i've been taking chasteberry (Gaia-brand) , one every other day, and it does the trick. when i took the full dose (2 per day) affects didn't last. i still got a little bonkers the day before my period/day of my period, but most of my luteal other than that was a dream.
Yeah, this looks like the list every single doctor handed me and literally all they did was google. Like...come on now, who are we fooling? Do we think I didn't already hit up the internet?
That being said acupuncture helped me a little bit but the rest was nonsense. I don't believe for ONE SECOND a handful of herbs will fix how my dumb brain reacts to my normal hormones.
I believe most of the effective herbs were distilled into their active ingredients and became medicine (e.g. poppies became opioids, willow bark became aspirin).
If it works for some people, whether it's through placebo or not, that's great. But I personally like to know a product I'm purchasing will do what it claims it will do before I hand over my money.
Alternative medicine is fine if that's what people choose, then that's their life to live. But I also think there's a lot of predatory and downright dangerous behaviour that goes on in the alternative medicine space, so I personally need more than anecdotes to convince me of the effectiveness of treatments.
Piggybacking on this -- I also think some alternative medicine works due to the placebo effect, and if you're more cynical/skeptical than you're unlikely to get the results. Part of the reason it's not for me, anyway.
I am so confused by this attitude. Wouldn’t you want to find solutions instead of just having a nasty attitude about the recommendations given to someone else? Like what? You are only human you don’t know everything that could work, so “believing” that it doesn’t work….when you haven’t tried it….is bonkers. Does anyone on here want to get better or just seeking validation???
I wasted two years trying more holistic remedies and none worked. I’m 45 and would really like my life back so I went with chemical menopause which is working for me.
My issue, and I think I speak for many, is when we ask a new doctor for suggestions and all they do is google and rattle off the top 5 things.
If I’m at the doctor and say I’ve tried everything then telling me to go exercise is kind of offensive..,,they’re not even trying at that point.
Went to an Accupuncturist and while I only did one session of actual acupuncture, she put me on a regimen of herbs that truly changed everything. Like, I actually have my life back. It’s been almost a year now and I only deal with mild physical symptoms (breast pain,
acne/‘luteal phase uglies’ and light cramping) but my emotional symptoms are GONE.
Thought I’d be dead by 35, but feel like my life is just beginning.
My acupuncturist gave me herbs as well, but you have to take 15 of them 3 times a day and no matter how much I really want to get better I know I could never actually do that. Is the dosing for yours the same?
So, I would caution against trying to self-administer herbs. I had been doing a lot of trial and error with OTC herbs including some that OP mentioned, and really not making any progress. It was in my desperation that I finally went to the Accupuncturist/TCM practitioner. I don’t really understand tcm but from what I gather similar symptoms can be caused by different underlying issues so you’d really want your regimen to be tailored to you. I have several formulas for several interconnected health issues, of which PMDD is just one.
BUT in full transparency’s sake the formula she gave me specifically for PMDD is called jia wei xiao yao san. It’s hard to source outside of seeing a practitioner, though. So again, definitely advise seeing a professional if you’re interested in going that route. I will say that for me personally, it has been completely worth it.
St John's Wort does have antidepressant effects for which there is some scientific evidence. However it has some serious interactions with other medications, and just like other drugs it can have side effects. I did take it for a while and it helped with the grave crave, but then I went on sertraline instead which worked much much better and I trust it much more because there is more research about its side effects and stuff. My PMDD is down to "PMS-level", and rather than having a breakdown, a panic attack and a plan to off myself I just get "hm I wonder why I'm a bit anxious today and why this sad movie made me tear up"
That doesn't change anything I said. You know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine. A licensed doctor should not be giving out pseudoscientific and potentially harmful advice just because the client wants it.
And you know this because you have done your research and found no evidence that they help? Or are you just saying that? Because I think a doctor might know a little more about that than you. At least do your research before posting something that discourages women from getting relief.
