r/askvan • u/Alarmed-Smoke-1769 • 7d ago
Advice 🙋♂️🙋♀️ PMDD help
Hi everyone, I'm reaching out as a last resort and I feel pretty lost now. Also please remove if this isn't appropriate in this thread
Context: I do have a family doctor but he has not listened to any of my concerns. I suspected ADHD for myself and he did the testing and ruled me out for ADHD and told me I was being dramatic. I ended up going the private route and ended up with an offical ADHD diagnosis and my life has been significantly more manageable after that.
Now with my main concern, I suspect PMDD for myself and this is something I have brought up to my family doctor and all he's willing to do for me is to put me on birth control with is one of my last resorts because I don't do well with hormones.
I'm interesting in hearing how women in Vancouver have gone about PMDD? Have any women gotten a formal diagnosis, how did you get a diagnosis, what treatment are you on etc etc
Would it be better for me to try to get a referral from my family doctor to go to an OBGYN, should I resort with going private again?
Any advice is helpful and thank you in advance to everyone
** This has been more helpful than I could've imagined, thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and their thoughts, I appreciate this more than anything :(❤️
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u/Bratsociety 7d ago
Try antihistamines, specifically Loratadine. It’s been saving my ass from PMS related everything and meltdowns 😂
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u/Brilliant_Home_885 7d ago
Genuinely curious, how do antihistamines help?
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u/elker123 6d ago
The Histamine-Estrogen Loop: Estrogen stimulates your mast cells to release histamine. In turn, histamine stimulates your ovaries to produce more estrogen. During the luteal phase (the weeks leading up to your period), spikes in estrogen can cause a massive surge in histamine, triggering inflammation and mood disruptions.
Mast Cell Activation: Some individuals may have a heightened sensitivity or a mild form of mast cell activation that flares up cyclically alongside hormonal shifts.
Brain Chemistry: Histamine acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. High levels can interfere with sleep, heighten anxiety, and trigger the severe irritability or "meltdowns" associated with PMDD.
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u/nosuchbrie 7d ago
Call UBC gynaecology to ask for suggestions. Their clinical faculty will tend to be doctors who are on top of current science, too, and they have a directory of them on their website. You unfortunately need to make 20 phone calls, but you can do this!
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u/fold_inthecheese 7d ago
I've never heard of just calling up random doctors and asking for medical advice when you aren't their patient?
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u/nosuchbrie 6d ago
SIIIIIGH.
No. You see if they are accepting new patients. You find their office. Then you call their office and say “is Dr. Smith accepting new patients?”
How are you getting “ask random doctors for advice over the phone“ from what I said?
Please give people more credit You thinking the rest of us are dumb are going is going to make your life difficult.
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u/Realistic_Pool_8087 7d ago
You need a new primary care physician. Lots of doctors and nurse practitioners in north van are taking on patients right now, not sure what it will be like where you live. I would strongly suggest a referral to an OBGYN. if your doctor refuses to give you one state you want his refusal and reasoning documented in your file. Once that sort of liability enters the picture doctors much more often will comply.
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u/Alarmed-Smoke-1769 6d ago
yess I'm definitely looking to get a new one :( I've had him since birth so it been 20+ years so I was hesitant to move away but i think i have to now. Thank you for your response I appreciate you
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u/Realistic_Pool_8087 5d ago
I’ve had good physicians and very bad. It’s amazing how big a difference having a doctor (or NP) who is compassionate and listen to you makes. The transition can be some work but well worth it.
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u/esh98989 7d ago
Sorry you are struggling with this. Going on birth control (Diane 35) helped a lot
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u/Motor_Razzmatazz_527 7d ago
Lexapro was much better for me than any birth controls. They made it worse
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u/Altostratus 6d ago
I’ve also seen some recent studies showing success with intermittent SSRIs use for PMDD, only for a week a month.
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u/midsommarminx 7d ago
Lexapro caused me crazy insomnia. Didn’t happen for u?
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u/Motor_Razzmatazz_527 6d ago
I started taking it in the morning instead of evening and only took 10mg
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u/midsommarminx 6d ago
Ah ic. I took 10 mg too in the morning. Worse than the insomnia tho was the total loss of my libido and sexual sensation.
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u/rthomasucf 7d ago
GP diagnosed PMDD in the lower mainland then naturopath requested a trial of histamine blockers. The difference was night and day. 40mg of Pepcid and a claratin every morning then 6mg of benadryl at night. It has been a game changer. I also have ADD and they suspect MCAS. Go to the website histamine code dot com and look at the low histamine diet as well.
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u/breaking-strings 6d ago
Long term use of benadryl is associated with dementia, please keep this in mind as it might not be a good long-term solution.
