chigal28 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 For 1-2 weeks EVERY month, I am convinced that everyone hates me. I get completely, utterly overwhelmed and unable to focus or concentrate at work, when for the other 2 weeks I love my job, whizzing through projects and multitasking like nobody's business. I have NO short-term memory--I go to the kitchen and draw a complete blank as to why I went in there, or start a sentence and forget what I was going to say. I feel utterly exhausted, no matter how much I sleep. I get SUPER irritable and angry (only with strangers, ie. other drivers or radio DJs, not people I know and love, weird), when normally I am very easygoing. Probably in large part because I can't concentrate or get anything meaningful done at work, my self-esteem just takes a complete nosedive. I feel incompetent, paranoid, like everyone is talking about how lazy and stupid I am, and don't belong in this job. Then, once my time of the month starts, bam--back to being upbeat, happy, fun to be around, competent, take-charge, high-energy, etc. It's absolutely terrible. I used to have PMS, but it was just a couple days of being irritable/sad and getting cramps and maybe a migraine. Now I'm Jekyll and Hyde every month. My saving grace is that I have kept track of when the change will happen, so when I feel like utter crap I can at least pinpoint why--but that doesn't help me focus and get things done at work, or NOT feel exhausted. AGH. From doing my own research, I am convinced that I have PMDD, but I'm not sure what to do about it. Has anyone else experienced this? What can I do, short of going to the doctor and trying to get them to prescribe something? I've never taken anything other than penicillin in my life--well, except for birth control, but after trying 6-7 different kinds and having worse side effects with each one, I stopped even that. Are there herbal/natural remedies that have worked for people? I've definitely tried to be nice to myself and lower my expectations for myself at this time, but...well, other people still have expectations that I just feel utterly incompetent and unable to meet. For HALF OF MY LIFE. Two weeks a month equals half my life. I can't live like this!!!!! Link to comment
waveseer Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I take chaste berry root daily to ward off pms symptoms, the label name is Vitex. After a month or so you should see a big difference. It's very cheap at about $7/month. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I use St John's Wort and vit B6. Link to comment
chigal28 Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Thank you both!!!! I will try those. Link to comment
COtuner Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Not necessarily PMDD - could be a wider variance in hormonal fluctuations due to entering perimenopause. That's the root cause of most of my PMS symptoms. BTW - Vitex sent me to the ER with heart palpitations, so be careful. Link to comment
waveseer Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Not necessarily PMDD - could be a wider variance in hormonal fluctuations due to entering perimenopause. That's the root cause of most of my PMS symptoms. BTW - Vitex sent me to the ER with heart palpitations, so be careful. Really? One tablet a day? I've been taking it for about five years with no side effects whatsoever. Link to comment
COtuner Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Really? One tablet a day? I've been taking it for about five years with no side effects whatsoever. One tablet exactly. I stay away from all supplements geared to female problems now. It was really scary. Link to comment
waveseer Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 One tablet exactly. I stay away from all supplements geared to female problems now. It was really scary. I appreciate you posting that. I will think twice before recommending it to other women. Link to comment
COtuner Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 BTW - passionflower tea ("Easy Now") helps me a bit with this stuff, just like anxiety... they seem to have related root causes.... and also I've been really really happy with the Bach's flower remedies Aspen and White Chestnut to help with this. I had a minor freakout today which is bad (PMS just getting ready to start). I get convinced I'm going to lose my job and go to my boss and get paranoid asking him about it. It's not really good but it's like clockwork lately. My coworkers almost expect me to freakout.... of course we're doing rolling layoffs and people are just vanishing daily, so I do have some cause to be more upset than usual. Link to comment
COtuner Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I appreciate you posting that. I will think twice before recommending it to other women. Probably good to let the doc know they are taking it. My doc said he was getting a lot of women reacting to Black Cohosh as well. And my mom had a bad reaction to a soy supplement for menopause (she has a thyroid disorder and it can interact with meds apparently) Link to comment
Seraphim Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I tried vit B6 this cycle and the symptoms were so minimal I was astounded. Link to comment
chigal28 Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Not necessarily PMDD - could be a wider variance in hormonal fluctuations due to entering perimenopause. That's the root cause of most of my PMS symptoms. BTW - Vitex sent me to the ER with heart palpitations, so be careful. Yikes....hope not perimenopause....I am 31 and we were going to start trying for a child this year!! I picked up a multi-vitamin supplement to try this month, which has B6, B12 and folic acid. Couldn't find chasteberry, but have heard good things so will keep looking. Link to comment
fieldstr Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Have you tried the Mirena IUD? I have one. I had horrible PMS like you, and after going through numerous types of birth control, the doctor inserted an IUD. The Mirena IUD releases hormones directly into the uterus. My periods, which used to be very heavy, diminished to the point of spotting so lightly that I didn't even need a pantyliner! They became almost nonexistent!!! And along with that the PMS stopped. YAH!!! Somthing to consider. Link to comment
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