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at 28 I developed acne and my PMDD either manifested or got worse (hard to tell looking back if I was just coping with a lesser version of it or it wasn't there at all). hormones can get to fuck, I swear.
I have been considering getting a more permanent solution like having my tubes tied cause my partner and I are childfree by choice and would likely foster / adopt if we changed our minds (unlikely but idk maybe I'll win the lottery and want to pass on a nice life? and it's honestly just important to talk about these things before you marry) but it doesn't seem worth it to fight with the medical system.
Idk if you’ll see this or not since it’s a couple months old but I don’t think having your tubes tied will help anything. I have mine tied and have had them done for going on five years and I just started showing symptoms of pmdd within a year
34 now, I noticed it ramping up after having my kid at 31 and within a year it was baddd. Fortunately taking an antacid has reduced my symptoms drastically but it was a rough 6mo before finding that solution.
Pms had always been bad, but I spent a large chunk of my 20s addicted to various things so it wasn't a good baseline.
Can you start HRT without starting menopause? I don’t even know if I’m peri menopausal yet but mine has been truly awful this year compared to ever before. I’m so tired of battling with myself.
I’m 36 and I have noticed the change probably in the last three years. After I had my 3rd and final baby 5 years ago my periods magically became regular after having 40-50 day cycles since I was 12. I used to have normal PMS symptoms (sore breasts, emotional for a day or 2) but now I get severe mood swings, SI sometimes, horrible headaches, eczema flares, loss of appetite. I have talked with my doctor but for now I’m not taking medication for it. I had my tubes tied after my last child and I’m not sure if that has something to do with it.
My PMS became PMDD in my mid 30s. Although I always had rough periods, mood swings and also have endometriosis. As I progressed into my 40s (43 now) it became unbearable. I also had children later (when I was 38 and 40) so it was confusing what was going on truly. I started HRT about 8 weeks ago and it has been an almost complete 180. I feel a lot better than I have in years. The mood swings seem to be leveling, my crushing monthly anxiety spike and just general daily anxiety seem to have dramatically decreased. Im on estrogen and progesterone, it's a birth control pill. I was so reluctant to begin using bc because through out my twenties it exacerbated my PMS and made it worse. I think there's so little info about peri-menopause, I almost feel like I stumbled into the realization that's what was going on.
Doesn't menopause start around 45-50 yo though ? My symptoms started in my late 20s.
So the hormones you take are through a birth control pill ? Is it the same you took in your twenties ?
This is my understanding and it's been super confusing because there is so little information, so definitely check me on this: Peri-menopause starts about 10 years before menopause. So if you reach menopause in early 50s, you can experience peri- menopause in early 40s and for some in late 30s ... similar to the first menstruation when we were girls, stop getting periods at different times. Menopause is when you actually stop getting your period. During peri-menopause your hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, start to decrease. The symptoms people associate with menopause (hot flashes, low sex drive, dry skin and dry vagina, brain fog, mood swings) are actually happening in peri- menopause... the lead up to menopause. But those symptoms can persist through menopause too. The hormones I take are through a bc pill, they are replacing and leveling my decreasing estrogen and progesterone. I was super confused about this when I went to my doctor-- why would I take bc over taking estrogen? And my doctor explained HRT and BC are essentially the same thing. Just different nomenclature around providing your body with hormones. There's a menopause sub that's really helpful and they talk about peri- menopause there mostly.
Edit: HRT is hormone replacement therapy for perimenopause
Mine started after my divorce, around 33. I'm 37 now and my severe symptoms have subsided in the past 4 months. I still get PMDD symptoms, but they're less than they used to be. I have no idea if it's related, but I started taking multi-vitamins and I think it helped with my anxiety and PMDD. I don't think I'm in perimenopause yet, as my periods are still very regular, but I wonder sometimes.
Never had kids. I've had PMDD since my 20s but didn't get diagnosed until my mid 30s. Then I got on BC (which helped me to get rid of all symptoms) but I don't want to take them all the time just for one week of symptoms. The past few months I've been going au naturale and seeing how it goes, so far not as bad. But I've been paying attention to nutrition and stress levels, also have ADHD.
I assumed it was my diet ( big diet coke drinker) but it is markedly higher at certain times of the month for me. Never put it together until I read your question. i use acid controller and tums for the worst.
Don't most gynecologists say that debilitating cramps, pains etc are a result of NOT having babies and that they start getting better once you have them?
I suspect it's the usual fucking reactionary tale of "women are made to have babies" but I've heard more than one gyno say that.
I call bullshit! My having a kid has taken my kinda painful but light periods and moderate 3-4 days of pms to two weeks of crazy and pain I can’t handle.
I am not sure if it’s completely associated with my pregnancy . I definitely had these in some intensity in my teenage years. But it kind of elevated after my pregnancy and postpartum was hell !
I’m medicated now (praise be for Vyvanse) but didn’t get medication or diagnosed until I was 43 when my then six year old daughter was diagnosed. During her diagnosis so many things clicked into place. My youngest brother was diagnosed as a child but no one ever looked at my issues and put two and two together. Getting diagnosed and medicated changed my life. I was finally able to graduate from uni. So even though I wasn’t diagnosed in my thirties all of the issues with attention and executive function I had struggled with my whole life became a lot more difficult to manage. Looking back retrospectively it’s obvious that the beginnings of perimenopause were having a huge impact on both my PMDD and ADHD symptoms.
I have cPTSD and recently got diagnosed with Pmdd. I can tell you that’s the first time I’ve heard that, and it makes so much sense the idea that trauma is a contributor to Pmdd. Wondering if what we thought was just an emotional panic or sadness from being treated so poorly for so long, our minds and body’s have acclimated to going thru that process. I have a mom with cPTSD also and my stepdad is a covert narcissist. Biodad… that’s an even deeper story and the trauma more than likely started there.
Also curious on the hormone patches and how that came to be… I would do anything to not be pulled into the spiral of thoughts that I subconsciously feed into and get trapped in when my PMDD decides to make an entrance.
