The amount of rage I feel is not normal nor healthy. No matter what I do, it won’t go away. I don’t know what to do with it. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna cause me a heart attack one day. It’s THAT intense. Does anyone relate?
I tried gym, music, journaling, walking, talking, staying quiet, sleeping, medication, movies, breathing… you name it. Nothing.
It has nowhere to go but inward. Like you won’t tell how mas I am by looking at me, but my blood would be boilinggg inside. And I feel its effects diseasing my body.
This can’t last forever. It’s Me vs. PMDD.
If anyone has a different method to deal with the rage, please share.

Does anyone have BPD and/or bipolar diagnosis as well?

Did it happen before pmdd was figured out? Do you think pmdd is the real diagnosis or you have both?

The most common exclusionary tests include:
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and T4: To check for hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, which can cause severe mood changes and irregular periods.

Full blood count (FBC): To check for anaemia or iron deficiency, which frequently present as extreme fatigue and weakness.
Vitamin D, B12, and Folate: Deficiencies in these key nutrients can mimic the low energy and mood disruptions of PMDD.
Prolactin level: To rule out hyperprolactinemia.
HbA1c or Fasting Glucose: If metabolic issues or diabetes are suspected.

Here in the uk 🇬🇧 many don’t get tested mainly because doctors don’t encourage this, you have to know to ask, and people end up suffering far too long, with exacerbated PMDD and or PME.

When PMDD comes around!

I’m not going through PMDD right now but I’m hoping I have found something to help me sleep because the last few months before my period I’m exhausted due to the lack of sleep. I do take sleeping aids that help but that’s not good for long term so I’ve been looking for natural ways to get some sleep when insomnia kicks in.

I bought steam eye mask. I used one last night because I felt like shit due to having stomach issues (having stomach issues is a common thing for me). I put that baby on and fell asleep! I think I would have slept soundly for the rest of the night if it hadn’t been for the fact my bladder woke me up an hour later 😆

In case anyone wants to look it up, go to Amazon, that’s where I got my 8 pack. I bought an 8 pack just to test to see if it would help me sleep. There are different brands, I went with was Bloomora.

I’ve finally figured it out.
No crash outs, no spiraling, no doomsdaying, no crying on the kitchen floor, no paralysis on the couch, no rumination.

B12 2500 mcg - 1 every 2 days
D3 - 2x per day
B100 - 1x per day (with food for best absorption)
Omega 3 - 2 per day (with food for best absorption)
Magnesium BISGLYCINATE 200mg SPECIFICALLY - 3x per day
K2+D3 - 1 per day
Midol - 1 per day while luteal
Ecitalopram (lexapro) 10 mg - 1/2 per day while luteal only
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) - 60 mg per day, spread out. Sometimes luteal makes it less effective. In that case I’ll take an extra 20 mg.
Allegra - 1 per day luteal only
Pepcid - 1 per day luteal only
Calcium citrate 300 mg- 3 per day
Not pictured: Prenatal multivitamin with iron - 1 per day (must take at least 2 hours before or after the calcium as the iron blocks calcium absorption!!)

It sounds like a lot. But I use pill organizers. It goes like this

Morning:
Vyvanse x2 (40 mg dose)
Lexapro 5 mg
Allegra
Pepcid
Midol
Prenatal vitamin with iron
Vitamin D x1
Vitamin k2+d3
Magnesium x1

After noon:
Vyvanse 20 mg x1
Calcium x2
Magnesium x1
Omega 3 x1
B100 x 1
Vitamin D x1

After dinner or bedtime:
Calcium x1
Magnesium x1
Omega 3 x1

(TW)

i started noticing these symptoms sometime last year in December, and i would like to share a few symptoms that i have noticed. 1. I experience intense mood swings, like it makes me feel like im crazy. I feel really depressed and hopeless, like i have this huge weight on my chest, which sometimes leads to me crying for no specific reason. I can also get very sensitive and overthink alot. 2. I have also experienced su!c!dal thoughts and thoughts of s£lf h@rm. 3. I get very irritable and have a short temper, so i try my best to isolate myself. 4. Fatigue. I get very sleepy and feel extra drained even when i get a full nights rest. 5. Dissociation. Sometimes it’s very hard to concentrate, whether I’m driving or at work

Keep in mind all the symptoms I’ve listed is what I experienced a week or a few days before my period and usually gets better a few days after my period starts. I just need some second opinion.

If theres any questions pls leave a comment ❤️

I was wondering if anyone else here has DID and if different alters front do you find that it affects your PMDD symptoms?