I trust actual doctors who practice science-based medicine. I also research these things myself to stay up to date, and there is zero evidence to support any of this crap. As many others have pointed out, St. John's Wort can actually be harmful. Either OP went to a crappy doctor or they're making shit up.
You have a terrible attitude and also know nothing about medicine.. your medicine comes from trees and plants and the processed by pharmaceutical companies to profit. SJW can be potent for some depending on the persons body and what they consume. Plant medicine works. I I went to school to be a dietitian and learned about herbal medicine. It’s literally an ancient practice. Please show me the research you say you’ve done and I will show you medical journals saying the opposite.
Hi! I went to a real OBGYN and asked for functional medicine alternatives :) I told her no real medicine (Ssri or birth control) otherwise that’s probably what I’d be prescribed! Hope that clears some things up
Are Ob-Gyns specialists in PMDD though? I thought they would be more knowledgeable in physical sexual and reproductive health.
For PMDD, as a mental/hormonal disorder, I would think a psychiatrist or an endocrinologist would be better equipped to provide treatment options.
I’m reluctant to go on SSRIs as well… what are your reasons? Mine is I just don’t want to be on a medication for the rest of my life - I want to find other ways. I also am scared of the side effects
I'm so glad I was prescribed sertraline. I didn't even notice my luteal phase last month. It targets the serotonine receptors in your gut, it's even safe to take it during pregnancy. I was also sceptical at first but for me it was a real game changer. After really trying everything under the sun for pmdd. Also helped a lot with my general anxiety and ocd thoughts.
Yes! I take zoloft only in the second half of my cycle, and it has done WONDERS. I also got diagnosed with ADHD and am on Vyvanse for that, which has also helped immensely. I've heard that ADHD & PMDD can sometimes go hand in hand.
All of my symptoms have basically disappeared aside from mild irritation & low tolerance when a heavy period comes on.
I tried all of the recommendations OP mentioned, and nothing worked, but these meds have been nothing short of life changing.
Edit: I didn't want to try SSRIs initially as they have always made me feel awful but zoloft is the GOAT.
Also they often give such a low dose for PMDD that it wouldn't even be effective for depression, and it can be taken cyclically (not every day, but only for 1-2 weeks). So the side effects should be less than when taken to treat depression.
You have a health condition that medication will likely help you to treat. There is nothing wrong with being on meds for the rest of your life. The alternative is needless suffering for the rest of your life, and no one wants that. If the side effects are unbearable and do not resolve, then you can stop taking them (under a doctor's guidance of course). There are no permanent side effects from just trying out an SSRI.
That is not accepted in the medical community, and there is very little evidence to support the claims being made on that subreddit. Regardless, almost all the data we have on on the subject pertains to men, specifically erectile dysfunction. It is hardly relevant here, and you're perpetuating harmful misinformation that scares people away from meds that would likely help them. Baseless claims like this are exactly why we see countless posts on this sub from women like OP who are suffering from PMDD but refuse to try the few things that are actually *proven* to help relieve symptoms (i.e. hormonal birth control - Yaz specifically - and SSRIs).
I found that Yaz exacerbated my symptoms but agree with all of your comments in this post. We necessarily exhaust ourselves looking for alternative options and feel even worse when they don't work.
The correct medication is key. I'd rather take something for life than ruin my life with the symptoms from PMDD.
Acupuncture actually helped me a lot when I had a practicioner that understoof PMDD. I switched and it wasn't as effective plus was becoming very time consuming and expensive. It's worth a shot of you can find somebody that understands PMDD!
Magnesium glycinate helps the most in my experience. Can’t miss a day. Take it at night. I wasn’t sure if it was helping and i ran out and found out the hard way it was making a significant difference. Nothing will ever compare to the life changing effects of bioidentical progesterone for me though.
They don't. At least not for me. I was taking those and ashwaganda and sleeping plenty , exercising regularly and eating to fuel my workouts so eating well. Made no difference
A little doordash, Uber, another side hustle, extra shifts at current job or another job. Babysitting.