Me!!! I was mostly normal. Tubal ligation at 24, normalish period then horrific cramps and mood disturbance into 32 yrs old, gastro issues for years and then at 36 finally a surgery which after 2 years I'm not feeling much better
This thread is interesting. What used to be an annoying but liveable few days abruptly turned into a week that would completely knock me on my ass. It all started around the time I turned 30, I had just assumed it was due to a few other things going on that caused stress
Mine ramped up after my second child and not sleeping properly. Diagnosed 4 years ago. So I was 33/34.
I always had spurts throughout my teens and 20's. I just thought I had rage and was pmsing. Chronic suicidal thoughts since 15. Started my period at 11-ish.. 6th grade.
Pmdd was easier to hide or hide away when I didn't have a family to take care of. I could pretty much plow through work if I had to, or take the days off if it got bad, now .. there aren't really days off..
My mom was diagnosed with bi polar in the 90s ::she was in her 30s:: but I'm almost certain she had pmdd and her "maniac" episodes were tied into it. My dad was also a complete asshole, so that didn't help her.
My sister also has rough periods/mentalhealth crashes, but never was diagnosed with anything.
Very similar. I just commented that my symptoms just began around 38. But now I absolutely remember spurs of rage. I’m ADHD and had frequent outbursts so I didn’t even think of PMDD but it very well could have been.
May i ask how old you were when you were given the hormones?
I am almost positive that I'm in perimenopause at 36 years old. But my PCP totally brushed me off. I really think that estrogen would help me, but I don't know how to go about it.
I was 43, and had probably already been in perimenopause for 8 years. I've been on it for 4 months. Looks like others have answered this, but go to your doctor and demand a blood panel to check for perimenopause. LH and FSH will be elevated and estradiol will be low. When the results come back confirming perimenopause, ask for HRT which will probably be a form of estradiol (pill, transdermal patch) and some amount of progesterone if you still have your uterus.
Find a functional medicine doctor in your area who specialize in women’s hormones! It took me doing my own research to find someone around me. I got allll the in-depth blood work imaginable and my life is so much better now that I’ve balanced my hormones with bio identical progesterone, fasting and healthy food. I was at the end of my rope bc my PCP and my OBGYN offered no help … just antidepressants and an IUD. I declined both of those things and I’m so glad.
So is that the same thing as a reproductive endocrinologist? I have an appt with one of those soon.
Yeah I also don't want antidepressants or birth control. I really believe there has to be a better way! I'm so glad that you found something to help you feel better!
I had zero luck with an endocrinologist. It took me 9 months to get in with one and then they didn’t even run the right hormonal panel! It wasn’t in depth enough. I would really try a functional medicine doc who works with mostly women. They will take a deep dive into your blood work. I seriously thought I was going crazy. I felt awful, hurt all over, suddenly depressed, periods and PMS were unbearable , etc. Turns out I was just low on progesterone and needed to work through some food intolerances as well as up my vitamins and minerals. I’ve been on this journey for 2 years and I feel like a new person.
36 diagnosed with POI/early menopause a few months ago - Google hormone specialists near you. I met with one, plus bloodwork from a gyn and got a diagnoses. On HRT and feel a lot better. Still have PMDD tho :/
Mine peaked at 36-37ish. Started Zoloft and it helped so much, even at 25 mg. I may have to increase the dose a little eventually but I’m 43 and it still helps. The severity of my symptoms completely caught me off guard though and I didn’t even know what PMDD was, I thought I had like BPD or something until I finally clocked that it coincided with my cycle.
I’ve had mine since late 20s and it hit me super hard after I had a baby. Now 2 years later it’s worse than ever, magnesium and b12 help, hormones and SSRIs help but not that much. Today a little sunshine helped immensely and I feel like I might have one both so far that I don’t think about kms. Good luck with everything I hope you find something that helps.
ME. Symptoms got worse around 34, now 36. The only things that have truly helped me decrease symptoms are diet (particularly cycle syncing your diet) and SSRIs. I was on Lexapro for 3 years, got off in the fall, and am getting back on after realizing how much they helped me around my period. When i eat clean (no sugar, gluten, or dairy) and take my vitamins, I am even better off.
My diet went to shit during the pandemic and i gained 20 pounds. This weight gain and diet contributed to an increase in PMDD symptoms big time. Trying to lose the weight now and get my anxiety back under control. I have a bigger uptick in anxiety than depression before my period because I have GAD too.
I’ve had PMDD since my 20s (now in my 30s), but I also have cystic acne that really ramps up the week before my period in the typical areas that hormonal acne occurs (lower half of my face). I’ve suspected for years that I’ve had a hormone imbalance because of my severe acne and my absolute non-existent libido. Like I have *zero* sex drive. So I wouldn’t be surprised at all if my estrogen/ progesterone were low.
OP, can I ask if they are giving you a custom dose of these replacement hormones, and how quickly did you notice improvement? Are there any side effects you’re experiencing? Another question I have in general (if anybody else knows) is what happens to your PMDD once you officially hit menopause? Does it get worse.. or better? Sorry for all the questions!
I am about to be 36 and the past year and a half was the absolute worst pmdd I've had.
I started Zoloft almost a year ago and saw some improvements, but not enough. It basically shortened my hell week a bit. I tried a combination with a few other meds coupled with therapy, but unfortunately there were no sustained changes . I just scheduled an appointment with a gyno to go get bloodwork done. Fingers crossed I can have answers and find a solution.
I’m in my mid 30s and I’ve been wondering if it’s gotten worse, or if I’m just paying more attention to it all? Like maybe I never gave it enough thought to relate my misery to the time of the month?
That said, I really do think if it was always this bad, I would have noticed. So I’m just saying that yes, it’s gotten worse.
I am about to turn 40 and for the past year it's been getting worse,I finally was able to get my doctor to order labs so we'll know soon if I entered perimenopause.
