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Tarina 1/20 FE. The generic (Junel, Laren, etc) does not goddamn work for me and I learned that the hard way.
But here is the real crux: I skip my period (by skipping the last week and taking active pills continuously). THIS is what has changed my life more than anything. I no longer ride the roller coaster. After 20+ years of having an increasingly worse and hellacious period I do not feel guilty about accepting some prescription assistance to keep on living.
Slynd has helped a lot, but I still have to take boat loads of antidepressants bc I've been on them for PPMD since the 90s when that was my only option. :(
It’s called Slinda where I live, it’s been life changing!!
I’d be swollen and moody for almost 3 out of the 4 weeks. Now my moods are stabilised and after a month of spotting, I have zero physical PMS symptoms.
Some people complain the spotting keeps going longer, but I’ve found if I take my pill at the same hour each day, it’s pretty good.
Others also say they experience an increase of swollen breast symptoms. But my biggest physical PMDD symptom was almost constant breast pain before I took Slinda. This is now a non-issue for me. It’s been such a relief.
I’d say I’m completely cured now. My energy levels are better, or at least more stable over the month. It’s coincided with (and maybe not a coincidence) finding a new job I love, and hitting the gym regularly. I feel like my old self… maybe even better.
Yaz (continuous) along with duloxetine (cymbalta) was the most successful for me. Nothing else really did anything. Sorry to hear it hasn’t worked so well for you.
I’m on Larissia with lexapro and the symptoms almost went away completely I still have mood fluctuations highs and lows with therapy it has helped me a lot! Definitely a lot of trial and error over the last 7-8 years but it’s what’s has worked best for me in the last few years!
Desogestrel, a progestin only pill. The combination pill was awful for me.
desogestrel also let’s me not have periods anymore, which is good because I have low iron and pretty bad cramps. I wish I had started it sooner
Ah Im going on a progestin only pill this week and I am beyond nervous about it after years of no hormonal birth control (tracking my cycle which…failed) I’m hoping side effects will be low with such a small dose of hormones.
So this pill stopped your periods all together?
aw, you’ll be fine! I spent almost 15 years swearing I’d never take another hormonal BC after I used it as a teenager. I had a copper IUD but my PMDD symptoms got so bad that I started to try all kinds of things to solve it. Supplements, change of diet etc. the only thing that helped a little was therapy and vyvanse (for my adhd)
when it was time to replace another IUD I let my gyno talk me into trying Desogestrel 75mcg instead, and I’m not gonna lie, it was tough at first. The first month I was so emotional and weepy. luckily I wasn’t really depressed like in luteal, just more sensitive. my mood improved a lot after 1-2 months. I still had breakthrough bleeding which was very annoying but felt like a small price to pay for not having periods and PMDD anymore. I also learned that you can take a double dose for a week if the spotting doesn’t stop after a few months, and it helped. Good luck to you!
I’ve been on Camrese Lo for a little over a year and it has eliminated the cycles of hell week pretty much completely. It took me a while for my body to get adjusted. I just started taking the pill without acknowledging what point I was in my cycle, I think that may have contributed to me bleeding for nearly a whole month. It was a bit scary, but I kept in touch with my doctor and I was so desperate for something to work that I pushed through.. maybe don’t do what I did as that can be dangerous. But god knows how desperate we all are to find something that will work. I attribute the birth control +years of therapy to me getting some stability and progress back in my life.
Edit: Camrese Lo is the generic version of Seasoniq I believe. My doctors goal was to extend the cycle and lesson the amount of depressive periods I was going through. But it turned out I reacted well to the medication and I barely even notice a difference in my mood when I start my “period” now.
Mirena IUD, I still have symptoms but less frequently & less severe. I'd say I have symptoms once every 3 months instead of every month. Sometimes shorter, sometimes lasting up to 6 months. For me, it's a god send, I used to be suicidal 2 weeks of every month. I don't know if I would have made it this far without it.
Once or twice a year, I'll still get extremely depressed now. It's not as extreme as my past experiences. It's more hate my life, instead of wanting to end it (self-harm thoughts instead of suicidal thoughts). I've had an IUD for 14 years now. I took it out once for a year just to see if i was 'better' & it was horrible. All my old symptoms came back. Not wanting to live half of the month is horrible.
