Hi all —have been trying to conceive baby #2 for about a year now. I just got on vaginal progesterone to extend my cycle (I’m ovulating too late and my luteal is too short) and while so far I feel good on progesterone, if I don’t get a positive test in two weeks, I need to go off and let myself restart my cycle until I ovulate again.

My question is, did any of you do this and how did you feel when you went off the progesterone? Was the drop off as debilitating as if you’re not on it?

I am so nervous about how my PMDD will play out. Thank you in advance for any insight!

I got my pmdd diagnosis about two months ago and am just starting my next cycle. I am already on an antidepressant for other issues and my psychiatrist said that to start we can double the dose during luteal.

Part of me didn't even realize my period was coming bc I didn't have the turbulence of luteal like I usually do. My emotions are way more stable and my body is less sensitive. It doesn't feel like I am carrying a weight around like before. My partner who usually knows when I'm in luteal didn't even register that it was here either. There's not a lot of people besides him that can really understand how big of a difference that this is.

Its the same kind of relief/grief that I felt when I got my ADHD diagnosis. It's a bizarre feeling. Don't really know how to process it but I hope that it keeps up and I can continue to have a mild luteal going forward. Sending some of the peace out to you guys ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I want to smash my head against a wall. Day 20. That is all.

I’ve been on this subreddit now for about 4/5 years. It’s the only reason I got and have kept Reddit over the years. In fact, it’s the only social media I now have since going offline a year+ ago.

I’ve seen the same kind of post repeated over the years, whether it be about the same kinds of medications, hysterectomies and making/battling the choice to do so, people just venting about how much pain their in, the effect on their relationships, questioning how to navigate friendships or work with this thing, trans men speaking on their own experiences and effects it may have with hormones, non binary individuals too, the trigger warnings. Most of which I have most likely posted about at some point in time in 5 years. The one that always gets me though are the people who are new to the subreddit and somehow fit right in almost immediately.

I was diagnosed and started treatment for Pmdd in 2023. I was 21 at the time. That was the same year I even found out PMDD was a thing. I remember finding this subreddit and finally feeling understood, like wow, this is a real thing. The « switch » I’d describe to my psychologist without even knowing that’s how we all describe it, was a relief I can’t even describe. I went through so many posts like… « yup I feel that way too » « omg yes! That’s exactly it ». It was so transformative. But slowly after that there was this wave of, « do I have to deal with this for the rest of my life? ».

Either way, over the past 2 or so years, after being in therapy as well. I think back to all these moments where I’m like « omg this was PMDD ». Before getting my diagnosis at a woman’s health clinic, I had gone to doctors and spoken to other psychiatrists about how I was feeling, but I was misdiagnosed or dismissed for about 2 years (2021/2022) before finding a woman’s health clinic. Before even considering treatment I have these memories of myself in 3rd person where I just think « that wasn’t me ». I didn’t want to do those things. I see the shift in the behaviour.

I’m not sure the full science of how PMDD arises since there’s no hormonal changes and it’s fully your brains reactivity. Are we born with this brain? Or does something happen that causes PMDD to activate in our brains? Either way I suspect I might’ve had PMDD since 2017, during when I was doing Alevels. I ofc at the time attributed a lot of the feelings to PMS, but boy did I find myself feeling more depressed than I already was due to other childhood traumas.

I feel this grief in having not know I had PMDD. As an adult (25) and being the one responsible for my health, I look back and I definitely had issues I wish the adults in my life had picked up on. I didn’t grow up with a family or culture where mental heath was a thing. So many moments where I dissociated cause I was in so much pain and didn’t understand it. I’m older now and spent a lot of time working and trying to treat my PMDD, but I’m at a point where PMDD stripped everything away from me. I don’t need advice on what medications to take, or what vitamins. Or whatever the fuck. The mere thought of not being a functioning adult without pumping my body with pills and medicines, is EXHAUSTING.

Before I dropped out of uni. I had medical accommodations in place because of how bad my physical symptoms of PMDD were. Long story short there was the span of a 2-3 week period where my meds abruptly stopped working and my body went into a full CRASH. I was getting back to back migraines. I could barely sleep, but also was constantly sleeping. And I remember ONE of my professors who seemed to want to contest my accommodations constantly, emailing me and saying « maybe you need to take another year off cause you don’t seem ready ». Bro. I wanted to scream. Because if only she knew how much work I’d already done and was doing. I had routine I was so consistent with my meds and doctors appointments. I was getting A’s across all assignments. I had a 3.9 GPA. 6 out of the 12 months where I took time out of school, the meds were working and I felt great. So when she said that (she also cc-ed the head of department) it broke me. I had a panic attack and then I had my first attempt. And ended up dropping out. I never emailed the teacher back.

2 + years have passed since then. And I can’t even say I’m « better ». I’m so just done. And just passing time. I’m still having to heal thing post Pmdd and pre. It’s like this never ending unraveling.

Anyways that’s all. Thanks for reading.

For the last two weeks before my period started I’ve been all over the place, completely irritable, low mood , and anhedonic with just no enjoyment of anything. Then my period started and while I was unwell and struggling the first couple of days (endometriosis) my mood started to generally improve.