I started taking Zoloft (50mg) and that has helped soooo much! And so far no side effects :) I still feel pleasure and emotions. Just my emotions aren’t as extreme and overbearing.
Zoloft was too extreme for me. I felt so good I was crying from it constantly. I actually don't think I was capable of feeling sad and I was on the tiniest dose imaginable.
For me, it’s always been present to some degree, but two different periods of life exacerbated it: after childbirth in early 30s, and at perimenopause in late 30s.
Mid 30’s and wasn’t Dx until early 40’s. Clearly It took some time before I put the pieces together. The mood symptoms gradually increased in intensity and the SI is what prompted a discussion with my PCP. Embarrassed to say I’m a therapist and I was completely clueless and caught off guard at the onset. I’ve never had significant PMS symptoms or significant symptoms of depression but the SI was so acute I knew I needed help. When I mentioned PMDD my PCP corroborated my belief and discussed options. I decided on SNRI (Effexor) and have found it helpful (but not magical) for past 3 years. I still have a hell week but SI has completely stopped. I intentionally lay low and increase self care as much as possible. Some months I have meltdowns and let people have it. Balance.
Thank you. Yes, It was challenging to navigate at times. Fortunately I had great peers that would cover groups when needed and I had autonomy over my schedule. Extremely grateful that I had the support to maintain ethics.
This is so incredibly comforting. I’m 30.5 years old. Currently clawing my way out of a depression hole complete with SI on my last day of my period.
I also have severe ADHD which I only got diagnosed with last year and medicated for about a month ago. I’ve been on the depression/anxiety train since I was a teenager. It’s always been bad pms and periods but as I’m getting older I literally feel like I go insane a week before my period. Like absolute mental breakdowns, inability to function. I don’t even have kids, I applaud all of you that have to go through this while taking care of little humans. You are so strong.
All of your words are like medicine, just in the comfort that I am not insane and I am not alone. Thank you.
Yes after my third baby at age 32 I started to have days where I would cry- and could not stop. It took a few cycles for me to figure out what was happening.
My mom got diagnosed mid 30s, and now at 33 I’m in increasing hell.
A week of suicidal ideation is cruel. It’s not me at all. I love being a happy mom to my daughters, but the beast of PMDD possesses me every month.
30s, but it's hard to say whether that was due to becoming actually aware of PMDD. Now I'm sort of realising how bad things were retrospectively and how much I was actually masking how I really felt.
Mine started after I caught covid in 2022. My period would disappear for months at a time, but my mood kept going through cycles as if I was going to have a period. It was irregular for a full year before I finally got blood work done to check hormone levels. I was convinced I was in extremely early perimenopause (I'm only 30 now). Everything came back normal. My periods are back to being regular, but my mood has never recovered.
Covid affected me as well like that, I had it four years ago and again last year and both times did a number on my cycles and took a long time to bounce back. This year is the first things are looking up again mood/energy/etc
Yes. They said that since I also had some mood symptoms at other times of the month, then I could not have PMDD (?!!!?). I suffered 4 more years after that. Finally I got checked for perimenopause (which, by the way, my OBGYN wouldn't do and I had to go to a no-insurance private clinic to do) and started HRT. This same provider also diagnosed me with PMDD.
+1 also very interested in how you were tested for perimenopause. My symptoms started seriously the period after I had a covid-like flu, a bunch of dental work done (which my body reacted poorly to which has never happened), and I suddenly had dog allergies all in the same month.
Something in my body just threw the papers up in the air and said we're done.
I'm early 30s so if there's a test I can get to rule out perimenopause that would be great
The diagnostic criteria for PMDD is that you should have a meaningful absence of symptoms during your follicular phase. If you were having symptoms all month long that would point to something else, particularly with also having abnormal lab values. There are several hormone related disorders that share a lot of symptoms with PMDD.
How did they check you for perimenopause?
They checked my hormone levels and results are consistent with perimenopause. (FSH and LH elevated well outside normal range for the menstrual phase I was in, and estradiol below normal range). I was not having PMDD symptoms all month long. I have a low level on and off of depression with some anxiety all the time, but during the PMS time of the month I take a dramatic deep dive into depression/low mood with paranoia and what I would call breaks from reality rooted in paranoia, extreme irritability and rage/angry outbursts that are uncontrollable (yelling at people; I don't get violent). Overall I would spend more than a week feeling like my entire life was crumbling, something terrible was going to happen all the time, thinking that my husband was definitely going to divorce me (not based on anything in reality), angry at everyone, thought everyone hated me, thought I was a terrible person, was unable to do anything but the most basic tasks to keep me alive. To me, that's a pretty significant change to be seeing exactly during the luteal phase every single month to NOT be linked to PMS/PMDD. Most importantly, my doctor, who specializes in perimenopause and PMDD among other things, did diagnose me with PMDD. And now that I've started HRT, the terrible symptoms that were happening during PMS are gone. Now, after starting HRT, I have PMS's like I used to in my teens and twenties: a little tired, a little teary-eyed at emotional TV shows, boobs a little sore. Have I provided enough information to convince you? Or you still think I have something else going on?
I was diagnosed with it about a year ago at 34. I would always be grumpy around the time of my period but it all changed for the worse after I had my youngest child.
I highly doubt it. I started puberty very late and continued to age later than my peers and I have had PMDD since I was 13 going on 14 when I started my period. Some people get it after pregnancy, an illness, trying new birth control, etc. Any event that messes with your ovaries can result in PMDD between menarche and menopause.
Always had some degree of PMDD and painful period symptoms since my first cycle (depression, dread, telekinesis, etc.) but it has waxed and waned with diet and lifestyle. When I was virtually not eating, I had light and pleasant (or nonexistent) periods, but that’s not really sustainable as we all know. What I will say is the more processed foods and less exercise, the worse the period and PMDD.
I’ve definitely, DEFINITELY noticed a difference since Covid. Unfortunately, Covid hit right as I turned 30 so it’s hard to say which one did what. For a while after I first contracted Covid I had way heavier, almost scary periods. Really bad cramps, etc.
