Petsitting a long way from home for a few days with my period around the corner, I suddenly felt profoundly lonely and depressed for absolutely no reason. Broke down crying in the guest room, laid there staring at the ceiling for a while, wrestled with a heaping helping of anxiety, and eventually ordered a pizza for dinner to see if that would help…….It did not.

I’m sure I’ll be fine, I just need rest, but fffuuuuccckkkk… 😭

Hi everyone, I'm trying to figure out if I have PMDD or if it's bipolar disorder that's affected by my menstrual cycle

Almost every month I have terrible depression, that is, I can’t get out of bed and I feel like I have no energy at all, I have all the symptoms of bipolar depression. Basically it seems to last all the time, even during menstruation, that is, I feel a little better but not much, mainly during ovulation I feel a little better, but sometimes not. I also have a calendar where I mark everything for the year (in the first months I only marked how the day went, and then I added other states)

And at the end of September I had a feeling like hypomania for 5 days (shown on the calendar with the mark euphoria) That is, my heart was beating terribly and I wanted to do something all the time, but it wasn’t that euphoria, it was like a different, in short, strange state. Back then I couldn't even watch a movie in peace because I had to do something

Honestly, I also suffer from hormonal migraines with aura, and I am discussing with my gynecologist about taking pills to stabilize my cycle

Also, once, about a year ago, my neurologist prescribed me an antidepressant for migraines, and I took it for 2-3 weeks. But then it didn't make me feel any better; on the contrary, it gave me the same terrible feeling (what it was like during those 5 days of euphoria in September) And I stopped taking it

But honestly, I think with bipolar disorder, depression should last longer, but maybe this is also related to the cycle, Idk..

Patches are great but I am a rapid absorber and suboptimal absorber so I have to wear a ton, changed every day, cant get them wet, etc etc etc, plus there is a shortage in Poland, where I live. I've tried the gel. I absorb it and clear it within like 45 min.
So I am possibly switching to estrofem pill (bioidentical estrogen only) from patch in a few days. Looking to see if anyone has had experiences with doing HRT with the estradiol pill. [I do continuous high dose estrogen plus vaginal utrogesten last few days of luteal. Still ovulate like clockwork. Ovulated thru gnrh. Am 39.]

I made a post a week+ ago about how I’m not gonna make it ‘til the end of the year. I feel like I’m going crazy. I feel like I am crazy. My family has given me a roof over my head and food. Great 👍.

But I have a mother who says I’m a “failure”, and continues to express, in so many different ways, how “I’m the reason for her sadness” and how she’s so “dissatisfied and disappointed” in me. The list goes on with the way she’s spoken to me over the year.

A dad who only cares about “what’s next”, and if it doesn’t follow his 5 step plan that he can agree with, I essentially am not allowed to do anything. I’m financially dependent on him, so he basically cut me off immediately after my attempt, and it’s difficult to explain fully how my parents operate, but it’s their form of punishment for me having to drop out of school because of my PMDD. Which I guess is fair cause I never saw it as my money anyways.

But I make this post today because my brother makes a “passing joke” when we are all together, about a T-shirt my mum wants to “burn” because it was the shirt the hospital gave me when I was getting treatment at the hospital after my attempt. I had literally started my period the day after getting a bed, and they wouldn’t let me shower (and I couldn’t have a tampon, I have a heavy flow so I usually use BOTH pad and tampon) so I bled all over my clothes…therefore = shirt associated with that time. My brother then goes “The shirt from the Mental Asylum”. And starts laughing. I immediately turn to him and I’m like “Mental Asylum?”. And he just keeps laughing and goes back to his friends. And my parents giggle too.

It’s been 2 years and this is how it’s been. I’m saying 1 joke. But the first thing my mum said when I was in hospital was “did you do this for attention”. Nothing else. Extremely cold. My dad was more worried about uni and what was going on with that. My brother didn’t say anything about it. I’m going crazy in this place. Genuinely. I hate this house. I am so stuck. The only reason I haven’t done anything is cause I don’t have money atm. And I’m so dissociated I can’t even function close enough.

