The Plan
It seems there are 2 choices for treating PMDD symptoms: prescribed drugs or herbal supplements. To me it seems you choose one way or the other. Some herbs can lessen the effect of prescribed drugs, or even cause adverse effects like 'serotonin syndrome'. So it seems like choice A or choice B. I realize there are spiritual/mental components also, but right now I'm only focusing on medicine.I am going to see a new doctor and ask about a low/no estrogen birth control pill.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0014036/
Also I plan to increase my serotonin levels by exercising and eating less refined sugar. Eating less sugar is going to be a HUGE challenge for me. But I am at the end of my rope with this pmdd crap so I'm willing to do hard things.... I've also learned why I'm always craving carbs and cheese (see following link)
http://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin#Overview1
My Experience (A quick overview)
Each month I have 1 good week out of 4. Some months it's more like 1 and a half out of 2 1/2. On the good week everything is peachy, I'm happy, all is right with the world, and I let things roll off my back relatively easily. Then it goes downhill. I get depressed, worried, anxious, angry, extremely irritable, I cry over everything, and I scream at my family and throw things/punch things. All emotions feel amplified and there's an abundance of irrational thinking. I feel very out of control. I think the hardest part is how real the irrational feelings are. I am unable to tell myself that "it's just because of my hormones, I don't really hate my life"; it just doesn't work like that.
I am already predisposed to depression, so I feel like that's what hits me the hardest. Imagine having major depressive disorder 20+ days out of every single month of your life. It is dreadful.
PMDD Symptoms
With the help of some lovely women on you tube, I've made a list of how it feels to have PMDD:
Can't handle stress well
Violent
Want to run away, think my family/ the world would be better without me
Feels bipolar
It's not just PMS, not even "severe PMS", it's a totally different beast
hysteria
rage
what you think feels like the truth
essentially allergic to my own hormones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsg6oOsPu_M
An amplified, horrible version of PMS
anger
irritability
anxiety
depression
trapped in your feelings
disruptive to your life- your life is interrupted
crazy emotions
hard to rationally explain to someone who hasn't experienced it
irrational anxiety, irrational depression
hard to be around people
hypersomnia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KHYxqX4eCE
This post helped me realize I have PMDD, and the comments were really insightful too.
http://mormonmommymft.blogspot.com/2012/07/pmdd.html
Here's one woman's 3-part journey that I really liked reading.
http://www.classichousewife.com/2014/05/15/treating-pmdd-naturally/
So!
That's where I am right now. I will update after I put my plan to action.