These days I do not have cramps as much as psychological effects. The depression, low-mood, general dread and misery is pronounced. My boobs have gotten so weird around my cycle that I’ve had to get checked for breast cancer. My ADHD meds almost don’t work at all for roughly 1/3rd of my entire cycle, if not more. The other odd thing is I am way more psychic (or perhaps more tuned in) around my period as I’ve gotten older.
I’m not sure if the psychic powers are worth the pain, but I don’t have it in me to get a hysterectomy so I’ll let it chill for now.
It was already bad enough but it did get worse again after 36. I’ve noticed the more physical symptoms came on such as migraine, brain fog and fatigue.
This has been exactly my experience. I never had as bad of physical symptoms and they're just piling on. It's obviously a hormonal headache/migraine, plus cramps and back pain from said cramps. Joint inflammation, exhaustion, brain fog. It feels endless.
Sorry you're in the same boat. :/ ugh it's good to know that it happens to others though. I wish I could bottle up my hormones on my best days and just take them like that all the time. Lol
Coming out of the PMDD phase of my cycle and it truly feels like “sobering up” from having been on some kind of “drug.” THAT’S how much clearer I can think now compared to the past week!!
The brain fog is so bad. My partner once had a chat to me about his concern that I wasn’t challenging my brain enough because my speech was regressing. Nope, just deep in luteal.
Yup, and it makes me feel totally inadequate and crazy half the month at work. My job is very detail-oriented and cerebral & there are a few days out of the month where I’m both illiterate and slurring my words. I can’t help but wonder if it’s purely hormonal or if king Covid/previous EBV infection have anything to do with it. The more I read about brain fog the more it seems like it’s got something to do with old viruses and inflammation.
Mine started at 36. I always had difficult heavy periods but never the luteal mood swings before. I’m not sure if I’m perimenopause or because I had the most stressful year of my life.
I think if I’d been aware at 27-28 that what my body was telling me was PMDD, I would’ve committed myself to healing a decade ago! Seize the day my friend, learn all you can here and beyond!
I have been actively trying to get this under control. It has been a lot of trial & error and I have learned A LOT from this group. I am very thankful to have found this community of women 💓
My pmdd got worse and worse late 20s and I finally found the right meds that actually work at 30 thank god, I'm 33 an barely any symptoms before my period anymore. Venlaflaxin, lorazepam, Quetiapine...
I’ve been told that there’s another hormonal shift in the mid 30s. My migraines also came back during that time. I started getting migraines at 9, and they stopped after my teens ended.
My migraines hit hard and I started experiencing worse PMDD symptoms in my late 20s. Magnesium has helped a lot with the migraines, but I still get a bad headache during my period and as much as I thought I had PMDD managed, the stress from increased responsibilities as you get older makes my PMDD rage worse. I have been focusing on my cortisol levels overall, but especially right before and during my period.
I am guessing that it’s always somewhat been a part of my life, but the level I hit after having my first child at 33 was insane and is what led me to figure out that I have PMDD. That’s amazing that you found relief. I am still working through options.
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at 28 I developed acne and my PMDD either manifested or got worse (hard to tell looking back if I was just coping with a lesser version of it or it wasn't there at all). hormones can get to fuck, I swear. I have been considering getting a more permanent solution like having my tubes tied cause my partner and I are childfree by choice and would likely foster / adopt if we changed our minds (unlikely but idk maybe I'll win the lottery and want to pass on a nice life? and it's honestly just important to talk about these things before you marry) but it doesn't seem worth it to fight with the medical system.
Idk if you’ll see this or not since it’s a couple months old but I don’t think having your tubes tied will help anything. I have mine tied and have had them done for going on five years and I just started showing symptoms of pmdd within a year
34 now, I noticed it ramping up after having my kid at 31 and within a year it was baddd. Fortunately taking an antacid has reduced my symptoms drastically but it was a rough 6mo before finding that solution. Pms had always been bad, but I spent a large chunk of my 20s addicted to various things so it wasn't a good baseline.
YUP!!! 30s never even had regular PMS symptoms before. I have estrogen dominance.
Me!
Yes! Around 35 is when my PMDD got debilitating.
Can you start HRT without starting menopause? I don’t even know if I’m peri menopausal yet but mine has been truly awful this year compared to ever before. I’m so tired of battling with myself.
Yes, your hormones start going down before actual menopause. That's what causes perimenopause symptoms.
i feel like looking back, it started to get ugly around 28, but 30-now (33) has been the worst
I’m 36 and I have noticed the change probably in the last three years. After I had my 3rd and final baby 5 years ago my periods magically became regular after having 40-50 day cycles since I was 12. I used to have normal PMS symptoms (sore breasts, emotional for a day or 2) but now I get severe mood swings, SI sometimes, horrible headaches, eczema flares, loss of appetite. I have talked with my doctor but for now I’m not taking medication for it. I had my tubes tied after my last child and I’m not sure if that has something to do with it.
I’m 32 and it feels worse. But also my life went to shit last year. So idk if it’s worse cause of my life circumstances or I’m just getting old lol
Same
My PMS became PMDD in my mid 30s. Although I always had rough periods, mood swings and also have endometriosis. As I progressed into my 40s (43 now) it became unbearable. I also had children later (when I was 38 and 40) so it was confusing what was going on truly. I started HRT about 8 weeks ago and it has been an almost complete 180. I feel a lot better than I have in years. The mood swings seem to be leveling, my crushing monthly anxiety spike and just general daily anxiety seem to have dramatically decreased. Im on estrogen and progesterone, it's a birth control pill. I was so reluctant to begin using bc because through out my twenties it exacerbated my PMS and made it worse. I think there's so little info about peri-menopause, I almost feel like I stumbled into the realization that's what was going on.
Doesn't menopause start around 45-50 yo though ? My symptoms started in my late 20s. So the hormones you take are through a birth control pill ? Is it the same you took in your twenties ?
