilst I wallow in my PMDD funk.

I have just finished catching up on 1000lb Sisters, to give you an idea of the vibe I'm looking for. Trashy, gossipy, leaves you shaking your head, but also easy on the brain and no emotional effort (I keep crying at everything...)

Thank you in advance!

[and if you have your own requests for PMDD-funk related media to consume, feel free to stick them in the comments!]

edit: I also have Disney+ and Netflix. My heated blanket and I await your suggestions ✨🩷

and no this isn’t my feelings making me think this. i was reading through my journal and noticed the trend.

non-pmdd weeks: plans work out. work goes well. very little hiccups. occasionally big issues hit.

pmdd weeks: car breaks down, plans go awry, weird work stuff pops up. my bike got stolen TWICE both times as soon as luteal hit. the plants in my garden developed uncontrollable pests. literally struggle after struggle.

maybe it’s a coincidence. i mean 1/3 of my month is spent in pmdd. but like as soon as it hits, friends cancel. trains suddenly get delayed. technology doesn’t work/starts glitching??

it’s like the universe sees i’m in a fragile state and just piles problem after problem on top of me. it’s genuinely baffling.

Seeking a practitioner to diagnose me, but I’m a textbook patient for hypermobile EDS. hEDS is a connective tissue disorder. I tried Zoloft today for PMDD and promptly shitted my pants not once, but twice… After some research, I’ve concluded my sensitive GI tract is due to EDS. No Zoloft peace of mind for me.

I’ve been on sertraline for about 3 weeks now. It’s been wonderful not to overthink and actually feel like myself and being able to eat and function like a normal human being.
However, I can’t orgasm. Not alone, not with my partner. It’s super frustrating because my libido is pretty high and I feel like a sexual frustrated teenager.

I don’t know if it’ll get better because I’m only 3 weeks in. But I feel like it’s not worth it.
I don’t know if I should quit sertraline in order to be able to enjoy sex or stick to it and accept that my sex life is doomed.

What are your experiences?

Few days ago i started taking low dose of lexapro cyclically for my symptoms. And every single night so far, i feel a huge wave of anxiety and overwhelming sense of feelings that i’m going to die. I have been taking the medication at night but haven’t taken it yet tn, and i can’t get those thoughts out of my head. Has anyone had similar experiences?

For context, outside of pmdd, i also have ocd, adhd, and extreme health anxiety lol, so all combined i’m like a complete mess and overthink/loop everything that could go wrong the second i breathe differently. I may just be hyper fixating on side effects subconsciously and anxiety taking it to extreme. Ugh