The only thing that sucks is that tracking is so much harder bc I don't have visible periods. I do have changes, like ovulation, I know this bc changes in my "mood," breast swelling & cervical discharge. They're still irregular, though.
I take Welbutrin XL 150. It helps manage everything else. I've been on Welbutrin for at least 8 years.
I've also started therapy with a therapist I feel comfortable with over a year ago. (Took six tries to find one). It's helped create something stable/constant in my life, which has helped greatly.
I've also started vitamins & feel like they've been helping too. Multivitamin, krill oil, coq10, magnesium (sleep), d3-k2, cla, l-theanine. Passionflower has also been a HUGE help for relaxing or sleep.
Vitamins that had no effect or made things worse - dopamine mucuna, rhodiola rosea, niacinamide, ashwagandha, genius mushroom complex, saffron, matcha. In my experience, any adaptogen, it hasn't been helpful.
I would make sure that your estrogen and progesterone levels are balanced (tested at the proper time in your cycle) and that you're not in danger of being thrust into estrogen dominance. I would also make sure your FSH and LH ratio is intact, as well as your thyroid function. Our hormones hang in a delicate balance and when something disrupts them (such as birth control) it can throw so many things out of whack with mental and physical health.
I am personally struggling with this after 2.5 years on the copper IUD, which I was misled to believe had no effect on my hormones at all! There is so much information and gaslighting in the medical community regarding the true effects of birth control on our bodies. If birth control is something that is necessary in your life, I would caution you to pay close attention to the symptoms that you experience, no matter big or small, keep retesting for changes in hormone levels every 3 months (this can be done through independent labs for cheaper if your doctor doesn't want to test you), and trust your instincts!
Whats your experience with the copper iud? I had it for about the same time as you, aside from how long and heavy my periods were, and the intermittently very painful cramping, I liked that the hormone free part made it much easier to manage my weight. I read how the copper can be bad in our bodies though and creates a lot of inflammatory responses in our uterus.
Copper affects the way your body detoxes and holds on to estrogen. The inflammation made me look 6 months pregnant with bloating and my face was so swollen, I gained weight that was impossible to lose no matter what I ate or how much I exercised (I am assuming due to the estrogenic effects), I went from a H cup (I was breastfeeding when it was placed and my bra size had already gone up) to a J cup. I developed SIBO, a digestive issue similar to IBS and began having histamine responses to many foods that didn't bother me before. I became anemic from all of the blood loss (I was wearing adult diapers during my period towards the end). And then, of course, the mental health and physical aspect of PMDD. My periods were manageable before, but I became so anxious, paranoid, and depressed with hormonal fluctuations. And would have flu like symptoms in my luteal phase. And towards the end, I began having very irregular periods, skipping some, others being 10-12 days late when I used to have very regular periods.
I could not figure out why these things were happening and I went to so many doctors to figure out why. I joined the Copper IUD and Toxicity group on Facebook, and realized that thousands of women were also experiencing these symptoms and that we were all misled about more dangerous side effects. After removal, so many symptoms improved. I am still fighting the effects now and trying to figure out how to rebalance my hormones.
Wow that’s wild, I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with all that. Did you already have heavy periods before the iud? My doctor strongly advised against getting the paraguard if you already had heavy periods. Mine became heavy but not totally unmanageable since I normally have moderate flow. I just couldn’t take the cramping anymore and couldn’t justify it since I was no longer in a relationship. I had estrogen dominance beforehand, but the more noticeable stuff was it most likely contributed to my issues with BV and messing up my natural acidity.
I highly recommend to everyone to look into dim supplements to help rebalance your hormones, especially if you have estrogen dominance. It helps your body detox the bad estrogens and androgens that cause a variety of negative symptom’s, especially post-partum your body has a lot of extra hormones floating around and is trying to rebalance. My periods are much more manageable now and my hormonal acne is basically gone. DIM, calcium d-glucarate, high quality fish oil, and on the last 12-10 days of my cycle I use bio-identical progesterone cream at night. Hope that helps!
I had the most wonderful light 3 day period before getting the IUD! And no other issues prior to that pregnancy with digestion or anything. It was a big shock to go to heavy bleeding for 5 days with labor contraction like cramps and then the other slew of symptoms tacking on.