My mum is a flipping doctor and she doesn’t even believe I have PMDD😭 my brother thinks it’s just depression. And my dad doesn’t understand it. I’ve sent websites and links in the past but they just dgaf. They care enough about whether or not I’m breathing cause it will directly affect them, but not actually if I’m okay. They don’t gaf. And I WISH I was exaggerating. The first time I had a breakdown at 16 I could hear my brother and mum laughing about it. I wish I was making this shit up😭 I still act civil with everyone cause, again, I’m crazy dissociated, but also, I don’t care to argue or be confrontational. I done that. I just don’t have the energy to address things in a calm manner cause however way I go about it it’s the same result. I’m so trapped. I wish I never had this disorder and maybe then I would’ve been normal. Idk.

God I hate my family so much. So so much.

Hi guys! I just got prescribed estradiol for my PMDD by my hormone doctor. It’s been a weird battle.

I’ve been on progesterone, which was a godsend for my cramps but not really for my mental health. I’ve dealt with severe PMDD and cramps since getting off Nexplanon four years ago. Progesterone finally gave me relief with the cramps, but not so much with the mental health side.

I was also given testosterone troches, but that didn’t seem to do much. I’ve been dealing with debilitating anxiety and depression around my period and honestly all around. I was put on sertraline, which has helped on the days before my PMDD hits, but not as much when the PMDD actually hits.

That brought my psychiatrist to suggest speaking with my specialist about estrogen. Did any of you notice that estradiol helped with your mental health, anxiety, depression, or panic attacks? What was your experience with it, good or bad?

I’m excited but nervous to try it. I’m really hoping this is part of the solution! I’ve also been in therapy for two years, so hopefully this whole combination does the trick. :)

I’ve been experiencing horrible harm OCD thoughts about my loved ones, but magnesium, ashwagandha, meditation, and somatic yoga have been helping. The thoughts go away which is good. My period is due in three days, and the intensity of everything, combined with these profound emotional fluctuations, is becoming so overwhelming. One minute I’m happy, the next I’m sad or angry, and it feels like I’m experiencing every emotion all at once. I literally feel like I’m fucking melting. Now I’m dealing with nausea and feeling like I’m about to throw up! Does anyone have any tips for managing this? I’m thinking about going for a walk later to get some fresh air because I desperately need some relief.

I started bio identical progesterone. Birth control of all types have made me so much worse my whole life. I just had no idea and thought I was crazy up until a year ago. But pregnancy and breastfeeding for 2yrs gave me more stability. Most of the month I feel great. So happy , excited about life , learning new things, a good partner and mom. The 7-10 days before my period i am so unstable i get frequent SI, i cause so many issues with my partner and i avoid my family as much as possible.

I was SO hopeful and excited to try Prometrium. I’ve been trying supplements for a year and working out and changing my diet to manage PCOS/pmdd. I tried luteal dosing but I felt horrible and going on meds full time when I’m so happy the rest of the month and SSRI make me feel like garbage isn’t something I really want to do.

It’s my first cycle trying it so I don’t want to give up hope. It helped me sleep but not the last 2 nights. I started it day 14 of my cycle. I thought surely if it helps me sleep like a baby when I struggle with insomnia half the month I’ve found what works for me at 36.

Well nope I’m back to irritability, depression, SI with no plan or intent and picking apart my partner and having fights and crying spells. Had to call off work one day. I am SO fucking tired of this disease and myself. I wanted this to work so bad.

I know we all have different experiences but I just feel so awful and tired and anxious, I just need some support.

I've been trying different medications since March and it just feels like I've been luteal all year. I'm so so so tired.

Started with my GP on Eloine (Yaz) until the end of July when mild ongoing anxiety and low mood became severe. Switched to a private doctor who put me on HRT estrogen and Slynd, and again, after two months of mild anxiety and depression I've plummeted.

I'm just so tired. I can't stop crying, this can't be my life. Trying to find the right solution has been worse than luteal.

I've got an appointment on Tuesday and I know she's going to suggest Mirena instead of the pill but it just terrifies me so much I don't think I can. But I don't know what else to do. We didn't try SSRIs because I used to be on Escitalopram and it made me feel flat. But maybe another one would help?

I'm so tired of not feeling myself. I don't feel like I remember who I am anymore. I'm just this ball of miserable anxiety. I don't know if I want advice or support, I'm just tired.

I have been feeling incredibly awful this ovulation, more so than normal. Constant nausea all day. I started taking some supplements, and I did have a snack. It is making my days worse than they have to be. Any ideas?

