PMT - how do you avoid this monthly Hell?!

thehappybutterfly

I wonder if the lovely peeps on here can give me some practical advice? I've been treated for depression for many years and was last year "undiagnosed" - that the right phrase? I've been off the meds for a good 7 months now and doing great. Until now.

I've been on various forms of contraceptives since my daughter was born, i.e. 15 years. This was the Depo for 12 years then the Implanon. This had the brilliant side effect of virtually stopping my periods all this time. However, during the last 6 months of the Implanon, I started bleeding again but very irregular. I also got periodically grumpy so I decided to get it removed. This was exactly a month ago and I've been a totally different person ever since (apart from the first week when I had a period). Then 2 days ago, I started getting really cranky again. I've come to the conclusion that I'm PMTish. I had no idea given that I've not had a regular period in so many years. I've not got any physical symptoms, just emotional ones, i.e tired, cranky, low mood, irritable etc.

Is there anything I can take to alleviate these symptoms? Supplements etc? It's ridiculous - I'm in my 40's and should know this stuff but I feel like a teenager just starting out!

mazza111

Like you, my daughter suffered bad from it. Contraceptives has been the only real thing that has stopped it, both depo and implanon. I have heard that evening primrose can help.

piglet74

mazza111 wrote: »

Like you, my daughter suffered bad from it. Contraceptives has been the only real thing that has stopped it, both depo and implanon. I have heard that evening primrose can help.

i am on depo, i had to go on it, for fear of killing someone, or getting the boot from work with my PMT

londoner1998

I feel for you... I used to suffer really badly until about 3-4 years ago. Now it is much easier and I feel that rest and good diet are the key for me. Have plenty of greens, fresh vegetables and fruits and cut down on refined sugars and anything that has additives. Keep your meals regular (this is critical for me: I become a monster if I stop eating) and make sure you have (light) dinner. I eat more oily fish, nuts and vegetable stuff and I can feel the difference. Try and do some light exercise but don't exert yourself the week before your period. I have practised yoga for years but recently I discovered after a lot of trial and error that if I practise every day my PMT and the heaviness in the breasts and tummy and fluid retention are almost non-existent and my period goes much quicker with hardly any discomfort. Also, do a little as you can during your period ( I do a different yoga sequence during the period week). If you take care of yourself during the whole month it will show during that critical week.

It took me years to get to this point, but seriously, a good diet and careful exercise to lift your mood can do wonders. I have tried supplements in the past (Primrose oil) and they help to an extent, and I am not on the pill as I prefer to keep my body free of chemicals (was on it in the past but didn't like it too much), so I can't advice on that. If you get sugar cravings is probably due to low blood sugar levels- don;t go for the chocolate: get some oatcakes or a banana instead. Keep your diet clean.
Good luck, I know it can be hell...

fatballs

Evening primrose oil! I take high dose capsules daily between ovulation and menstruation each month. It helps with the breast tenderness. I've taken tablets in the past for the fluid retention, Water Ban or something they're called. They're herbal and they do work.

I also like to lock myself away so as not to inflict my moods on others, and watch a film that I know will make me cry to help release my emotions! Always feel a lot better after a good cry. And I use it as an excuse to eat chocolate but I don't think that actually has any benefit :rotfl:

jenniewb

I used to take a range of pills every month! It was all OK-ed by my doctor and gyno (I refused point blank to go on the pill as the pill scares me!) I was taking the maximum doses of three different types of pill, one of which I had to take the day before my period started (which was impossible as they have never been regular). I wont say it took the pains away but it did help enough to get through.

I found cardiovascular exercise helped too. I want to say "gentle easy going stuff" but it was the opposite- as hard and fast as it was the more it helped, I'm not sure why but it was enough to make me do it! Was hard for the first 5 minutes (physically rather then painwise) but after then as long as I was moving the pain kept at a reduced level.

Evening primrose oil had a mild effect as did keeping a diary just so I could remind myself of the symptoms -that way it was a bit more likely to believe that they would infact pass in x days!

I did find eating anything high in salt or higher in sugar killed- after about 10-20 mins from eating and the agony of that would last up to 30 minutes. Heat (hot water bottle or pads) helped with the pain as did trying not to think about it.

glowgirl_2

fatballs wrote: »

Evening primrose oil! I take high dose capsules daily between ovulation and menstruation each month. It helps with the breast tenderness. I've taken tablets in the past for the fluid retention, Water Ban or something they're called. They're herbal and they do work.

I also like to lock myself away so as not to inflict my moods on others, and watch a film that I know will make me cry to help release my emotions! Always feel a lot better after a good cry. And I use it as an excuse to eat chocolate but I don't think that actually has any benefit :rotfl:

I do exactly all of this too including the crying:o, it does help:)

daska

I've heard good reports of lots of different things. Evening Primrose if you like supplements, raspberry leaf tea if you're into that, but also a primal diet. Give them a go, you'll soon work out if any of these things helps you.

my_old_mans_a_dustman

Forget the Evening Primrose oil, get Starflower oil capsules 1000mg, they have twice the amount of GLA in them as opposed to Evening Primrose oil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borage

http://www.supplementscompared.com/evening-primrose-and-starflower-oil/

aliasojo

Accupuncture and/or diet changes. Those are the only things that ever helped my PMT.

The accupuncture helped during the course of treatment and for a few months after I stopped going but then the PMT returned. I think you need to have an occasional booster session which I never did.

Also reducing the amount of carbs in your diet can help. Most women crave carbs of some kind whether it be bread or chocolate, but it's the worst thing for your mood.

Pink-Angel

You have my sympathies. They don't call it the curse for nothing do they!

I'm curently using the mini pill Cerazette. It stops my periods and I have no problems with PMT. This is bliss for me, as otherwise I only had two weeks in a month when I felt human. I think some people say you can gain weight on it, but I haven't and neither have two friends who use it, so that definitely isnt a given.