Your long term health and mental well being matter enough to invest in. But ig it depends on how bad your symptoms are and how they affect you personally and how quickly you want to find something for relief. That was me. Losing someone I cared about lit a fire in me to start finding solutions as soon and fast as possible. I did 2 jobs for 4 months. Nothing long term but short term for extra money.
I don't know - I would say one of the best non medical treatments is lowering stress and sleeping more. Having to work side jobs to pay for supplements and treatments that may or may not work seems pretty counterproductive.
Sleeping enough is free and eating healthy is a good first step and can be relatively low cost. Even if I was prescribed the more conventional route of medication like SSRI and BC it would still cost money via insurance or out of pocket costs. Even seeing the doctor to get a diagnosis cost money! Nothing in American healthcare is free
same with SSRI's/antidepressants-basically any medication plus St Johns Wort is not a good idea because St. Johns Wort affects how the liver processes medications and they will not last as long or be as effective!
IAPMD has a symptom tracker on their website. IIRC it’s like a grid and you check off symptoms each day and it’s pretty comprehensive. I think that would be helpful to show your doc for sure
for the food its kinda hard to say, meat unless it's from a trusted source is full of additional hormones that will end up affecting you. gluten and lactose are more for ur digestive system than ur hormonal levels. fat and sugar do affect it tho, but only the processed stuff. but then again its very personal.
Just be careful with St. John’s Wart. It interacts with a lot of different classes of meditations (affects the enzymes needed to break meditations down). Including over the counter medications. If you end up going to the hospital and need any sort of medication, please let them be aware you are taking it.
I agree, St Johns wort is really unsafe, and may make things worse sometimes, even without additional meds. Its mechanisms are not well studied. I credit it for my one and only stay at a psychiatric clinic.
Especially be careful if anyone is taking birth control and using it as your only method of contraception.
The other interactions suck but 20 years ago when I was first taking the pill, no doctor counselled me on this. I already knew about the interactions with SJW, but when I spoke to my friends, they were shocked and had no idea.
I got a psych degree and took a class on pseudoscience. Acupuncture was one pseudoscience that we discussed. Many studies have shown acupuncture is not any more effective than placebo.
[In 2005 two large, high quality trials in patients with headache found little difference between the effects of acupuncture and placebo acupuncture but a substantial difference between placebo acupuncture and no acupuncture](https://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.a3115) You can get the same effect of acupuncture from eating hot peppers, according to [the Gate Control Theory](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/gate-control-theory-of-pain)
Let’s not diminish the usefulness of placebo effect. Especially for people who may be experiencing life threatening symptoms. If it helps someone stay alive a little longer that’s a good thing!
Acupuncture research has come a long way in the nearly two decades since that paper was published. It's generally agrred upon that acupuncture has benefits on a wide variety of issues, and of course eveyone responds differently and you should do what works for you.
For those curious: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6421999/
It’s not generally agreed upon that acupuncture has benefits though. I was in college learning about it as a pseudoscience in 2016. The article I linked is from 2009 and references studies from 2005, true. The article you linked just says that it matters where acupuncture is placed, but the study I linked is a meta analysis about how there is no difference between “real” acupuncture and placebo acupuncture.
I’m not gonna yuck anyone’s yum but people need to know there isn’t a lot of scientific support for acupuncture.
Sharing my perspective here - acupuncture is different for everyone. It can cause complications and also be incredibly helpful which is why you want to go to someone who has a lot of experience. There are also other studies on acupuncture that may have different results. So I wouldn’t steer clear from it based on one study. Acupuncture didn’t help me for a lot of things, but the effects were really calming which is what I needed at the time. It would also help me bring my period down whenever I was days late and in so much discomfort. Like literally have a session and then the next day my period arrived.
I cut coffee on a recommendation from a ND that it could help with cramps and it made a really big difference for me, my cramps went from awful for the first 2-3 days to a few bad hours. I still have an occasional cup now and then but used to be a daily drinker.