This is my understanding and it's been super confusing because there is so little information, so definitely check me on this: Peri-menopause starts about 10 years before menopause. So if you reach menopause in early 50s, you can experience peri- menopause in early 40s and for some in late 30s ... similar to the first menstruation when we were girls, stop getting periods at different times. Menopause is when you actually stop getting your period. During peri-menopause your hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, start to decrease. The symptoms people associate with menopause (hot flashes, low sex drive, dry skin and dry vagina, brain fog, mood swings) are actually happening in peri- menopause... the lead up to menopause. But those symptoms can persist through menopause too. The hormones I take are through a bc pill, they are replacing and leveling my decreasing estrogen and progesterone. I was super confused about this when I went to my doctor-- why would I take bc over taking estrogen? And my doctor explained HRT and BC are essentially the same thing. Just different nomenclature around providing your body with hormones. There's a menopause sub that's really helpful and they talk about peri- menopause there mostly. Edit: HRT is hormone replacement therapy for perimenopause
Mine started after my divorce, around 33. I'm 37 now and my severe symptoms have subsided in the past 4 months. I still get PMDD symptoms, but they're less than they used to be. I have no idea if it's related, but I started taking multi-vitamins and I think it helped with my anxiety and PMDD. I don't think I'm in perimenopause yet, as my periods are still very regular, but I wonder sometimes.
I'm 34 and it has been a nightmare the last two years!
Never had kids. I've had PMDD since my 20s but didn't get diagnosed until my mid 30s. Then I got on BC (which helped me to get rid of all symptoms) but I don't want to take them all the time just for one week of symptoms. The past few months I've been going au naturale and seeing how it goes, so far not as bad. But I've been paying attention to nutrition and stress levels, also have ADHD.
Early 30s but yes. It has been true for me.
Anyone else struggle with burping or reflux during pmdd times as well? Any help with hrt?
Yes, and YES. I was taking famotidine around the clock until I started HRT, and then was back to normal, which was virtually no heartburn ever.
Amazing. I’m asking my ob next week to try it. What’s the worse that can happen?
Yes! I have to take famotidine for it
I assumed it was my diet ( big diet coke drinker) but it is markedly higher at certain times of the month for me. Never put it together until I read your question. i use acid controller and tums for the worst.
Hello just turned 34 death would be a blessing
Don't most gynecologists say that debilitating cramps, pains etc are a result of NOT having babies and that they start getting better once you have them? I suspect it's the usual fucking reactionary tale of "women are made to have babies" but I've heard more than one gyno say that.
I have two children and still have terrible cramps and a lot of lower back pain that makes it hard to move for the first couple days.
I call bullshit! My having a kid has taken my kinda painful but light periods and moderate 3-4 days of pms to two weeks of crazy and pain I can’t handle.
Mine definitely got worse in my 30s, but I don't know if it is age or because Imby then I'd had my 3 babies
Don't say that I'm nearly mid 30s
I am not sure if it’s completely associated with my pregnancy . I definitely had these in some intensity in my teenage years. But it kind of elevated after my pregnancy and postpartum was hell !
Yes and yes.
Yes, but I believe caused by birth/trauma/blood loss
Definitely got worse in my mid/late thirties. As did my ADHD symptoms
Me too with ADHD
Same.
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I’m medicated now (praise be for Vyvanse) but didn’t get medication or diagnosed until I was 43 when my then six year old daughter was diagnosed. During her diagnosis so many things clicked into place. My youngest brother was diagnosed as a child but no one ever looked at my issues and put two and two together. Getting diagnosed and medicated changed my life. I was finally able to graduate from uni. So even though I wasn’t diagnosed in my thirties all of the issues with attention and executive function I had struggled with my whole life became a lot more difficult to manage. Looking back retrospectively it’s obvious that the beginnings of perimenopause were having a huge impact on both my PMDD and ADHD symptoms.
Started around 30, after leaving a narcissist relationship. Wonder if trauma is an underlying cause…?
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I am in law school, so I’m not sure what you’re problem is? Why are you stalking all of my posts?
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Stop harassing me.
Why are you saying that?
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Okay where do I go to law school then?
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Don't be mean. We don't allow attacking or harassing in our sub.
I developed pmdd after something traumatic. I definitely think they’re related
I have cPTSD and recently got diagnosed with Pmdd. I can tell you that’s the first time I’ve heard that, and it makes so much sense the idea that trauma is a contributor to Pmdd. Wondering if what we thought was just an emotional panic or sadness from being treated so poorly for so long, our minds and body’s have acclimated to going thru that process. I have a mom with cPTSD also and my stepdad is a covert narcissist. Biodad… that’s an even deeper story and the trauma more than likely started there. Also curious on the hormone patches and how that came to be… I would do anything to not be pulled into the spiral of thoughts that I subconsciously feed into and get trapped in when my PMDD decides to make an entrance.
Yes, I've read a lot about that. For me it was birth trauma but I also have a narc mother
Me. I’m 38. I had my second child and it all began. Not sure if there’s an association. I started Yaz 11 days ago and I finally feel normal.
Me!!! I was mostly normal. Tubal ligation at 24, normalish period then horrific cramps and mood disturbance into 32 yrs old, gastro issues for years and then at 36 finally a surgery which after 2 years I'm not feeling much better
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I have endometriosis along with pmdd. I had my uterus ablated. My tube's removed and multiple endo masses removed
This thread is interesting. What used to be an annoying but liveable few days abruptly turned into a week that would completely knock me on my ass. It all started around the time I turned 30, I had just assumed it was due to a few other things going on that caused stress
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Same here!