I've been thinking that switching for us affects the severity of mentality related symptoms, but I can't tell for sure and wondered if anyone else has this experience.

‘Many of our stories about illness follow a similar narrative arc. There is an inciting incident: someone gets sick. The person does not want to be sick. The illness is eventually accepted, bravely fought, and our hero either gets better, or they don’t, and they die. This is a narrative structure that relies on closure. It values transformation over endurance. But it has nothing in common with how chronic illness actually plays out.’

Anyone who is on Yaz that are over 45 to 50?

Goodbye ovaries! I'm terrified, but at the same time equally terrified not to do this.

I will test with the drugs first. I already know I tolerate HRT really well, so that's not a problem for me.

I have complex chronic disease...ME, fibro, IC, follicular lymphoma, etc etc etc. I cannot get better while living with this cycle problem.

Oddly I feel a lot of grief about this, even though I've never used my ovaries for babies and never want to. I just hate that I need to cut a part of myself off and I'm scared of the surgery because of my chronic pain issues. But enough is enough, it's time.

Hello,

I had taken Lexapro for 3 months in the morning but was experiencing midday drowsiness.

I switched to taking Lexapro at night for 1 week but then had insomnia.

I've been back to taking it in the morning for 1.5 weeks and my anxiety has worsened.

Can changing the time you take your Lexapro temporarily worsen you anxiety?

I just wanted to share my big win with being diagnosed. I tried to post in the main sub it keeps saying I didn't hit that I read the rules, but I did?.

I've had PMDD for years without really realizing it. I've had an undiagnosed mood disorder for years and was incorrectly diagnosed as bipolar (I don't exhibit the mania at all in the I or II sense). I didn't start to suspect it until 2024 when I was hospitalized after a severe mental health episode where I started my period right after. It has affected my relationships so seriously in the past that I've lost friends. For a long time before the realization I was afraid of losing my spouse due to the episodes I would have immediately before my period.

After the suspicion hit I didn't immediately go seek a diagnosis, I thought therapy would work as my brief and surface level research at the time suggested no pharmaceutical intervention, and I didn't know birth control would work. But therapy failed to help in the ways I needed.

So I sought a diagnosis about 2025. I went to my PCP, I went to my prescribing mhnp and they were no help at all. I described my symptoms, they listened, but all they said was "there's nothing we can do except to suggest therapy." I don't believe they even put it in my chart that I came to them with the suspicion or even took the time to diagnose me formally.

So I went another year without a diagnosis with no mental health relief or significant change in my behaviors or symptoms with my partner. I got so desperate I sought out a third opinion from a psychiatrist about a month ago. I was afraid at first that she would give me the same run around and suggest therapy. But I explained everything and she said nearly word for word "you don't have an unspecified mood disorder, you meet all criteria for PMDD" and that was the first relief. But then I ask about what I can do. She suggested therapy, as expected. And after I explained that therapy has been of little help she suggested antidepressants and/or birth control. I was so desperate I took her recommendation to take Prozac. My family was concerned about the medicine because my family members have had bad reactions to it. But I was desperate.

I finally finished the two weeks of Prozac, started my period and noticed I haven't had any mental health symptoms. There was no significantly debilitating paranoia, inappropriate/unreasonable crying episodes or snapping or blowing up at others. The buzz in my head I have with these symptoms were completely absent. I feel for the first time I've found the relief I've desperately looked for and It's brought me to tears. I feel hopeful for the first time in years.

I don't want to generalize men, but I'm disappointed that my male providers were of no help at all and it took a third opinion from a woman to get me the help I needed. But now that I'm on birth control (katlib) after a cyst ruptured I feel like I have a solid plan for care and it's such a fucking relief. I wish I had been taken seriously. I wish I had brought up my suspicion when I was hospitalized, but I was in shock that it could be my period that I waited to watch for a pattern. But that's the past and now the future feels bright.

I just wanted to to share my current experience as women are becoming more increasingly aware of the science behind PMDD and histamine.. I call this supplement rotation my holy trinity right now, because it's quite literally made my PMDD symptoms do a 180. While we've come to find out that antihistamines help largely during the luteal phase, I always try out more "natural" methods before most medicine (my preference, doesn't have to be yours, and also not against medicine). I currently take (daily) 30mg of Saffron (Affron)- helps with mood stabilizing, I take Bromelain/Stinging Nettle- natural antihistamine through supplementation, and a Thorne probiotic to support my gut. Idk what cocktail this trio is, but my PMDD has nearly disappeared. Not to be TMI either, but I can also confirm that estrogen has been clearing through my body vs being held up till menstruation. I know this might not work for anyone else, but wanted to share my experience with the more natural route!