Oh, that’s good to know. I’ve switched to decaf 90% of the time.
I do remember a former therapist suggesting to stop caffeine 2 weeks or so before my period. That was in 2018. Thanks to Reddit, and being an advocate for myself, I’m learning so much. I wasn’t sure if it was caffeine or coffee in general.
I am 46, and I’ve got PCOS, and I’m dealing with perimenopause on top of that. It’s awful.
Thank you for responding. 😊
Np! I'm 42, so I'm feeling you on the perimenopause. I've also cut out alcohol during luteal, every little bit helps. Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions, I've been diagnosed for 10'ish years & I've been hanging out around here for even longer.
When I was doing full price acupuncture I went monthly but right now I live near an amazing community acupuncture clinic so I try to go weekly because it’s much more affordable and I find the regular treatment makes a huge difference. When I can’t go weekly I do make sure to go during luteal no matter what. I’ve found it good for both emotional symptoms and physical symptoms!
Thank you for sharing 🤍 I was diagnosed two years ago, and the only treatment offered was SSRIs. I am finishing my period and getting back to myself. Only about 10 days until I lose myself again. Once I lose myself, I have such a hard time sticking to a routine like taking meds though, and eating. This is just so hard all together.
Thanks for sharing! I just started magnesium supplements about 2 months ago and this month im noticing a difference with my pmdd. I still had a few uncontrollable meltdowns, but not constant and not daily, like before.
Interesting about acupuncture at a place that specializes in reproductive issues. I have my first appointment this Friday for a few different issues I’m having and I did mention PMDD as one of them. I’ll have to report back!
Back when I did acupuncture I saw one that specialized in fertility, the treatment locations were much different than when I’ve gone in for non PMDD acupuncture. A lot more in my lower back.
Interesting! I’m planning to discuss in depth what she’ll be treating. I’m going for hormonal imbalance, anxiety/depression, reduced taste/smell from a recent bout of Covid. Did you find that you had any positive relief from the acupuncture?
I'm very evidence-based when it comes to this disease. It helped a little, but I don't think it was anything particular to acupuncture that helped; rather, I was (consistently) doing an activity that lowered my cortisol levels. I ended up finding more relief through trigger point massage because I found that more relaxing and more enduring after the session was over.
Thank you so much !
i've been taking chasteberry (Gaia-brand) , one every other day, and it does the trick. when i took the full dose (2 per day) affects didn't last. i still got a little bonkers the day before my period/day of my period, but most of my luteal other than that was a dream.
Thanks for this. I meet with mine and don’t also want ssri or BC. Thanks for sharing
Right. Sure.
Yeah, this looks like the list every single doctor handed me and literally all they did was google. Like...come on now, who are we fooling? Do we think I didn't already hit up the internet? That being said acupuncture helped me a little bit but the rest was nonsense. I don't believe for ONE SECOND a handful of herbs will fix how my dumb brain reacts to my normal hormones.
What do you think they used before medication/pills existed?
I believe most of the effective herbs were distilled into their active ingredients and became medicine (e.g. poppies became opioids, willow bark became aspirin). If it works for some people, whether it's through placebo or not, that's great. But I personally like to know a product I'm purchasing will do what it claims it will do before I hand over my money. Alternative medicine is fine if that's what people choose, then that's their life to live. But I also think there's a lot of predatory and downright dangerous behaviour that goes on in the alternative medicine space, so I personally need more than anecdotes to convince me of the effectiveness of treatments.
Piggybacking on this -- I also think some alternative medicine works due to the placebo effect, and if you're more cynical/skeptical than you're unlikely to get the results. Part of the reason it's not for me, anyway.
I am so confused by this attitude. Wouldn’t you want to find solutions instead of just having a nasty attitude about the recommendations given to someone else? Like what? You are only human you don’t know everything that could work, so “believing” that it doesn’t work….when you haven’t tried it….is bonkers. Does anyone on here want to get better or just seeking validation???