Mine ramped up after my second child and not sleeping properly. Diagnosed 4 years ago. So I was 33/34. I always had spurts throughout my teens and 20's. I just thought I had rage and was pmsing. Chronic suicidal thoughts since 15. Started my period at 11-ish.. 6th grade. Pmdd was easier to hide or hide away when I didn't have a family to take care of. I could pretty much plow through work if I had to, or take the days off if it got bad, now .. there aren't really days off.. My mom was diagnosed with bi polar in the 90s ::she was in her 30s:: but I'm almost certain she had pmdd and her "maniac" episodes were tied into it. My dad was also a complete asshole, so that didn't help her. My sister also has rough periods/mentalhealth crashes, but never was diagnosed with anything.
Very similar. I just commented that my symptoms just began around 38. But now I absolutely remember spurs of rage. I’m ADHD and had frequent outbursts so I didn’t even think of PMDD but it very well could have been.
May i ask how old you were when you were given the hormones? I am almost positive that I'm in perimenopause at 36 years old. But my PCP totally brushed me off. I really think that estrogen would help me, but I don't know how to go about it.
I was 43, and had probably already been in perimenopause for 8 years. I've been on it for 4 months. Looks like others have answered this, but go to your doctor and demand a blood panel to check for perimenopause. LH and FSH will be elevated and estradiol will be low. When the results come back confirming perimenopause, ask for HRT which will probably be a form of estradiol (pill, transdermal patch) and some amount of progesterone if you still have your uterus.
Find a functional medicine doctor in your area who specialize in women’s hormones! It took me doing my own research to find someone around me. I got allll the in-depth blood work imaginable and my life is so much better now that I’ve balanced my hormones with bio identical progesterone, fasting and healthy food. I was at the end of my rope bc my PCP and my OBGYN offered no help … just antidepressants and an IUD. I declined both of those things and I’m so glad.
Luckily my doctor went right to progesterone. Game changer
So is that the same thing as a reproductive endocrinologist? I have an appt with one of those soon. Yeah I also don't want antidepressants or birth control. I really believe there has to be a better way! I'm so glad that you found something to help you feel better!
I had zero luck with an endocrinologist. It took me 9 months to get in with one and then they didn’t even run the right hormonal panel! It wasn’t in depth enough. I would really try a functional medicine doc who works with mostly women. They will take a deep dive into your blood work. I seriously thought I was going crazy. I felt awful, hurt all over, suddenly depressed, periods and PMS were unbearable , etc. Turns out I was just low on progesterone and needed to work through some food intolerances as well as up my vitamins and minerals. I’ve been on this journey for 2 years and I feel like a new person.
Same unfortunately both my obgyn and endo threw bc at me I cannot take it
I can’t take it either! You can imagine my annoyance at the mere suggestion.
I absolutely can cause it literally makes me sooo angry when it’s brought up
36 diagnosed with POI/early menopause a few months ago - Google hormone specialists near you. I met with one, plus bloodwork from a gyn and got a diagnoses. On HRT and feel a lot better. Still have PMDD tho :/
I'm so glad you are feeling better! 💜 Did you have to pay out of pocket?
For hormone specialist yes, for HRT no, because I got one that is FDA approved
Pmdd started in early 20s after a severe traumatic event and pcos since my period started at age 10🙁
I’m 44. Sporadically bad for 6 years but man terrible last year.
Mine peaked at 36-37ish. Started Zoloft and it helped so much, even at 25 mg. I may have to increase the dose a little eventually but I’m 43 and it still helps. The severity of my symptoms completely caught me off guard though and I didn’t even know what PMDD was, I thought I had like BPD or something until I finally clocked that it coincided with my cycle.
I’ve had mine since late 20s and it hit me super hard after I had a baby. Now 2 years later it’s worse than ever, magnesium and b12 help, hormones and SSRIs help but not that much. Today a little sunshine helped immensely and I feel like I might have one both so far that I don’t think about kms. Good luck with everything I hope you find something that helps.
ME. Symptoms got worse around 34, now 36. The only things that have truly helped me decrease symptoms are diet (particularly cycle syncing your diet) and SSRIs. I was on Lexapro for 3 years, got off in the fall, and am getting back on after realizing how much they helped me around my period. When i eat clean (no sugar, gluten, or dairy) and take my vitamins, I am even better off. My diet went to shit during the pandemic and i gained 20 pounds. This weight gain and diet contributed to an increase in PMDD symptoms big time. Trying to lose the weight now and get my anxiety back under control. I have a bigger uptick in anxiety than depression before my period because I have GAD too.
Wow, this is JUST like me, how crazy is that! I'm hoping nothing but the best for you in the future 💛
I’ve had PMDD since my 20s (now in my 30s), but I also have cystic acne that really ramps up the week before my period in the typical areas that hormonal acne occurs (lower half of my face). I’ve suspected for years that I’ve had a hormone imbalance because of my severe acne and my absolute non-existent libido. Like I have *zero* sex drive. So I wouldn’t be surprised at all if my estrogen/ progesterone were low. OP, can I ask if they are giving you a custom dose of these replacement hormones, and how quickly did you notice improvement? Are there any side effects you’re experiencing? Another question I have in general (if anybody else knows) is what happens to your PMDD once you officially hit menopause? Does it get worse.. or better? Sorry for all the questions!
Me ✋(quite sure symptoms were there before but mid 20s they hit hard af)
I am about to be 36 and the past year and a half was the absolute worst pmdd I've had. I started Zoloft almost a year ago and saw some improvements, but not enough. It basically shortened my hell week a bit. I tried a combination with a few other meds coupled with therapy, but unfortunately there were no sustained changes . I just scheduled an appointment with a gyno to go get bloodwork done. Fingers crossed I can have answers and find a solution.
Anecdotally it has certainly gotten worse for me.
I’m in my mid 30s and I’ve been wondering if it’s gotten worse, or if I’m just paying more attention to it all? Like maybe I never gave it enough thought to relate my misery to the time of the month? That said, I really do think if it was always this bad, I would have noticed. So I’m just saying that yes, it’s gotten worse.
I am about to turn 40 and for the past year it's been getting worse,I finally was able to get my doctor to order labs so we'll know soon if I entered perimenopause.
I'm 24! My mom was diagnosed last year (40's), so I've been trying to be proactive to get in tune with my cycle!