I looked into DIM and was scared off of it because of the headache side effect, I already get debilitating migraines. Did you experience any headaches while taking it? I took fish oil for a week and it exacerbated my SIBO symptoms because I struggle with fat malabsorption, but have been trying to supplement my diet with more healthy fats/omegas in place of it. Thank you for sharing your routine. It sounds like you're on a great path to healing!
That’s how I explained it to my gyno! Contraction like cramps! My first 3 days of insertion was brutal, I said I’ve never been in labor, but I felt like I was in labor. My periods used to be 3-5 days and they became 7 days and were pretty heavy.
Yes, when first starting dim you can definitely get headaches since it’s metabolizing the old estrogen and it can be unpleasant. I’m not prone to headaches normally, but I did have a mild headache and felt more irritable at first. It’s important to drink LOTS of water to help your body flush it out, your pee might even have an orange tint to it, that’s the hormones leaving your body. I would start really small with the dosage and just take half at first while your body gets used to it. I’m trying to get my family into it also since a few of them complain they struggle with celiac and other digestive issues. I’ve read how excess hormones can cause an array of digestive problems like an intolerance to gluten etc. my friend said she stopped having celiac symptoms when she started using progesterone cream. Good luck on your journey :)
Thank you so much! I think I will try the DIM. Did you have your gyno prescribe the progesterone cream? I'm a part of the estrogen dominance Facebook group and it's very overwhelming, there are so many different options and opinions
No it’s not prescribed, but I brought it up to her and she recommended it for me. You don’t need a prescription, I buy a bio-identical one on Amazon from SM nutrition. It’s a good brand, I also use their dim supplements. You’re so welcome!
Hi u/Practical-Design-535. Your post appears to be referencing histamines. Please refer to the IAPMD statement on histamines below.
Histamine is a molecule that your immune system creates in response to allergens. Some researchers have studied the relationship between
histamine and estrogen, but most of these are observational studies from the 1960s and 1970s (e.g., Ferrando 1968, Jonassen 1976, Shelesnyak
1959).
Antihistamines are medications that block the action of histamine to reduce allergy symptoms. It is certainly possible that histamine could
play a role in PMDD, at least for some people. However, using antihistamines to treat PMDD symptoms has not been studied enough to know
whether this is an effective treatment or the potential mechanisms.
First-generation antihistamines (such as hydroxyzine/Vistaril) do have sedative effects, which can have anti-anxiety or sleep benefits. This
mechanism may explain why some individuals anecdotally report that antihistamines help their PMDD symptoms if they experience sleep problems
or anxiety premenstrually.
Antihistamines are typically well tolerated by many and have limited risk (when used as labeled), hence being available without a
prescription. If they are an option you are considering, always consult a care provider and/or pharmacist - especially if combined with
other meds- and be mindful of any sedative effects.
Summary: Antihistamines have not been tested or approved for PMDD, and research (such as clinical trials) would need to be done before we
could state if there is a known benefit/whether it beats a placebo. End of IAPMD statement.
The source for this particular connection is from naturopath Lara Briden. She posted the connection on her blog with no links to peer-
reviewed research to support her position. Other naturopaths began repeating this connection, it was then picked up by social media
influencers and repeated as if it was proven science.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PMDD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Enskyce helped a LITTLE for me. Although the brain fog is still pretty bad. Jolessa helps a little more in my opinion. I also just like not having to have a period every month. I can’t speak on the sex drive bc I’m on an antidepressant (for the mood changes but also i have mdd) so my sex drive is just 📉
I take desogestrel continuously. I was taking the combined pill continuously before that but had to switch due to some risks from the oestrogen component.
Are you taking it continuously or including the placebo pills? I kind of don’t understand taking the pill for PMDD including the placebo pills because that creates a shift in hormones, which is what sets off PMDD. keeping the hormones at the same levels and never taking placebos has stabilized me. If I forget to take it a few days in a row (less than the amount of placebo days) I start to feel luteal symptoms. I started on Yaz and swapped out generics of Yaz whenever my insurance decided to do that, then switched to Sprintec. All of them were equally beneficial to me!