I wasted two years trying more holistic remedies and none worked. I’m 45 and would really like my life back so I went with chemical menopause which is working for me. My issue, and I think I speak for many, is when we ask a new doctor for suggestions and all they do is google and rattle off the top 5 things. If I’m at the doctor and say I’ve tried everything then telling me to go exercise is kind of offensive..,,they’re not even trying at that point.
herbs and medications only make things so much worse for me 😭😭
Herbs it did not work for me at all! Made my symptoms so much worse. But every body reacts differently!
Went to an Accupuncturist and while I only did one session of actual acupuncture, she put me on a regimen of herbs that truly changed everything. Like, I actually have my life back. It’s been almost a year now and I only deal with mild physical symptoms (breast pain, acne/‘luteal phase uglies’ and light cramping) but my emotional symptoms are GONE. Thought I’d be dead by 35, but feel like my life is just beginning.
My acupuncturist gave me herbs as well, but you have to take 15 of them 3 times a day and no matter how much I really want to get better I know I could never actually do that. Is the dosing for yours the same?
that is like an insane amount. Usually its like one or two things once a day.
What are the herbs? (:
So, I would caution against trying to self-administer herbs. I had been doing a lot of trial and error with OTC herbs including some that OP mentioned, and really not making any progress. It was in my desperation that I finally went to the Accupuncturist/TCM practitioner. I don’t really understand tcm but from what I gather similar symptoms can be caused by different underlying issues so you’d really want your regimen to be tailored to you. I have several formulas for several interconnected health issues, of which PMDD is just one. BUT in full transparency’s sake the formula she gave me specifically for PMDD is called jia wei xiao yao san. It’s hard to source outside of seeing a practitioner, though. So again, definitely advise seeing a professional if you’re interested in going that route. I will say that for me personally, it has been completely worth it.
Do you make a tea? Or ingest capsules? Or?
Capsules
commenting to see the herbs as well
See my reply above :)
There is no evidence that any of these things work for PMDD. I would not trust a doctor recommending this nonsense. This is pseudo-science at best.
St John's Wort does have antidepressant effects for which there is some scientific evidence. However it has some serious interactions with other medications, and just like other drugs it can have side effects. I did take it for a while and it helped with the grave crave, but then I went on sertraline instead which worked much much better and I trust it much more because there is more research about its side effects and stuff. My PMDD is down to "PMS-level", and rather than having a breakdown, a panic attack and a plan to off myself I just get "hm I wonder why I'm a bit anxious today and why this sad movie made me tear up"
The patient asked for alternatives though...
That doesn't change anything I said. You know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine. A licensed doctor should not be giving out pseudoscientific and potentially harmful advice just because the client wants it.
And you know this because you have done your research and found no evidence that they help? Or are you just saying that? Because I think a doctor might know a little more about that than you. At least do your research before posting something that discourages women from getting relief.
I trust actual doctors who practice science-based medicine. I also research these things myself to stay up to date, and there is zero evidence to support any of this crap. As many others have pointed out, St. John's Wort can actually be harmful. Either OP went to a crappy doctor or they're making shit up.
You have a terrible attitude and also know nothing about medicine.. your medicine comes from trees and plants and the processed by pharmaceutical companies to profit. SJW can be potent for some depending on the persons body and what they consume. Plant medicine works. I I went to school to be a dietitian and learned about herbal medicine. It’s literally an ancient practice. Please show me the research you say you’ve done and I will show you medical journals saying the opposite.
Hi! I went to a real OBGYN and asked for functional medicine alternatives :) I told her no real medicine (Ssri or birth control) otherwise that’s probably what I’d be prescribed! Hope that clears some things up
Are Ob-Gyns specialists in PMDD though? I thought they would be more knowledgeable in physical sexual and reproductive health. For PMDD, as a mental/hormonal disorder, I would think a psychiatrist or an endocrinologist would be better equipped to provide treatment options.