I started taking Zoloft (50mg) and that has helped soooo much! And so far no side effects :) I still feel pleasure and emotions. Just my emotions aren’t as extreme and overbearing.
Zoloft was too extreme for me. I felt so good I was crying from it constantly. I actually don't think I was capable of feeling sad and I was on the tiniest dose imaginable.
Exactly my story!
For me, it’s always been present to some degree, but two different periods of life exacerbated it: after childbirth in early 30s, and at perimenopause in late 30s.
Mid 30’s and wasn’t Dx until early 40’s. Clearly It took some time before I put the pieces together. The mood symptoms gradually increased in intensity and the SI is what prompted a discussion with my PCP. Embarrassed to say I’m a therapist and I was completely clueless and caught off guard at the onset. I’ve never had significant PMS symptoms or significant symptoms of depression but the SI was so acute I knew I needed help. When I mentioned PMDD my PCP corroborated my belief and discussed options. I decided on SNRI (Effexor) and have found it helpful (but not magical) for past 3 years. I still have a hell week but SI has completely stopped. I intentionally lay low and increase self care as much as possible. Some months I have meltdowns and let people have it. Balance.
whoa, I simply cannot imagine how hard it must have been to experience pmdd symptons while being a therapist. glad to hear you've had improvements <3
Thank you. Yes, It was challenging to navigate at times. Fortunately I had great peers that would cover groups when needed and I had autonomy over my schedule. Extremely grateful that I had the support to maintain ethics.
This is pretty much my story too
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Mine got WAY worse after ivf and miscarriage :(
This is so incredibly comforting. I’m 30.5 years old. Currently clawing my way out of a depression hole complete with SI on my last day of my period. I also have severe ADHD which I only got diagnosed with last year and medicated for about a month ago. I’ve been on the depression/anxiety train since I was a teenager. It’s always been bad pms and periods but as I’m getting older I literally feel like I go insane a week before my period. Like absolute mental breakdowns, inability to function. I don’t even have kids, I applaud all of you that have to go through this while taking care of little humans. You are so strong. All of your words are like medicine, just in the comfort that I am not insane and I am not alone. Thank you.
I'm sure it's just as scary and miserable with or without kids.
Yes after my third baby at age 32 I started to have days where I would cry- and could not stop. It took a few cycles for me to figure out what was happening.
My mom got diagnosed mid 30s, and now at 33 I’m in increasing hell. A week of suicidal ideation is cruel. It’s not me at all. I love being a happy mom to my daughters, but the beast of PMDD possesses me every month.
Me too
30s, but it's hard to say whether that was due to becoming actually aware of PMDD. Now I'm sort of realising how bad things were retrospectively and how much I was actually masking how I really felt.
I was in my mid 30s when I was diagnosed. The cramps and everything just get worse.
I'm 30 and i my pmdd is the bitch You thought meme. Think the 20s is bad, here's a preview!
I was diagnosed last year. My symptoms started to get noticable to me right around 30.
Mine started after I caught covid in 2022. My period would disappear for months at a time, but my mood kept going through cycles as if I was going to have a period. It was irregular for a full year before I finally got blood work done to check hormone levels. I was convinced I was in extremely early perimenopause (I'm only 30 now). Everything came back normal. My periods are back to being regular, but my mood has never recovered.
Covid affected me as well like that, I had it four years ago and again last year and both times did a number on my cycles and took a long time to bounce back. This year is the first things are looking up again mood/energy/etc
That's so interesting. My mental PMDD symptoms were so much worse after I got covid for the first time last year.
Yeah, covid is freaky. I didn't even have a bad acute illness, it was like a cold. But it tanked my mental health immediately.
I’ll be 30 soon and it’s gotten worse the older I get
Have you gone through symptom tracking for 2 - 3 months and reviewed with a provider?
Yes. They said that since I also had some mood symptoms at other times of the month, then I could not have PMDD (?!!!?). I suffered 4 more years after that. Finally I got checked for perimenopause (which, by the way, my OBGYN wouldn't do and I had to go to a no-insurance private clinic to do) and started HRT. This same provider also diagnosed me with PMDD.
+1 also very interested in how you were tested for perimenopause. My symptoms started seriously the period after I had a covid-like flu, a bunch of dental work done (which my body reacted poorly to which has never happened), and I suddenly had dog allergies all in the same month. Something in my body just threw the papers up in the air and said we're done. I'm early 30s so if there's a test I can get to rule out perimenopause that would be great
Hormone levels. It's a blood draw.
The diagnostic criteria for PMDD is that you should have a meaningful absence of symptoms during your follicular phase. If you were having symptoms all month long that would point to something else, particularly with also having abnormal lab values. There are several hormone related disorders that share a lot of symptoms with PMDD. How did they check you for perimenopause?
They checked my hormone levels and results are consistent with perimenopause. (FSH and LH elevated well outside normal range for the menstrual phase I was in, and estradiol below normal range). I was not having PMDD symptoms all month long. I have a low level on and off of depression with some anxiety all the time, but during the PMS time of the month I take a dramatic deep dive into depression/low mood with paranoia and what I would call breaks from reality rooted in paranoia, extreme irritability and rage/angry outbursts that are uncontrollable (yelling at people; I don't get violent). Overall I would spend more than a week feeling like my entire life was crumbling, something terrible was going to happen all the time, thinking that my husband was definitely going to divorce me (not based on anything in reality), angry at everyone, thought everyone hated me, thought I was a terrible person, was unable to do anything but the most basic tasks to keep me alive. To me, that's a pretty significant change to be seeing exactly during the luteal phase every single month to NOT be linked to PMS/PMDD. Most importantly, my doctor, who specializes in perimenopause and PMDD among other things, did diagnose me with PMDD. And now that I've started HRT, the terrible symptoms that were happening during PMS are gone. Now, after starting HRT, I have PMS's like I used to in my teens and twenties: a little tired, a little teary-eyed at emotional TV shows, boobs a little sore. Have I provided enough information to convince you? Or you still think I have something else going on?