Help

I’m recently realising I have PMDD. My dr has suggested I have it. Every month is a nightmare and it seems to be getting worse. At the moment I feel like I need to lock myself in a padded room and not communicate with anyone as I feel like destroying everything and smashing up the house. I’m so tired of this and it’s really getting me down. I can’t get anywhere with my life because I’m constantly recovering from this. I get a couple of weeks of feeling ok and then it starts again. It feels like hell. I can’t sleep past 3.30am and I’m trying to work and raise my teenage daughter who is also showing signs of this. I have very intense reactions to most medication so I’m not holding out much hope with the Dr. My relationship with my partner is strained as he doesn’t really know how to deal with it. I isolate myself to minimise damage. I feel so hopeless and can’t concentrate on anything my anxiety is so bad. I feel like I hate my life and can’t see anything good and I feel paranoid that everyone close to me is lying to me or hates me secretly. My self esteem is rock bottom and I’m praying for a way out of this. How can I stop this happening? It feels never ending and I’ve lost hope.

Got fired from my job that I liked In peak luteal.

I am having a really hard time just existing right now as money and housing security are the top things my brain obsesses about during this time (before this happened ), I feel so so scared and ashamed and hopeless.

I can't even really sleep and when I do I wakeup to the sick feeling. I can't get unemployment. I have a job lined up and an interview today and a tiny bit in a 401 k that I can't get to for about a month. I'm so so so scared and ready to lay down and give up . Thanks for taking the time to read this 💕

LADIES! In the past, I had bloodwork done during hell week. My FSH never got above 10.8. After another night of Olympic swimming I thought let me do a little test. Positive!

This test reacts when your FSH is 25 or higher! I think I can safely say I'm finally in peri menopause 🥳

The end is in sight, hopefully 😅

So the week before my period is absolutely miserable physically and mentally and then it seems to “start” but not fully start for one night and I start to feel better. For example, I start cramping and I know my flow is about to start, but for the past few months it’s just been spotting for like one night. And then my full period flow doesn’t start until like 4 or 5 days after. But as soon as I start spotting for that one day, I feel like my PMDD symptoms start to get better but I’m still waiting for my actual full on flow to take place. Does anyone else go through this ? I don’t know if I’m explaining myself correctly here lol. I’m currently on day 34 of my cycle waiting for my actual flow to begin

Does anyone else struggle with extreme lower abdominal bloating? I thought I had Endo for a long time. I got my tubes removed last year and they didn’t find Endo, but they found scar tissue (not sure why) and had to take down adhesions because my intestines were fused to my abdominal wall and my colon.

I’m dealing with so much bloating now and it hurts. It sucks. Top pic is fully compressed, inhaled, and flexed tummy. Lower is relaxed and at rest. All the pressure goes right down to the bottom.

I’m not sure if the adhesions have come back post surgery or if it’s SIBO or something else. I have so many health issues im trying to tackle at the moment and as much as this one sucks in general, it also makes me insecure :( PMDD is bad enough but im noticing now this in addition to other typical symptoms. Coming off my period and feeling SO overwhelmingly anxious.

Just wondering if anyone else deals with this same thing, and is sure it is not Endo. Thoughts and advice welcome </3

(im allergic to gluten and dairy, don’t drink caffeine, and am sober)

this has been consistent for three cycles now. I typically have 4-5 days of my period. Days 4-5 (esp day 4) is always a horrible day emotionally for me. My anxiety and rumination is awful, my OCD gets bad, and I start having PMDD luteal level symptoms (like insomnia/trouble sleeping). Getting through the work day is hard, everything is triggering. Physically my flow is almost nonexistent but the emotional crash and dip is awful.

Does anyone else have this pattern? I’m 28 and feeling broken and need to know there are others out there 🥹

I’ve been experiencing this for a while, but it feels especially difficult now that I’m in a serious, committed relationship.

During the days leading up to my period, I notice a huge shift in how I feel about my relationship. Things that might normally bother me a little suddenly feel so much bigger. I become hyperaware of things that feel missing, things I wish my partner did differently, and little moments when I don't feel as loved, reassured or emotionally connected as I would like to.

It's not necessarily that I'm asking for grand gestures or constant pampering. Sometimes, I just want the little things to happen naturally, without having to explain why they matter to me. And when I don't feel those things, I start questioning everything.

The hardest part is that even when I communicate my feelings and my partner tries to understand me, I still struggle to shake that underlying sense of dissatisfaction or emotional disconnect. It's like my brain keeps finding something else to worry about, and no amount of reassurance seems to last.