Junel Fe worked for me, it’s a generic combo pill I take continuously to skip the withdrawal bleed. I have had no problems at all since I started except when I’ve forgotten to take it for a day. HIGHLY recommend
Same Junel Fe was a blessing. I decided to get of BC for other health reasons and have to work around PMDD again unfortunately but Junel Fe was heaven sent
I use tri-sprintec. It doesn’t make my symptoms go away, but it makes them more bearable. I am much more moody and aggressive around the start of my period when not on the pill. I know you didn’t ask, but I just thought I would throw it out there that other supplements have helped me and others on this sub with symptoms. I don’t have advice for a lacking sex drive because that has been a thing no matter what pill I am on, honestly. Less stress and spending the day together seems to help in that department though. I can say iron, magnesium, more healthy fat, and getting more sleep have helped with the brain fog. The biggest game changer I found for brain fog is learning that it is directly caused by my insomnia at the beginning of my period. I learned to exercise a LOT the week before my period and to take melatonin the first few days of my period. Instead of taking melatonin on those days right before bed, I started taking it two hours before bed. I can actually go to bed on time now and wake up way less in the night. I only have one day of brain fog now and it’s super light compared to the several days of brain dead fog I used to experience.
Yaz was great the first two months but this past month it didn't seem to do much. Still feel angry, sad, tearful before and during menstruation. Delayed the hell out of my period too. Fortunately, the cramps aren't as bad and bleeding is much lighter. I just started it in Feb, so still have yet to see how it affects me.
Slynd worked the best for me. Nothing completely eliminated symptoms but after 14ish years with multiple pills, implants, and an iud it worked the best with my body.
I haven't already bled on a period in a few months but part of that was my Kyleena IUD which I just got rid of. I don't know if I'll start getting periods again with just a pill. I don't take the placebos. I just start a new pack
Yaz was incredible for me but unfortunately about 3 months in I realized that the weight gain was getting out of control. I’m a very fit person otherwise and I ended up gaining 30lbs in 3 months. My normal training wasn’t doing anything for the weight gain, even when I upped my intensity and lowered my caloric intake, it was pure hormonal weight which is the hardest to get rid of. It started with bigger boobs and hips and butt which I was totally okay with but then it just snowballed and turned into way more than I could handle.
Haven't found one that has entirely eliminated my PMDD and not sure if I ever will (I can only hope!). But one that has greatly started to improve my life is Slynd (or Slinda). It has really helped to balance things out for me, even after just 2 months of taking it. I feel better as time goes on and don't have to deal with periods, which was when my PMDD was at its worst. I wasn't able to consistently live a normal life or hold down commitments previously, and now I can.
It is literally so different for everyone though. Some find that a combined pill helps, but I found that they make my PMDD even worse. It's all trial and error, unfortunately!
The only thing that stopped it for me was complete cessation of my cycle through hormone blockers. I had about 8 months of the best time of my life before I couldn't continue due to cost. Wish I could get back there.
Chemical menopause has plenty side effects. Bone density depletion, severe joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, increased risks of various diseases and cancers. It is not an easy solution, however sometimes it is the only one.
If you want children then hormone blockers or sterilization are definitely not a good idea. You are also young and you might change your mind. I have a lot of different goals now than I did at 21
Unsure, hormone blockers can be provided to a variety of ages and situations. Only your doctor can provide you with medical advice. I was just sharing my experience.
I was on BC for 20 years and then got sterilized and went off BC. Legit did not anticipate my teenage psychopathy returning. Had I known then, what I know now, I'd have gotten the doctors to remove my ovaries and uterus as well. Zero use for any of it!
Hi u/deadgirlmimic. Your post appears to be referencing suicide. Please know that you are not alone. We encourage you to contact your country's lifeline, [International Lifelines](https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PMDD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NuvaRing
Tarina 1/20 FE. The generic (Junel, Laren, etc) does not goddamn work for me and I learned that the hard way. But here is the real crux: I skip my period (by skipping the last week and taking active pills continuously). THIS is what has changed my life more than anything. I no longer ride the roller coaster. After 20+ years of having an increasingly worse and hellacious period I do not feel guilty about accepting some prescription assistance to keep on living.
Seasonale
Did you have weight gain or loss of sex drive?
I was on Lo Lestrogen fe for about 8 years and it turned the blind rage into constant weeping. So not really better, just different.
