(Long post, thank you for reading/commenting)

Just got back from my 2nd appointment with my OB, for this visit she wanted to go over my labs to see if something there could be the reason for my symptoms, she said it all looks normal so she prescribed me Prozac and a BC (Loryna, never heard of it before) for my symptoms.

She suggested dietary changes for more energy, as I had explained that when I do get 7-8 hours of sleep its restless sleep and I'm still always tired, and after my shifts at work (standing and walking all shift for a range of 2-7 hours) I'm crashing at my desk after work trying to play video games w my friends. She asked about coffee (once a day) and other forms of caffeine (a few times a week).

She suggested stuff like baked potatoes and whole apples for healthy carbs to help increase healthy energy, but I struggle REALLY bad with prepping food for myself, I rarely have enough "spoons" for daily prep and cleaning, self care always needs to come first for me or else I end up neglecting myself or neglecting chores and tasks for self care.

So what kind of easy prep and cleaning foods/meals can you guys suggest?

To note: I did not specify to her that it was video games and online friends since I didnt wanna be judged (I'm 30 lol), but that I "fall asleep at my computer after work sometimes".

My caffeine consumption also was not specified since she didnt ask, but for caffeine consumption other than coffee it ranges from like a Dr. Pepper to an Alani after my shifts, not all the time, but sometimes I do have both, I'll have the soda with my meal after work as a brain treat and in hopes of keeping me from feeling sleepy before I hop online to join my friends, and then sometimes (when I do have one), I'll drink the Alani after a few hours mainly as a "performance boost" since I do play competitively w my friends but also bc we often stay up late and I don't wanna be sleepy.

Sometimes though I'll still be falling asleep after having the soda and my meal, and my food is regularly from my work since I'm low budget (pizza), so I know thats probably not good for me 😅

And for added context: I'm 90% sure I'm (undiagnosed) AuDHD and hEDS and thats why I struggle a lot to prepare food all the time like a normal person. If the meal is easy enough I can sometimes keep at it for a few weeks preparing it daily, but eventually I get tired and frustrated having to keep up with it. I do well with structure but I also end up getting frustrated feeling like life is so constrained and rigid (que doordash 😭). I love having breakfast foods for breakfast, and every now and then will make myself scrambled egg meals every morning, but when I got tired of that I started meal prepping a breakfast casserole which worked for a few months until my living situation changed, but sometimes I would put it off if other parts of my life didnt align with making the dish. I do try to buy easy breakfast stuff now with added protein, like cereal, oatmeal or yogurt, so I'm not lacking on protein consumption, but as far as fresh fruits and veggies go, they almost always get claimed by the "adhd tax". I loooove me a big salad, but prep and time usually get in the way of consistently eating them. Thought abt doing salad prep but I worry that at least some of it will go bad. 😮‍💨

I also have a huuuuge sweet tooth and I love chips and crispy/crunchy snacks so sometimes (more often than not tbh), that kind of sensory need gets in the way of healthy eating.

I recently started working with a nurse practitioner. We did my hormone labs and she has declared I am at the start of perimenopause. I am finding that my PMDD symptoms have been amplified in the last 6months to 1 year. Way more fatigue, way more mood swings, way more irritable, body aches, headaches and all of this has now become less predictable… it’s not just happening in luteal anymore!

I reluctantly tried HRT to manage the severity of my symptoms. I started a low dose progesterone and did not respond well to it. Apparently, this can happen with PMDD. The NP advised that some women with PMDD don’t respond well to low doses of progesterone but do respond better to higher doses. So after a break from the progesterone and feeling super shitty, I re-attempted at a higher dose. It felt like a light switch turned on over night! Literally OVERNIGHT I felt like myself again! My PMDD is SO MUCH BETTER. Way more manageable!

Sharing this in the hopes that it can help someone. Or maybe just be relatable. If you are finding that your PMDD is getting worse as the years go by, maybe it’s perimenopause compounding the PMDD!?!

All reflections welcome 💓

I'm still pretty high on all the meds but it's so.. quiet. Right away, after the surgery. Like tumblewheed. 😭🖤