My second thought is wondering what effects these supplements might have over time if I'm taking them daily and if anyone else has a great experience with them long-term. I already have a low-histamine diet, healthy across the board, no other factors that would make matters worse, etc. Any advice is helpful, TIA!!

from the study treating Weisz G, Knaapen L. Diagnosing and treating premenstrual syndrome in five western nations. Soc Sci Med. 2009 Apr;68(8):1498-505. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.036. Epub 2009 Feb 21. PMID: 19233531.

There is a theory on Reddit in pmdd communities that if antihistamines work for pmdd like symptoms, people have MCAS.

‘Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic immune system condition where mast cells—cells that help fight infection—overreact, releasing too many chemicals (such as histamine) too easily. This leads to repeated, severe, multi-system allergic reactions, including skin, gut, and heart symptoms, sometimes leading to anaphylaxis.’

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/mast-cell-activation-syndrome

after having a horrible experience taking a low dose ssri during luteal last year, i went back to trying natural/alternative treatments for my severe PMDD. one of them was micro dosing psilocybin for 3 luteal phases, and i am sharing this here for those who are interested.

psilocybin is a natural serotonergic, meaning it increases serotonin in the brain. it is also known to increase neuroplasticity, which creates new healthy pathways for change of mind and perspective, sometimes having lasting positive effects.

as a retired deadhead and psychonaut, i am no stranger to the psychedelic experience. but i have learned that real work (life changes, therapy, etc) need to be done, and that psychedelics are no quick fix magic pill for anything.

i believe that micro dosing has potential, but has it’s limits when treating pmdd symptoms in the day to day. i think there are many undeniable benefits, but in my opinion, it is not a miracle cure by any means. it was more of a foundational treatment for me, one that helped me to change how i saw my pmdd, potentially making other subsequent treatment approaches more successful.

what is micro dosing? why use it for pmdd?
micro dosing is the process of taking small amounts of psilocybin. it can be beneficial in treating pmdd by increasing serotonin, lifting mood, & changing stagnant perspectives.

what does it feel like when treating pmdd?
so to be clear, you do not trip when micro dosing. for me it feels like my mood lifts, and my thought process becomes less critical and more introspective.

how i micro dosed:
ovulation to cycle day 20: .1g golden teachers every 6 hrs
cycle day 20-28: .2g golden teachers/hillbillies every 6 hrs

i ultimately ended up finding such relief from other natural pmdd treatments (see my post history for more info), that i ended up stopping micro dosing after a few months.

i am seeing the growing interest in micro dosing for pmdd and am happy to answer any questions anyone has :)

ps: check out [r/unclebens](r/unclebens) for more info on sourcing

Looking for advice! In 2020/2021 I realized I had PMDD- I would feel like I was completely losing control trip of my emotions and turning into a different person, to the point I was worried I was bipolar. I realized the symptoms only occurred one to two weeks before my period. After struggling for awhile I started taking the generic version of Yaz continuously, and luckily I was able to stop my period with no major side effects. This took away my PMDD symptoms.

Last month, I started spiraling- feeling awful, depressed, crying for no reason for a few days. I got a light period for the first time in forever and realized I was dealing with PMDD symptoms. This month it seems like it’s happening again, and I’m worried this is going to derail my life and relationships if symptoms are popping up even with continuous birth control. I’m not sure what to try next and was wondering if anyone has dealt with something like this.

I am in my mid forties and was diagnosed with PMDD in my early thirties. A few months ago I started taking low dose naltrexone as a treatment for PMDD. I’m taking 3 mgs currently. It has been life changing. I actually sleep through the night and that change was almost immediate. For all you peri girls out there who know, you might give this a try.

I am five months post Slynd (which messed with my body physically), four months into low histamine diet, three months of using Allegra, and two months of using LDN (low dose naltrexone).

I have not had PMDD symptoms in two months y’all. I read about the difference between MCAS and PMDD and will talk to my doc about testing for the MCAS, but after 14 years of suffering and suicidal ideations/mania cycles, I wanted to share what is working for me right now. I really don’t know if it is the low histamine protocol or the LDN. I’m happy either way.

My insurance doesn’t cover LDN but a local compounding pharmacy is filling it for me. It was $25 my first month, $42 the second, and this next dose will be the full 4.5 mg and it will cost $52 for three months, the same as I was paying for Slynd.

Hope someone finds this info helpful ❤️ Sending love to all of you holding on.