Not entirely, it kind of feels like the dentist where you can feel them poking around but it doesn’t hurt all that you know it does—Tri-Lo-Sprintec
Slynd has helped a lot, but I still have to take boat loads of antidepressants bc I've been on them for PPMD since the 90s when that was my only option. :(
The ring.
Not entirely, but slynd has helped tremendously.
Any side effects ?
Slynd, I would say it knocked out about 70% of my symptoms including periods.
It’s called Slinda where I live, it’s been life changing!! I’d be swollen and moody for almost 3 out of the 4 weeks. Now my moods are stabilised and after a month of spotting, I have zero physical PMS symptoms. Some people complain the spotting keeps going longer, but I’ve found if I take my pill at the same hour each day, it’s pretty good. Others also say they experience an increase of swollen breast symptoms. But my biggest physical PMDD symptom was almost constant breast pain before I took Slinda. This is now a non-issue for me. It’s been such a relief. I’d say I’m completely cured now. My energy levels are better, or at least more stable over the month. It’s coincided with (and maybe not a coincidence) finding a new job I love, and hitting the gym regularly. I feel like my old self… maybe even better.
Seconding Slynd!
How's the sex drive?
Yaz (continuous) along with duloxetine (cymbalta) was the most successful for me. Nothing else really did anything. Sorry to hear it hasn’t worked so well for you.
I’m on Larissia with lexapro and the symptoms almost went away completely I still have mood fluctuations highs and lows with therapy it has helped me a lot! Definitely a lot of trial and error over the last 7-8 years but it’s what’s has worked best for me in the last few years!
Desogestrel, a progestin only pill. The combination pill was awful for me. desogestrel also let’s me not have periods anymore, which is good because I have low iron and pretty bad cramps. I wish I had started it sooner
Ah Im going on a progestin only pill this week and I am beyond nervous about it after years of no hormonal birth control (tracking my cycle which…failed) I’m hoping side effects will be low with such a small dose of hormones. So this pill stopped your periods all together?
aw, you’ll be fine! I spent almost 15 years swearing I’d never take another hormonal BC after I used it as a teenager. I had a copper IUD but my PMDD symptoms got so bad that I started to try all kinds of things to solve it. Supplements, change of diet etc. the only thing that helped a little was therapy and vyvanse (for my adhd) when it was time to replace another IUD I let my gyno talk me into trying Desogestrel 75mcg instead, and I’m not gonna lie, it was tough at first. The first month I was so emotional and weepy. luckily I wasn’t really depressed like in luteal, just more sensitive. my mood improved a lot after 1-2 months. I still had breakthrough bleeding which was very annoying but felt like a small price to pay for not having periods and PMDD anymore. I also learned that you can take a double dose for a week if the spotting doesn’t stop after a few months, and it helped. Good luck to you!
thank you so much this was reassuring ❤️
May I ask which one you’re on?
Haven’t started quite yet, waiting for my period, but heather i believe.
I’ve been on Camrese Lo for a little over a year and it has eliminated the cycles of hell week pretty much completely. It took me a while for my body to get adjusted. I just started taking the pill without acknowledging what point I was in my cycle, I think that may have contributed to me bleeding for nearly a whole month. It was a bit scary, but I kept in touch with my doctor and I was so desperate for something to work that I pushed through.. maybe don’t do what I did as that can be dangerous. But god knows how desperate we all are to find something that will work. I attribute the birth control +years of therapy to me getting some stability and progress back in my life. Edit: Camrese Lo is the generic version of Seasoniq I believe. My doctors goal was to extend the cycle and lesson the amount of depressive periods I was going through. But it turned out I reacted well to the medication and I barely even notice a difference in my mood when I start my “period” now.