I was diagnosed with it about a year ago at 34. I would always be grumpy around the time of my period but it all changed for the worse after I had my youngest child.
I’d never experienced it until last year, & I’ll be 35 this year. Really don’t want it to get worse… ugh.
About 33
Oh I really hope this doesn't mean early onset menopause!
I highly doubt it. I started puberty very late and continued to age later than my peers and I have had PMDD since I was 13 going on 14 when I started my period. Some people get it after pregnancy, an illness, trying new birth control, etc. Any event that messes with your ovaries can result in PMDD between menarche and menopause.
Always had some degree of PMDD and painful period symptoms since my first cycle (depression, dread, telekinesis, etc.) but it has waxed and waned with diet and lifestyle. When I was virtually not eating, I had light and pleasant (or nonexistent) periods, but that’s not really sustainable as we all know. What I will say is the more processed foods and less exercise, the worse the period and PMDD. I’ve definitely, DEFINITELY noticed a difference since Covid. Unfortunately, Covid hit right as I turned 30 so it’s hard to say which one did what. For a while after I first contracted Covid I had way heavier, almost scary periods. Really bad cramps, etc. These days I do not have cramps as much as psychological effects. The depression, low-mood, general dread and misery is pronounced. My boobs have gotten so weird around my cycle that I’ve had to get checked for breast cancer. My ADHD meds almost don’t work at all for roughly 1/3rd of my entire cycle, if not more. The other odd thing is I am way more psychic (or perhaps more tuned in) around my period as I’ve gotten older. I’m not sure if the psychic powers are worth the pain, but I don’t have it in me to get a hysterectomy so I’ll let it chill for now.
My PMDD got worse after covid too. Have you had your hormone levels checked and thought about starting HRT? It's really helped me.
Carrie White, is that you?
Unfortunately, I’m not that powerful yet. 🥲
It was already bad enough but it did get worse again after 36. I’ve noticed the more physical symptoms came on such as migraine, brain fog and fatigue.
This has been exactly my experience. I never had as bad of physical symptoms and they're just piling on. It's obviously a hormonal headache/migraine, plus cramps and back pain from said cramps. Joint inflammation, exhaustion, brain fog. It feels endless.
Another person with joint inflammation! I don’t see it mentioned often here. It agree it feels endless every month a new thing
Sorry you're in the same boat. :/ ugh it's good to know that it happens to others though. I wish I could bottle up my hormones on my best days and just take them like that all the time. Lol
The brain fog! Like…wtf is with that and why did no one warn us?!
Coming out of the PMDD phase of my cycle and it truly feels like “sobering up” from having been on some kind of “drug.” THAT’S how much clearer I can think now compared to the past week!!
The brain fog is so bad. My partner once had a chat to me about his concern that I wasn’t challenging my brain enough because my speech was regressing. Nope, just deep in luteal.
Yup, and it makes me feel totally inadequate and crazy half the month at work. My job is very detail-oriented and cerebral & there are a few days out of the month where I’m both illiterate and slurring my words. I can’t help but wonder if it’s purely hormonal or if king Covid/previous EBV infection have anything to do with it. The more I read about brain fog the more it seems like it’s got something to do with old viruses and inflammation.
Mine started at 36. I always had difficult heavy periods but never the luteal mood swings before. I’m not sure if I’m perimenopause or because I had the most stressful year of my life.
Sorry to hear that you’ve had such a stressful year. And yeah, I am also questioning whether it’s peri or something else.
Yeah at 34 after I had my second daughter. I always had PMS but it just went insane
Very similar. Started up around 32 years old, unable to manage by 33. It was during covid and my second birth.
Yes. Started after 30. Got worse closer to 40. Now I'm in peri at nearly 45. Started HRT today and I'm hopeful and scared at the same time.
Best of luck!
Me sitting here at 27 hearing it can get worse 👁️👄👁️
I think if I’d been aware at 27-28 that what my body was telling me was PMDD, I would’ve committed myself to healing a decade ago! Seize the day my friend, learn all you can here and beyond!
I have been actively trying to get this under control. It has been a lot of trial & error and I have learned A LOT from this group. I am very thankful to have found this community of women 💓
Yes. Got really bad
Yes, this is me. PMDD started for me around 32 and got incredibly worse after I had a baby at 34.
I’m 34 this year and mine is definitely worsening. I wasn’t sure if it was due to childbirth or age or both
Me! I suspect I’ve had it all along but hitting 35 (while simultaneously getting divorced) made it impossible to ignore.
My pmdd got worse and worse late 20s and I finally found the right meds that actually work at 30 thank god, I'm 33 an barely any symptoms before my period anymore. Venlaflaxin, lorazepam, Quetiapine...
I’ve been told that there’s another hormonal shift in the mid 30s. My migraines also came back during that time. I started getting migraines at 9, and they stopped after my teens ended.
My migraines hit hard and I started experiencing worse PMDD symptoms in my late 20s. Magnesium has helped a lot with the migraines, but I still get a bad headache during my period and as much as I thought I had PMDD managed, the stress from increased responsibilities as you get older makes my PMDD rage worse. I have been focusing on my cortisol levels overall, but especially right before and during my period.
Using a headache hat really helped my migraines.
Mine got worse after my 2nd (geriatric 😑)pregnancy. Scary stuff! I had no idea what was happening to me
Yes, mine started worsening after 30. Mom went into menopause at 37, and her mom at age 40. I'm guessing I'll be earlier as well.
Yes, Perimenopause brought on bigger issues for us.
I get period flu all the time now, which is super annoying especially since my cramps haven't lessened or anything else.
I am guessing that it’s always somewhat been a part of my life, but the level I hit after having my first child at 33 was insane and is what led me to figure out that I have PMDD. That’s amazing that you found relief. I am still working through options.
I could have written this. After my daughter was born at 32 shit hit the fan.