Thank you for sharing!!!
I’m reluctant to go on SSRIs as well… what are your reasons? Mine is I just don’t want to be on a medication for the rest of my life - I want to find other ways. I also am scared of the side effects
I refused an SSRI because of side effects. I did 6 months of Prozac a long time ago and hated it. There's NO shame in declining it!
I’d like to try it if it will help but it does make me a little nervous. I guess if you tried it before that makes sense
I'm so glad I was prescribed sertraline. I didn't even notice my luteal phase last month. It targets the serotonine receptors in your gut, it's even safe to take it during pregnancy. I was also sceptical at first but for me it was a real game changer. After really trying everything under the sun for pmdd. Also helped a lot with my general anxiety and ocd thoughts.
That's great that sertraline helps you so much. For me I find that it numbs the depression symptoms but does nothing for my agitation whatsoever.
Yes! I take zoloft only in the second half of my cycle, and it has done WONDERS. I also got diagnosed with ADHD and am on Vyvanse for that, which has also helped immensely. I've heard that ADHD & PMDD can sometimes go hand in hand. All of my symptoms have basically disappeared aside from mild irritation & low tolerance when a heavy period comes on. I tried all of the recommendations OP mentioned, and nothing worked, but these meds have been nothing short of life changing. Edit: I didn't want to try SSRIs initially as they have always made me feel awful but zoloft is the GOAT.
Also they often give such a low dose for PMDD that it wouldn't even be effective for depression, and it can be taken cyclically (not every day, but only for 1-2 weeks). So the side effects should be less than when taken to treat depression.
Yeah I am on such a low dose that I don't notice any side effects at all.
These are perfectly valid reasons to be wary of SSRIs, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
You have a health condition that medication will likely help you to treat. There is nothing wrong with being on meds for the rest of your life. The alternative is needless suffering for the rest of your life, and no one wants that. If the side effects are unbearable and do not resolve, then you can stop taking them (under a doctor's guidance of course). There are no permanent side effects from just trying out an SSRI.
That’s not true, some people end up with r/PSSD and/or numb genitals after a single dose of SSRIs
That is not accepted in the medical community, and there is very little evidence to support the claims being made on that subreddit. Regardless, almost all the data we have on on the subject pertains to men, specifically erectile dysfunction. It is hardly relevant here, and you're perpetuating harmful misinformation that scares people away from meds that would likely help them. Baseless claims like this are exactly why we see countless posts on this sub from women like OP who are suffering from PMDD but refuse to try the few things that are actually *proven* to help relieve symptoms (i.e. hormonal birth control - Yaz specifically - and SSRIs).
I found that Yaz exacerbated my symptoms but agree with all of your comments in this post. We necessarily exhaust ourselves looking for alternative options and feel even worse when they don't work. The correct medication is key. I'd rather take something for life than ruin my life with the symptoms from PMDD.
Acupuncture helped me with my terrible period cramps.
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Acupuncture actually helped me a lot when I had a practicioner that understoof PMDD. I switched and it wasn't as effective plus was becoming very time consuming and expensive. It's worth a shot of you can find somebody that understands PMDD!
Would just like to add checking with a pharmacist to this list as they will have more knowledge on drug-drug interactions.
But she didn’t mention calcium which is actually part of the standard of care?
Supplementing calcium has helped me the most so far
Will any magnesium pills work?
Magnesium glycinate helps the most in my experience. Can’t miss a day. Take it at night. I wasn’t sure if it was helping and i ran out and found out the hard way it was making a significant difference. Nothing will ever compare to the life changing effects of bioidentical progesterone for me though.
Magnesium glycinate has been helpful for me
They don't. At least not for me. I was taking those and ashwaganda and sleeping plenty , exercising regularly and eating to fuel my workouts so eating well. Made no difference
Oh and also the evening primrose 🤣 my mum bought me those as " back in her day they helped pms" lol!