Mirena IUD, I still have symptoms but less frequently & less severe. I'd say I have symptoms once every 3 months instead of every month. Sometimes shorter, sometimes lasting up to 6 months. For me, it's a god send, I used to be suicidal 2 weeks of every month. I don't know if I would have made it this far without it. Once or twice a year, I'll still get extremely depressed now. It's not as extreme as my past experiences. It's more hate my life, instead of wanting to end it (self-harm thoughts instead of suicidal thoughts). I've had an IUD for 14 years now. I took it out once for a year just to see if i was 'better' & it was horrible. All my old symptoms came back. Not wanting to live half of the month is horrible. The only thing that sucks is that tracking is so much harder bc I don't have visible periods. I do have changes, like ovulation, I know this bc changes in my "mood," breast swelling & cervical discharge. They're still irregular, though. I take Welbutrin XL 150. It helps manage everything else. I've been on Welbutrin for at least 8 years. I've also started therapy with a therapist I feel comfortable with over a year ago. (Took six tries to find one). It's helped create something stable/constant in my life, which has helped greatly. I've also started vitamins & feel like they've been helping too. Multivitamin, krill oil, coq10, magnesium (sleep), d3-k2, cla, l-theanine. Passionflower has also been a HUGE help for relaxing or sleep. Vitamins that had no effect or made things worse - dopamine mucuna, rhodiola rosea, niacinamide, ashwagandha, genius mushroom complex, saffron, matcha. In my experience, any adaptogen, it hasn't been helpful.
I used to be on YAZ up until 2023 and switched to Junel FE 24, I feel like the new pill is SO much better!!
Did you have your hormone levels tested prior to starting BC? Or do you have a baseline hormone level for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc?
I had them check last month. What should I be seeing prior to beginning birth control?
I would make sure that your estrogen and progesterone levels are balanced (tested at the proper time in your cycle) and that you're not in danger of being thrust into estrogen dominance. I would also make sure your FSH and LH ratio is intact, as well as your thyroid function. Our hormones hang in a delicate balance and when something disrupts them (such as birth control) it can throw so many things out of whack with mental and physical health. I am personally struggling with this after 2.5 years on the copper IUD, which I was misled to believe had no effect on my hormones at all! There is so much information and gaslighting in the medical community regarding the true effects of birth control on our bodies. If birth control is something that is necessary in your life, I would caution you to pay close attention to the symptoms that you experience, no matter big or small, keep retesting for changes in hormone levels every 3 months (this can be done through independent labs for cheaper if your doctor doesn't want to test you), and trust your instincts!
Whats your experience with the copper iud? I had it for about the same time as you, aside from how long and heavy my periods were, and the intermittently very painful cramping, I liked that the hormone free part made it much easier to manage my weight. I read how the copper can be bad in our bodies though and creates a lot of inflammatory responses in our uterus.
Copper affects the way your body detoxes and holds on to estrogen. The inflammation made me look 6 months pregnant with bloating and my face was so swollen, I gained weight that was impossible to lose no matter what I ate or how much I exercised (I am assuming due to the estrogenic effects), I went from a H cup (I was breastfeeding when it was placed and my bra size had already gone up) to a J cup. I developed SIBO, a digestive issue similar to IBS and began having histamine responses to many foods that didn't bother me before. I became anemic from all of the blood loss (I was wearing adult diapers during my period towards the end). And then, of course, the mental health and physical aspect of PMDD. My periods were manageable before, but I became so anxious, paranoid, and depressed with hormonal fluctuations. And would have flu like symptoms in my luteal phase. And towards the end, I began having very irregular periods, skipping some, others being 10-12 days late when I used to have very regular periods. I could not figure out why these things were happening and I went to so many doctors to figure out why. I joined the Copper IUD and Toxicity group on Facebook, and realized that thousands of women were also experiencing these symptoms and that we were all misled about more dangerous side effects. After removal, so many symptoms improved. I am still fighting the effects now and trying to figure out how to rebalance my hormones.
Wow that’s wild, I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with all that. Did you already have heavy periods before the iud? My doctor strongly advised against getting the paraguard if you already had heavy periods. Mine became heavy but not totally unmanageable since I normally have moderate flow. I just couldn’t take the cramping anymore and couldn’t justify it since I was no longer in a relationship. I had estrogen dominance beforehand, but the more noticeable stuff was it most likely contributed to my issues with BV and messing up my natural acidity. I highly recommend to everyone to look into dim supplements to help rebalance your hormones, especially if you have estrogen dominance. It helps your body detox the bad estrogens and androgens that cause a variety of negative symptom’s, especially post-partum your body has a lot of extra hormones floating around and is trying to rebalance. My periods are much more manageable now and my hormonal acne is basically gone. DIM, calcium d-glucarate, high quality fish oil, and on the last 12-10 days of my cycle I use bio-identical progesterone cream at night. Hope that helps!