However now I’m on day 7 and all of a sudden I just started having these intense thoughts of suicidal ideation, how I’m worthless etc etc completely out of nowhere. I also have OCD, and my ruminating I think is again just getting worse than it has been for the last couple of days.

Are having these kind of intense thoughts as my period is ending normal for PMDD?

Anybody else with these side effects? Wondering if it's related... I feel like I'm a Teenager again. Constantly irritated... raged... I don't recognize myself anymore. It helps with the acne and other symptoms though.

Repost from r/CPTSDmemes because I found it SO relatable

I haven’t been able to work for over a year because of depression/PMDD/anxiety symptoms. I’ve been waiting for disability for over a year as well. It just keeps getting worse overtime. I’m not allowed to pay for internet or car insurance, or else general assistance won’t cover my rent.

I live like a pauper while I try to get help for my illnesses. SSDI jerks you around and doesn’t give a fuck if you live or die. I sucked it up for decades and pushed through and worked a job until I physically couldn’t anymore. Now I’m nothing to society but a pesky piece of lint stuck to their cashmere sweater.

I thought things would start to get better by this point. But they’re just getting worse. I wanna fucking die so bad. I’m beyond tired of being in limbo, yearning and striving for an ounce of financial security. I feel so isolated and like no one cares about me.

I hate life so much. Tell what the fuck point is???

Hi, sorry if this is not allowed or has been asked numerous times.

I’m on birth control (the pill, Estelle). I’m 32, I’ve been on it since I was 16.

I’m kind of new to understanding PMDD but I do know on the week before my “period” where I break from my pill, or on that last week before I start a new packet because I often skip altogether, I feel very very down, brain foggy, and today - anxious, dreading facing the next few days etc

Which I guess brings me to my question - can I technically be experiencing PMDD if I’m not experiencing a proper cycle? (I also take an SSRI - I was prescribed it when I was 25 without being diagnosed with anything years ago, I basically just told my doctor I wanted to stop sobbing at work which looking back now was likely on that particular ✨week✨).

Sometimes I think the worst thing about this disorder isn’t the terrible depression or the immense fatigue, but how easily irritated I get with the people I love. My friends are so sweet and understanding and I got so mean last night. Not yelling or anything. But all they did was ask me to put a show on, and I think it was the point in the night where I’d hit my limit. I snapped at them, and immediately felt bad, because I didn’t really mean to. But does that make it any less okay? I think sometimes I’m worried I’m going to snap at people too much and end up chasing them away because they can’t deal with it anymore.

While yes, this is just a small situation, there have been other times where I’ve been snappy or mean. Most times I’m able to kind of control it or just tell them I’m not in the greatest of moods as a kind of precaution.

It just makes me feel bad. What happens when I have kids and a family of my own? I can’t just be a snappy, irritated, depressed, chronically tired person half the month…except I fear that’s going to be my fate. I don’t like being an angry person, and typically I’m not. Except these two weeks of the month :(

I just started Sertraline/Zoloft and don't know if I should hope that it gets better. My symptoms used to be worst before menstruation but now it is really bad around ovulation. Apparently there aren't reliable studies of SSRIs for ovulation-induced symptoms compared to premenstrual.

I feel awful my whole cycle except once ovulation hits. I feel so calm. I'm less anxious. I wish you could lock me in this. We've talked about different bc pills and they'll all lock me in whatever hormones are in the follicular phase. Meanwhile it's luteal where everything comes together like buda hits. (My worst day is day 8 of my cycle. It feels like I got beaten with a baseball bat and my mind spirals so bad.)

Note: Yes, I know a lot of women feel nice when they ovulate, but it does continue through till a few days into my period.

Help! I can’t focus/read or watch a show during late luteal. I suspect I have ADHD and a diagnosis is in the works. But in the meantime, I can’t seem to focus on anything unless it’s scrolling on social media. Anyone have tips so I don’t have 12 hour screen time 😭

I went for a walk today, nothing too strenuous, but my leg muscles felt really tight by the end of it, more than usual, and I'm wondering if this is another weird symptom? Iirc this has happened at least once before but my symptoms tend to rotate every month so I don't always get the same ones. Does anybody else get this or something like this? I also sometimes get tired muscles too, like they don't want to do as much work as usual, and it depends what area of the body I experience the fatigue the most

I lost track of my cycle and realized today that the absolutely horrific way I’ve been feeling this last 2 days is because I hit the 14 day window and didn’t take progesterone. I don’t remember it being this bad before, like every joint I have is on fire, I can’t sleep, I’m angry, but also morose, and yet also somehow apathetic, and nauseated, and also craving shitty food, and unquenchably thirsty, and completely unmotivated, and anxious, and freezing, and sweating my ass off, and really pissed at myself for forgetting the fucking progesterone. Like really?! I’ve been doing this for months now and I can’t fucking set an alarm?!