I also have a lot happening outside my relationship, particularly family stress and everything surrounding marriage. So it's difficult to figure out how much of what I'm feeling is related to genuine concerns, how much is PMDD amplifying those concerns, and how much is everything piling up at once.

During these episodes, it genuinely feels like my relationship is falling apart. I feel anxious, hurt, disconnected and sometimes almost convinced that something is fundamentally wrong. Then I wonder whether I'll feel differently once this phase passes.

I hate how consuming it can be. I don't want to dismiss my feelings just because I have PMDD, but I also don't want to treat every feeling I experience during this phase as an absolute truth about my relationship.

For those of you with PMDD, how do you navigate relationship anxiety during the luteal phase? Do you experience this feeling that everything is wrong with your relationship, even when you love your partner? How do you distinguish between issues that genuinely need addressing and feelings that PMDD might be intensifying?

I have been putting notes on the wall and places I frequent in my house and especially my room. On lights switches, doors, above my headboard etc.

It's hard when you are in your head and can't think ahead. But this has helped tremendously.

I find it helps writing the actual names of people you can reach out. Don't mind my ugly handwriting haha.

I just wanted to share so that it helps others who go through intense suicidal ideation/thoughts. You are not alone❤️

so i’ve been off birth control for almost two years. i think that’s how i rlly got to the bottom of my moods and energy levels being off bc once i started tracking my cycle it became very apparent the ups and downs every month were correlating with my cycle. and idk if it’s right to even be this way bc i am a total nightmare when im off and i have ptsd too so my brain just is not a fun place to be when im luteal. and like i have faith that in a day or two im gonna feel so good and like not even recognize the girl who was eating like garbage and too anxious/depressed to take care of herself or socialize and if i can let that girl take over and gain some momentum maybe next month i can be three weeks into a healthier routine that makes this whole thing easier. but i feel like i fell off so hard the past couple months after feeling pretty good. and im trying still, ive tried to walk more places and taken some classes at my new job. im trying to be gentle and not blame myself about certain things. im feeling so isolated and alienated following some harassment i faced this summer. i have no idea what to make of any of it and i dont want to know. death of a gc. it is what it is.

i just dont know why life has to be so hard. and like my body doesn’t want me to get better. and i hate ppl for insisting on giving me more to heal from. i stg i rlly think im autistic bc i never can rlly have like a good group of solid friends. i get to exist on the fringe of it and if i step one toe out of line im dragged through the coals and ganged up on relentlessly until i have no choice but to remove myself from the situation. i am just so grateful to be able to protect my energy from people like that. maybe i’ll never fit in with anyone. idk if anyone will ever love me. maybe i was stupid to try. i just wanna feel ok for myself again. i hope i feel better this week and do better.

the fog finally lifted for me a couple days ago about 2 days into my period and i felt so relieved after a really bad month. Haven’t been able to sleep due to racing thoughts and just feeling too depressed to even go to bed and exist in the dark and quiet.

And listen, i’m not tryna complain about feeling good, but oh my god. now i feel like i can’t sleep cos all i wanna do is stay up all night and draw, craft, work out, improve myself in every possible sense, write a book, start a frickin business and actually i could just do with a good nights sleep🙃.

i’d take this over the depression any day but it feels absolutely wild to me that i’ve gone from not being able to sleep from being so low, to not being able to sleep from being on such a high. i legit feel like i could pull an all nighter no problem.

i also know being up super late will negatively impact me tomorrow so im stuck between taking advantage of the feeling and just riding the wave or forcefully trying to suppress it and calm down so i can get at least a few hours of sleep. i’ll ultimately attempt the latter but i feel like i got zoomies to get out first.

I'm already depressed as it is, but then the luteal phase hits and somehow it gets 100x worse. I'm stuck in a foreign country with no real friends, a chopped as fuck haircut, clothes that don't fit because I've gained weight, a shitty part time job, locals who look at me like I'm super scary because I wear eyeliner sometimes. There's nothing. I can't give up because I love my boyfriend and my mom but how do I keep going with a brain and a body and a life like this? I hope a car takes me out.

packing then unpacking boxes through neverending tears. and that’s if
i can even drag myself to
do anything. sleeping for hours and hours after every tiny task. begging to go back to a comfy home that no longer exists. swearing i’ve made the worst mistake of my life. 0/10.