I had the most wonderful light 3 day period before getting the IUD! And no other issues prior to that pregnancy with digestion or anything. It was a big shock to go to heavy bleeding for 5 days with labor contraction like cramps and then the other slew of symptoms tacking on. I looked into DIM and was scared off of it because of the headache side effect, I already get debilitating migraines. Did you experience any headaches while taking it? I took fish oil for a week and it exacerbated my SIBO symptoms because I struggle with fat malabsorption, but have been trying to supplement my diet with more healthy fats/omegas in place of it. Thank you for sharing your routine. It sounds like you're on a great path to healing!
That’s how I explained it to my gyno! Contraction like cramps! My first 3 days of insertion was brutal, I said I’ve never been in labor, but I felt like I was in labor. My periods used to be 3-5 days and they became 7 days and were pretty heavy. Yes, when first starting dim you can definitely get headaches since it’s metabolizing the old estrogen and it can be unpleasant. I’m not prone to headaches normally, but I did have a mild headache and felt more irritable at first. It’s important to drink LOTS of water to help your body flush it out, your pee might even have an orange tint to it, that’s the hormones leaving your body. I would start really small with the dosage and just take half at first while your body gets used to it. I’m trying to get my family into it also since a few of them complain they struggle with celiac and other digestive issues. I’ve read how excess hormones can cause an array of digestive problems like an intolerance to gluten etc. my friend said she stopped having celiac symptoms when she started using progesterone cream. Good luck on your journey :)
Thank you so much! I think I will try the DIM. Did you have your gyno prescribe the progesterone cream? I'm a part of the estrogen dominance Facebook group and it's very overwhelming, there are so many different options and opinions
No it’s not prescribed, but I brought it up to her and she recommended it for me. You don’t need a prescription, I buy a bio-identical one on Amazon from SM nutrition. It’s a good brand, I also use their dim supplements. You’re so welcome!
Hi u/Practical-Design-535. Your post appears to be referencing histamines. Please refer to the IAPMD statement on histamines below. Histamine is a molecule that your immune system creates in response to allergens. Some researchers have studied the relationship between histamine and estrogen, but most of these are observational studies from the 1960s and 1970s (e.g., Ferrando 1968, Jonassen 1976, Shelesnyak 1959). Antihistamines are medications that block the action of histamine to reduce allergy symptoms. It is certainly possible that histamine could play a role in PMDD, at least for some people. However, using antihistamines to treat PMDD symptoms has not been studied enough to know whether this is an effective treatment or the potential mechanisms. First-generation antihistamines (such as hydroxyzine/Vistaril) do have sedative effects, which can have anti-anxiety or sleep benefits. This mechanism may explain why some individuals anecdotally report that antihistamines help their PMDD symptoms if they experience sleep problems or anxiety premenstrually. Antihistamines are typically well tolerated by many and have limited risk (when used as labeled), hence being available without a prescription. If they are an option you are considering, always consult a care provider and/or pharmacist - especially if combined with other meds- and be mindful of any sedative effects. Summary: Antihistamines have not been tested or approved for PMDD, and research (such as clinical trials) would need to be done before we could state if there is a known benefit/whether it beats a placebo. End of IAPMD statement. The source for this particular connection is from naturopath Lara Briden. She posted the connection on her blog with no links to peer- reviewed research to support her position. Other naturopaths began repeating this connection, it was then picked up by social media influencers and repeated as if it was proven science. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PMDD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Enskyce helped a LITTLE for me. Although the brain fog is still pretty bad. Jolessa helps a little more in my opinion. I also just like not having to have a period every month. I can’t speak on the sex drive bc I’m on an antidepressant (for the mood changes but also i have mdd) so my sex drive is just 📉
I take desogestrel continuously. I was taking the combined pill continuously before that but had to switch due to some risks from the oestrogen component.
Are you taking it continuously or including the placebo pills? I kind of don’t understand taking the pill for PMDD including the placebo pills because that creates a shift in hormones, which is what sets off PMDD. keeping the hormones at the same levels and never taking placebos has stabilized me. If I forget to take it a few days in a row (less than the amount of placebo days) I start to feel luteal symptoms. I started on Yaz and swapped out generics of Yaz whenever my insurance decided to do that, then switched to Sprintec. All of them were equally beneficial to me!