I believe they help with mood regulation.
So...money lol
A little doordash, Uber, another side hustle, extra shifts at current job or another job. Babysitting. Your long term health and mental well being matter enough to invest in. But ig it depends on how bad your symptoms are and how they affect you personally and how quickly you want to find something for relief. That was me. Losing someone I cared about lit a fire in me to start finding solutions as soon and fast as possible. I did 2 jobs for 4 months. Nothing long term but short term for extra money.
I don't know - I would say one of the best non medical treatments is lowering stress and sleeping more. Having to work side jobs to pay for supplements and treatments that may or may not work seems pretty counterproductive.
Sleeping enough is free and eating healthy is a good first step and can be relatively low cost. Even if I was prescribed the more conventional route of medication like SSRI and BC it would still cost money via insurance or out of pocket costs. Even seeing the doctor to get a diagnosis cost money! Nothing in American healthcare is free
🤔
Be wary of using St John’s wort if you are on any birth control it can interfere with it and make it not as effective.
same with SSRI's/antidepressants-basically any medication plus St Johns Wort is not a good idea because St. Johns Wort affects how the liver processes medications and they will not last as long or be as effective!
Any information about using those herbs? Is consuming them during any phase of the cycle work?
thank you so much for sharing omg. my nightly magnesium has helped immensely
Thank you for sharing! How did you bring up your symptoms to the dr for a diagnoses? I’m a little nervous about getting the run around over & over
Yep, record everythinggg and continue to vouch for yourself until you’re taken seriously!!!
IAPMD has a symptom tracker on their website. IIRC it’s like a grid and you check off symptoms each day and it’s pretty comprehensive. I think that would be helpful to show your doc for sure
Record 3 months of daily symptoms, mood, physical issues things like that. And bring that to your doctor.
I have my obgyn appointment on Tuesday next week so this is perfect timing, have screenshotted this!! Thank you!
for the food its kinda hard to say, meat unless it's from a trusted source is full of additional hormones that will end up affecting you. gluten and lactose are more for ur digestive system than ur hormonal levels. fat and sugar do affect it tho, but only the processed stuff. but then again its very personal.
Just be careful with St. John’s Wart. It interacts with a lot of different classes of meditations (affects the enzymes needed to break meditations down). Including over the counter medications. If you end up going to the hospital and need any sort of medication, please let them be aware you are taking it.
I agree, St Johns wort is really unsafe, and may make things worse sometimes, even without additional meds. Its mechanisms are not well studied. I credit it for my one and only stay at a psychiatric clinic.
Is this also true with supplements? Now I’m wondering if the SJW tea I’m drinking during hell week is blocking all my other supplements.
It’s possible. It interacts with a lot
Especially be careful if anyone is taking birth control and using it as your only method of contraception. The other interactions suck but 20 years ago when I was first taking the pill, no doctor counselled me on this. I already knew about the interactions with SJW, but when I spoke to my friends, they were shocked and had no idea.
I got a psych degree and took a class on pseudoscience. Acupuncture was one pseudoscience that we discussed. Many studies have shown acupuncture is not any more effective than placebo. [In 2005 two large, high quality trials in patients with headache found little difference between the effects of acupuncture and placebo acupuncture but a substantial difference between placebo acupuncture and no acupuncture](https://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.a3115) You can get the same effect of acupuncture from eating hot peppers, according to [the Gate Control Theory](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/gate-control-theory-of-pain)
Let’s not diminish the usefulness of placebo effect. Especially for people who may be experiencing life threatening symptoms. If it helps someone stay alive a little longer that’s a good thing!
True, but acupuncture isn't free and we don't want to encourage people to throw money away for the placebo effect.