My symptoms usually being 7-10 days prior to the onset of my period.
This month has been a bit weird for a few reasons. My activity levels have been extremely high recently, and my sleep has been very poor. I know these probably contribute. My period was a couple days late, and I didn’t really feel symptoms until about 5 days prior.

Now that I’m on day 5 of my period, I feel like every single PMDD symptom has hit me at once. I have been extremely tired, apathetic, and achy all over. I also have an overwhelming feeling of just being “off”.

Yesterday, I was preparing something to eat, and suddenly felt a wave of dp/dr wash over me and my vision started to blackout. I had to call my brother and he came and sat with me and made me dinner. I felt a little better afterward, but woke up this morning feeling extremely off and like my body has been hit by a truck.

I’m wondering if this is PMDD related or if it’s something else. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? If so, how do you handle it? The hardest part for me rn is knowing when it’s going to end. Or if it’s something completely unrelated to PMDD. Anyway, thank you for reading🫶

I'm not sure if these two are related, but I've been suffering from PMDD (undiagnosed) for quite a bit - I would say starting in my late 20s. I also suffer from anxiety. For the past couple of years, I've been able to manage both PMDD and anxiety with exercise, quality sleep, and nutrition. However, my health took a turn after a triggering event back in August and haven't been able to recover since. My sleep has suffered the most, and have been more anxious. I've noticed my PMDD getting worse, too.

I was recently prescribed Lexapro by my PCP and was extremely scared to try it. However, I was encouraged by my PCP, my therapist, and my mom (bc she's also on it LOL), to try it out sooner rather than later. For some context, I was a week away from my honeymoon, and they all said taking Lexapro might help me relax on my honeymoon.

Long story short, I took it about 4 days before going on my honeymoon and experienced different things while on it. Mind you, I was also in my luteal phase. I started on a 2.5mg dose bc it's my first time. First day i took it, i gave myself a panic attack and did not sleep well that night. Next day, I took it earlier in the morning (bc I'm worried about my sleep), and I felt calm-ish? Maybe even sleepy? However, that night, I woke up at 3am in a panic - I have never experienced this before. The following day, I took it again in the morning and experienced weird intense anxiety after eating. I experienced extreme anxiety and nausea afterwards and felt on edge. I experienced this again while eating dinner later that night. I felt almost overstimulated while just sitting on the couch watching TV. Like too much sensory input would send me into a panic. Got extreme nausea again after that. The following morning (leaving to my honeymoon), I experienced weird intense anxiety again. I usually never get THAT anxious about going to an airport. My anxiety was so palpable that I was having hot flashes and an increased heart rate.

At this point, I was leaving for my honeymoon the next morning and was not having much hope with the medication, so I stopped. I did not want to feel like this while on my honeymoon (anxious, on edge, no appetite, sleeplessness, nausea). I took a fall trip to new england and almost BARFED my first ever lobster roll :'(.

I'm back from my honeymoon and my period has ended. My sleep is still suffering and i'm assuming there's still some underlying anxiety that is impacting it. I'm inclined to try Lexapro again, but I'm scared because of my first experience with it. At this point, I'm willing to try again because my sleep is suffering tremendously.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Do you think that my luteal phase and timing of taking Lexapro for the first time made me experience anxiety to that level?

i’m using Nikki birth control. It has done wonders for me for my pmdd seriously cannot recommend it enough. there is something i’m noticing though. when i start the “sugar pills” (which actually i don’t even take tbh) im noticing a huge drop in my hormones. i’m noticing im getting the pmdd flu again as soon as i stop taking them and i notice my irritability coming back. i’m considering just skipping my inactive pills so i don’t have a hormonal shift. i was wondering if this happens to anyone else? i know im supposed to get my period so maybe its just that and i have ptsd from pmdd or my pmdd is sneaking in because i stop taking the birth control. sorry for a long post😮‍💨 also anyone seriously try nikki! its been a life saver besides this little thing.

The title... As soon as ovulation ends and luteal begins my guts just INFLATE with air immediately and it's so painful and uncomfortable, I can't stop farting, I can barely eat anything because it all hurts. And it's like this for TWO FUCKING WEEKS 😭 I already have a very limited diet and I'm at my fucking wit's end

I'm literally going to a GI doctor this afternoon for a different issue but if you guys have any cycle related tips that might help lessen the intensity of this I'd really appreciate it. 😞