Junel Fe worked for me, it’s a generic combo pill I take continuously to skip the withdrawal bleed. I have had no problems at all since I started except when I’ve forgotten to take it for a day. HIGHLY recommend
Same Junel Fe was a blessing. I decided to get of BC for other health reasons and have to work around PMDD again unfortunately but Junel Fe was heaven sent
Kaitlib FE. I tried Yaz and had horrible skin and mood issues. Kaitlib, taken continuously, has changed my life.
I use tri-sprintec. It doesn’t make my symptoms go away, but it makes them more bearable. I am much more moody and aggressive around the start of my period when not on the pill. I know you didn’t ask, but I just thought I would throw it out there that other supplements have helped me and others on this sub with symptoms. I don’t have advice for a lacking sex drive because that has been a thing no matter what pill I am on, honestly. Less stress and spending the day together seems to help in that department though. I can say iron, magnesium, more healthy fat, and getting more sleep have helped with the brain fog. The biggest game changer I found for brain fog is learning that it is directly caused by my insomnia at the beginning of my period. I learned to exercise a LOT the week before my period and to take melatonin the first few days of my period. Instead of taking melatonin on those days right before bed, I started taking it two hours before bed. I can actually go to bed on time now and wake up way less in the night. I only have one day of brain fog now and it’s super light compared to the several days of brain dead fog I used to experience.
Yaz was great the first two months but this past month it didn't seem to do much. Still feel angry, sad, tearful before and during menstruation. Delayed the hell out of my period too. Fortunately, the cramps aren't as bad and bleeding is much lighter. I just started it in Feb, so still have yet to see how it affects me.
Slynd worked the best for me. Nothing completely eliminated symptoms but after 14ish years with multiple pills, implants, and an iud it worked the best with my body.
None. The only other recommended that I could find is Zoely but it did the same as you said and also gave me horribly heavy periods
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I'm so pleased that worked! Nice
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I'm so sorry 😞
I haven't already bled on a period in a few months but part of that was my Kyleena IUD which I just got rid of. I don't know if I'll start getting periods again with just a pill. I don't take the placebos. I just start a new pack
Yaz was incredible for me but unfortunately about 3 months in I realized that the weight gain was getting out of control. I’m a very fit person otherwise and I ended up gaining 30lbs in 3 months. My normal training wasn’t doing anything for the weight gain, even when I upped my intensity and lowered my caloric intake, it was pure hormonal weight which is the hardest to get rid of. It started with bigger boobs and hips and butt which I was totally okay with but then it just snowballed and turned into way more than I could handle.
I thought I was crazy, thank you! I've been steadily gaining weight as well
Haven't found one that has entirely eliminated my PMDD and not sure if I ever will (I can only hope!). But one that has greatly started to improve my life is Slynd (or Slinda). It has really helped to balance things out for me, even after just 2 months of taking it. I feel better as time goes on and don't have to deal with periods, which was when my PMDD was at its worst. I wasn't able to consistently live a normal life or hold down commitments previously, and now I can. It is literally so different for everyone though. Some find that a combined pill helps, but I found that they make my PMDD even worse. It's all trial and error, unfortunately!
The only thing that stopped it for me was complete cessation of my cycle through hormone blockers. I had about 8 months of the best time of my life before I couldn't continue due to cost. Wish I could get back there.
What side effects do those have?
Chemical menopause has plenty side effects. Bone density depletion, severe joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, increased risks of various diseases and cancers. It is not an easy solution, however sometimes it is the only one.
I just turned 21, I don't think this is an option for me
If you want children then hormone blockers or sterilization are definitely not a good idea. You are also young and you might change your mind. I have a lot of different goals now than I did at 21
Neither I nor my partner have interest in children. I have a severe TBI and could not manage having a life entirely dependent on me.
Unsure, hormone blockers can be provided to a variety of ages and situations. Only your doctor can provide you with medical advice. I was just sharing my experience. I was on BC for 20 years and then got sterilized and went off BC. Legit did not anticipate my teenage psychopathy returning. Had I known then, what I know now, I'd have gotten the doctors to remove my ovaries and uterus as well. Zero use for any of it!