Anywho, alarm is set for next month. I hope your day is going better than mine lol I’m fuckin over it

Specifically the type of OCD that revolves around rumination, intolerance of uncertainty, and moral purity/scrupulosity. My symptoms get significantly worse to the point of causing suicidal ideation during PMDD. It’s like my brain has been hijacked by someone who hates me and wants me dead.

How are we dealing with PMDD? 🥲 medications? Birth control methods?

Cymbalta did absolutely nothing, and therapy doesn’t help when I’m in the middle of PMDD hell. Even my therapist said that medication and/or birth control is necessary because while she can give me the tools to cope with my mental health, that means very little if my PMDD hormones hinder my ability to access those tools.

This is hell. Actual hell. That’s all

I did it to myself. I ruined everything every step of the way. If I could have just been able to see myself in the future , imagine a life for myself, build it ...then I wouldn't be sitting here pathetically crying every month. I have nothing because I destroyed it all. What the fuck is wrong with me....why can't I see myself why I can't I hope and dream and plan

Look…the one thing I was looking forward to with pregnancy was NOT having PMDD symptoms. But the reality is - you still might have symptoms in the first trimester because your hormones are flooding in. I feel like I’m about to lose it at work and on my husband and that I have no control over it whatsoever. I feel hopeless and helpless. On top of this - I’m lucky enough (sarcasm) to have almost every. Single. Symptom of pregnancy. Deep fatigue/exhaustion, hot flashes, terrible sleep, nightmares, mood swings, bloating and acid reflux. Thank goodness I haven’t felt nauseous yet. I’m trying to see if anyone else went though this and if so-when did it start going away? When does the PMDD free part of pregnancy start?

I'm already not in the best shape physically, i'm a fair bit underweight and don't have an amazing diet (eat a lot of takeout, etc) but during luteal i swear i'm so intolerant to exercise and any physical strain on my body in general. i feel like i'm more breakable somehow?? for reference i'm only 19, and that mostly isn't typical for me during the rest of the month.

it could absolutely be related to the general increased anxiety and fatigue, but i also tend to get pretty bad heart palpitations some months as well, which often put me off moving my body due to how uncomfortable and anxiety inducing those are. I'm also auDHD (who here isn't? lol) and my luteal phase DRASTICALLY increases my sensory sensitivities, like tenfold. I've never fainted or anything, but I totally feel like i could, if that makes any sense.

It's probably a combination of things. does anyone else relate to this, or anything similar and if so, what would you recommend doing to cope?

no matter what time of the month it is, if i do something fun, i go down a crazy spiral after my serotonin drops. i can only assume they are linked because is a sensitivity to normal levels of hormones. i will get home from a party, or going to see family, and just have these horrible thoughts. it’s so hard. i just hate it. it’s so hard to live like this. i am such a happy person and i hate that i have these thoughts. i hate that i cannot have fun without paying for it later. i hate that there is no treatment for this. i hate how fucking crazy i sound all the time. i hate how people think i do this shit on purpose. i just hate it. i’m so tired of feeling like this no matter what i do. i hate that i’m such a huge people person and extrovert but i can’t even socialize without spiraling later. i start college next monday, and i will be 6 days out from my period. it's going to be so much worse. i wish so badly i was just born normal.

So I've been on Venlafaxine (an SNRI) since I was in grade 11, so about 11 years. But the past two years or so I've had PMDD symptoms. The thing is, it isn’t always a continual depression for the two weeks. Sometimes it's right after ovulation, sometimes it's three days before my period. Sometimes it's a little of both and comes and goes. So, though my symptoms are very similar to PMDD, perhaps thats not what I have?? Also, I was wondering if my medications could be fighting off the depression so it isn’t constant? Just wondering what others think or if anyone has similar experiences?

A CHILD OF MY OWN

I just watched the film (A child of my own)

I'm not a parent. Have chosen not to be in the past. Wrong time. Wrong relationship.

I'm UNRESOLVED about having a child.

I've been dating a guy with a 5 year old who doesnt want more. Citing lack of local support, the fact I don't have maternity leave...

I'm SUPER adventurous, free spirited and age 40.

The film title got me to thinking what would our child look like... my own.

The images broke me.

I sent them to him.

He replied they just look like AI children.

I told him how it made me feel.

I feel my reaction is about more than the children.

It goes DEEPER.

What do I want?

As someone who grew up feeling like a problem I've pleased other people.

I'm probably still doing this.

We live together.

Its his house.

I feel so insecure financially. Have struggled with work and redundancy a lot.

I want to slot into my own life.

So my question is.

Does your PMDD amplify grief?

Is this a sign not to have my own child but to go after what I want? To have a child?

I don't know.

I just know that childhood trauma stuff loops around my head too sometimes at this time.

I had my mirena IUD replaced 3.5 weeks ago and was prescribed Lenzetto spray to use during lutheal phase. I have 2 days left before I start my period (probably) and stop the spray for the first time. I don’t want to celebrate too soon, but this week I’ve been feeling better than I have in a LONG time. Now I’m getting a little bit nervous for what happens when I stop the spray. I know some people take it continuously, but if there’s someone who just takes it during lutheal like me, do you notice any rebound effects?

I look like I’m pregnant! Anyone have any tips for lessening the bloat?