curious about PMS and PMDD

nobody?

I... have nothing

I've never really gotten much more than a little crabby on occasion. But I'm bumping this so that other people may see it and weigh in more.

Sorry, I didn't see this before. ^_^

I think it would be a consistency in symptoms for a period of several months before deciding if it's hormonal or chemical. It took my gyn a whole year to finally be convinced that I had PMDD, since she had to be sure that the symptoms were different than what I had experienced before. In my case, my PMDD got worse every year; she and my psych doc had to work out what to do. The only things keeping it in line now are the Pill and my anti-depressants (I get mildly bitchy instead of being the Incarnation of Medusa).

As for the early-ness of the PMS, it really is your cycle realigning with your roommate's. Hormones play off each other like that, so it isn't surprising that your cycles are messing up in their timing as they try to reach tandem. Still, keep dated notes on symptoms and behaviors you've noticed so you can bring them up to your psychiatrist and gyn.

They have me doing a chart for my symptoms for the next 6 weeks so it will go through a cycle and a half. I've really noticed that my mood changes about a week before, and the week of my period. It takes everything in me to keep from ripping someone's head off, but that's because I internalize everything, which is usually bad, but in this case, it is preventing a lot of bloodshed.

The problem for me is that it's not all emotional. There's a lot of physical symptoms for me as well which have been there since my first period. I still remember the first time I got cramps like it was yesterday. My mom has been trying to get me on birth control to help with that for years now and I'm just now starting to think it's a good idea. Not to mention with me being sexually active, it's not a bad idea there either. What worries me is that I know a lot of people get depressed on birth control so it's going to be another factor in my depression and such.

My psychiatrist suggested upping my mood stabilizer which is an option...but I swear by the time I am done figuring out what kinds of meds I need, I might as well have my own pharmacy. Right now I am on Pristiq, Lamictal, and Abilify but they make me so sleepy I can hardly function, so I'd like to get on something to keep me up during the day, like Adderall, which will also potentially help with my weight gain from my meds, and then on birth control for the PMDD. Add to the whatever they give me for my anxiety each time I go in because we can't figure out the best thing for me and that's my drug cocktail!

Have you been tested for Endometriosis? That can cause hormonal changes, serious cramping and other immediate & abnormal side affects.

I have PMDD and I take birth control pills to alleviate the symptoms... before I took the pill, I would get irritable, feel sick and generally be a miserable human being. this is best discussed with your dr., though

I have had PMDD since I was 12 year old, and only recently have I been able to alleviate my symptoms. I would miss a week or two of school every month because of the constant vomiting, hard cramping, migraines, inability to sleep, and off the wall emotional issues. I went through three or four types of birth control pills, tried zoloft, migraine medications, (all in middle school) and ultimately ended up being home-schooled through most of high school.

Now I use Nuvaring and take a low dose of Prozac, and they work absolutely amazingly for me. These are my miracle meds. I barely notice my period at all, and I can function all month with no problems.

I have PMDD. I'm on birth control pills which helps keep my hormones even. I also only get my period 4 times a year to avoid the PMDD as well as severe cramps.

i have pmdd and it totally ruins my life for 10ish days out of the month. it's so, so so hard to rise above.