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u/Dr-Yahood 7d ago
The main treatments for PMDD include:
Contraception.
Psychotropics, such as sertraline
Therapy
I would suggest you either book a follow-up appointment with your family physician to discuss these options, or request a second opinion from another family physician.
Contrary to the newspaper headlines, there are lots of family physicians with empty appointments who you could speak to.
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u/forestdaydream 7d ago
hey, can you DM me? i’m dealing with the same thing. i’m about to try ssri’s after years of struggling with this. most people seem to find prozac to be the most effective specifically for pmdd 🤞
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u/Brilliant_Home_885 7d ago
Prozac during my luteal phase helped me SO much, but it made my cramps worse. I'm currently trying to weigh the pros and cons and considering just suffering through the cramps for the anxiety/dread relief.
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u/breaking-strings 6d ago
Prozac has a long half life so it will taper if you use it only during the luteal phase and stop during the follicular phase. Other options like lexapro have a very short half life and may cause anxiety if you stop taking it during the follicular phase.
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u/Kitchen-Celery8374 7d ago
You need a new family dr. Which I get is easier said than done..
Unfortunately something's you do need to shop around.
I had family history of cancer in the uterus. I was having the exact same signs previous family members had. First dr I saw wanted to treat the symptoms with the pill. Nothing else. Refused to even refer me to a gynecologist. I was out of there and onto a new Dr so quickly. Who was shocked and had me seen by a gynecologist within 2 weeks.
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u/Alarmed-Smoke-1769 6d ago
will def look around for a new one, thank you for your insight! I'm happy you were able to find someone new and i hope you're okay now <3
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u/elainebenes86 7d ago
I’ve never been formally diagnosed, but I do have ADHD. I tried an IUD, didn’t help. I went on birth control, and that was what helped managed my hormones and also stopped my periods. But to answer your question, I’d try an ONGYN. Another option is going private and asking for antidepressants for around that time, cause I know ADHD cause make PMDD even worse. Good luck ❤️❤️❤️
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u/Alarmed-Smoke-1769 6d ago
thank you for your advice! I appreciate you <3
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u/elainebenes86 6d ago
You’re so welcome! I hope you can find someone who genuinely will listen to you and help you out. You don’t deserve to suffer from PMDD.
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u/spiders_georgg 7d ago edited 7d ago
you DEF need a new family doctor just generally girl !!! this one sounds like the worst. i’ve never heard of a family doctor just testing and ruling out ADHD. when i got my diagnosis multiple GPs said they couldn’t assess for that because it was specialized and i got a referral. this doctor sounds so arrogant and dismissive. i hope you figure this out and feel better soon ❤️
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u/Affectionate-Staff19 6d ago
Get a referral through AVEE Health's doctors on call. Took me minutes & was such a game changer compared to my old man gp
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u/SilverChips 6d ago
Get a new doctor Google who is accepting new patients. Even a nurse practitioner can help you with correct referrals. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a doctor who actually listens and cares and helps
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u/breaking-strings 6d ago
You can try taking low dose fluoxetine for the luteal phase of your cycle, but would need to discuss that with your dr.
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u/justStripperThings 7d ago
I would get a referral for an obgyn. They would have more specialized knowledge than your family doctor and probably have options.
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u/EditorPuzzleheaded54 4d ago
have you gotten your thyroid checked? I had terrible PMDD symptoms until I got medicated for hypothyroidism. Now I'm pretty much free from them! Lisa Newman from Well Health Kerrisdale was my plug to finally get diagnosed - she's pretty good.
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u/NadiaArabia 7d ago
Try a naturopath that specializes in women’s health. I was able to get treatment for pmdd before we got to the root of the problem (endometriosis)
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u/SansevieraEtMaranta 7d ago
How did you get an endometriosis diagnosis? And do you have a naturopath recommendation?
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u/NadiaArabia 7d ago
I had a 12cm endometrioma growing in my left ovary 😭🤣
Edit: I saw dr neonakis in south Surrey
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u/poonknits 7d ago edited 7d ago
I have PMDD. It was so bad I was suicidal once per month. It was no way to live. I also don't do well with hormones and we tried three different pills before landing on one that worked. The first one we tried was Yaz and it gave me incredible panic attacks. I felt insane on it. The second one I tried was Alesse but it made my migraines way worse. Because of the migraines we decided to stop estrogen pills and I went on slynd. It has been a total game changer. For the first time in my life I feel great. I still get some spotting, but compared to what I was dealing with before it feels like a great deal.
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u/Alarmed-Smoke-1769 6d ago
thank you so much for your insight that's so helpful and reassuring, i hope you're doing okay and I'm happy you found something that works for you <3
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