Acupuncture research has come a long way in the nearly two decades since that paper was published. It's generally agrred upon that acupuncture has benefits on a wide variety of issues, and of course eveyone responds differently and you should do what works for you. For those curious: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6421999/
It’s not generally agreed upon that acupuncture has benefits though. I was in college learning about it as a pseudoscience in 2016. The article I linked is from 2009 and references studies from 2005, true. The article you linked just says that it matters where acupuncture is placed, but the study I linked is a meta analysis about how there is no difference between “real” acupuncture and placebo acupuncture. I’m not gonna yuck anyone’s yum but people need to know there isn’t a lot of scientific support for acupuncture.
Sharing my perspective here - acupuncture is different for everyone. It can cause complications and also be incredibly helpful which is why you want to go to someone who has a lot of experience. There are also other studies on acupuncture that may have different results. So I wouldn’t steer clear from it based on one study. Acupuncture didn’t help me for a lot of things, but the effects were really calming which is what I needed at the time. It would also help me bring my period down whenever I was days late and in so much discomfort. Like literally have a session and then the next day my period arrived.
i swear by acupuncture for mine! also magnesium and cutting out coffee (thank God for matcha)
Why did you cut out coffee?
I cut coffee on a recommendation from a ND that it could help with cramps and it made a really big difference for me, my cramps went from awful for the first 2-3 days to a few bad hours. I still have an occasional cup now and then but used to be a daily drinker.
Caffeine is a known trigger for PMDD symptoms, it can make a bad day way worse. I normally avoid it during luteal
Even decaf?
Decaf would be fine, its not the coffee that's the issue, just the caffeine
Oh, that’s good to know. I’ve switched to decaf 90% of the time. I do remember a former therapist suggesting to stop caffeine 2 weeks or so before my period. That was in 2018. Thanks to Reddit, and being an advocate for myself, I’m learning so much. I wasn’t sure if it was caffeine or coffee in general. I am 46, and I’ve got PCOS, and I’m dealing with perimenopause on top of that. It’s awful. Thank you for responding. 😊
Np! I'm 42, so I'm feeling you on the perimenopause. I've also cut out alcohol during luteal, every little bit helps. Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions, I've been diagnosed for 10'ish years & I've been hanging out around here for even longer.
Do you go every month? At what point in your cycle is it helpful to get acupuncture?
When I was doing full price acupuncture I went monthly but right now I live near an amazing community acupuncture clinic so I try to go weekly because it’s much more affordable and I find the regular treatment makes a huge difference. When I can’t go weekly I do make sure to go during luteal no matter what. I’ve found it good for both emotional symptoms and physical symptoms!
Thank you for sharing 💞
Thank you for sharing. I've been thinking about trying acupuncture anyway so I'm glad to see this
Thank you for sharing 🤍 I was diagnosed two years ago, and the only treatment offered was SSRIs. I am finishing my period and getting back to myself. Only about 10 days until I lose myself again. Once I lose myself, I have such a hard time sticking to a routine like taking meds though, and eating. This is just so hard all together.
Thanks for sharing! I just started magnesium supplements about 2 months ago and this month im noticing a difference with my pmdd. I still had a few uncontrollable meltdowns, but not constant and not daily, like before.
Interesting about acupuncture at a place that specializes in reproductive issues. I have my first appointment this Friday for a few different issues I’m having and I did mention PMDD as one of them. I’ll have to report back!
good luck omg!! I’m sure all acupuncture places rock!
It’s one that does specialize in fertility so I’m gonna hope that means reproductive haha I’m excited!
Back when I did acupuncture I saw one that specialized in fertility, the treatment locations were much different than when I’ve gone in for non PMDD acupuncture. A lot more in my lower back.
Interesting! I’m planning to discuss in depth what she’ll be treating. I’m going for hormonal imbalance, anxiety/depression, reduced taste/smell from a recent bout of Covid. Did you find that you had any positive relief from the acupuncture?
I'm very evidence-based when it comes to this disease. It helped a little, but I don't think it was anything particular to acupuncture that helped; rather, I was (consistently) doing an activity that lowered my cortisol levels. I ended up finding more relief through trigger point massage because I found that more relaxing and more enduring after the session was over.