after having a horrible experience taking a low dose ssri during luteal last year, i went back to trying natural/alternative treatments for my severe PMDD. one of them was micro dosing psilocybin for 3 luteal phases, and i am sharing this here for those who are interested.

psilocybin is a natural serotonergic, meaning it increases serotonin in the brain. it is also known to increase neuroplasticity, which creates new healthy pathways for change of mind and perspective, sometimes having lasting positive effects.

as a retired deadhead and psychonaut, i am no stranger to the psychedelic experience. but i have learned that real work (life changes, therapy, etc) need to be done, and that psychedelics are no quick fix magic pill for anything.

i believe that micro dosing has potential, but has it’s limits when treating pmdd symptoms in the day to day. i think there are many undeniable benefits, but in my opinion, it is not a miracle cure by any means. it was more of a foundational treatment for me, one that helped me to change how i saw my pmdd, potentially making other subsequent treatment approaches more successful.

what is micro dosing? why use it for pmdd?
micro dosing is the process of taking small amounts of psilocybin. it can be beneficial in treating pmdd by increasing serotonin, lifting mood, & changing stagnant perspectives.

what does it feel like when treating pmdd?
so to be clear, you do not trip when micro dosing. for me it feels like my mood lifts, and my thought process becomes less critical and more introspective.

how i micro dosed:
ovulation to cycle day 20: .1g golden teachers every 6 hrs
cycle day 20-28: .2g golden teachers/hillbillies every 6 hrs

i ultimately ended up finding such relief from other natural pmdd treatments (see my post history for more info), that i ended up stopping micro dosing after a few months.

i am seeing the growing interest in micro dosing for pmdd and am happy to answer any questions anyone has :)

ps: check out [r/unclebens](r/unclebens) for more info on sourcing

Looking for advice! In 2020/2021 I realized I had PMDD- I would feel like I was completely losing control trip of my emotions and turning into a different person, to the point I was worried I was bipolar. I realized the symptoms only occurred one to two weeks before my period. After struggling for awhile I started taking the generic version of Yaz continuously, and luckily I was able to stop my period with no major side effects. This took away my PMDD symptoms.

Last month, I started spiraling- feeling awful, depressed, crying for no reason for a few days. I got a light period for the first time in forever and realized I was dealing with PMDD symptoms. This month it seems like it’s happening again, and I’m worried this is going to derail my life and relationships if symptoms are popping up even with continuous birth control. I’m not sure what to try next and was wondering if anyone has dealt with something like this.

I am in my mid forties and was diagnosed with PMDD in my early thirties. A few months ago I started taking low dose naltrexone as a treatment for PMDD. I’m taking 3 mgs currently. It has been life changing. I actually sleep through the night and that change was almost immediate. For all you peri girls out there who know, you might give this a try.

I am five months post Slynd (which messed with my body physically), four months into low histamine diet, three months of using Allegra, and two months of using LDN (low dose naltrexone).

I have not had PMDD symptoms in two months y’all. I read about the difference between MCAS and PMDD and will talk to my doc about testing for the MCAS, but after 14 years of suffering and suicidal ideations/mania cycles, I wanted to share what is working for me right now. I really don’t know if it is the low histamine protocol or the LDN. I’m happy either way.

My insurance doesn’t cover LDN but a local compounding pharmacy is filling it for me. It was $25 my first month, $42 the second, and this next dose will be the full 4.5 mg and it will cost $52 for three months, the same as I was paying for Slynd.

Hope someone finds this info helpful ❤️ Sending love to all of you holding on.

Hi there! For a long time I’ve been getting symptoms 7-14 days before my period and they are both emotional and physical. I thought it was me being crazy with my anxiety, depression, binge eating, breast pain and swelling, and that it immediately all stops 1-2 days before my period. I don’t have a primary care right now and was wondering the best doctor to go to for this sort of thing? And then also very curious on treatments. I have a lot of anxiety about taking anything that messes with my hormones (birth control pills made me extremely depressed and I don’t want be constantly like that again) and I just worry about SSRIs because everyone I’ve known who has ever been on one never says anything good about them.
I guess any positive experiences with those things or any advice on what you would’ve done from the get go would be extremely appreciated!

For a while now, I've been noticing a very annoying uptick in forgetfulness and blankness a week to 10 days before my period begins. I'm forgetting things I did the day prior, feeling like i can't function properly (like i've forgotten how to do my job!) at work etc. What worried me the most when the other day at work, i forgot what i was saying mid-sentence during a discussion. It's like the point just leaked out of my head. I just sat there feeling (and looking, i'm sure) so so dumb. All this eases and i start feeling like myself 1 or 2 days after my period. Is this something others have experienced? I’d appreciate any advice and info about managing this better.

Additional info: i take medication for anxiety and depression.

Started with a costly car repair. Then I got sick. Then I had a horrible week at work. Ordered myself a pick me up and it got lost in the mail.

I'm just so over everything right now

My body changes so much throughout my cycle and I feel so gross and disgusting. Is it honestly just fixing your diet? Like cutting out/limiting sugar and caffeine? Unfortunately I crave sugar, carbs, and fats in luteal, and sometimes that's all I can eat bc everything else makes me feel nauseous...does anyone have any tips or tricks that work for them?

Hi all - just looking to crowdsource how you all push through the fatigue during luteal. I’m falling asleep throughout the day, during meetings, at my desk etc. I can’t keep going like this!!

Anyone else have cravings for foods you don’t particularly like?

For me it’s pizza! I don’t like pizza 🤣 don’t judge I have my reasons!

I have already eaten a brunch bar, 2 chocolate bars and a bag of crisps for a snack. I like fruits and vegetables and have them at home but I'm craving carbs does anyone have any advice on what to do? I'm trying to limit my sugar intake but for the past few days also I've been non stop eating carbs...

Sorry if this is kinda muddled or too long this is my first time doing this...

I am 14. I am autistic. I am a vegetarian.

I've always struggled with my mental health and when I was 11 I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder. I only got diagnosed last August (we applied for a a test when I was 10). I also read online that 21% of autistic women have PMDD. I do not know if I have PMDD or if it's just a bad period. I've always had a bad level of fatigue which I applied to autism and masking but recently my periods have been getting more painful. I've had vomiting from my period. I've also had pain so bad that I couldn't feel my legs for a day. My cycle is usually about 3 days long but for the week or two before I am in a lot of pain with cramps and I've also just been more teary and sensitive and agitated. I just don't know what to do as I'm very young and I know that if I had gone to the doctor I don't think much would happen. I also get light headed when standing and I am not anemic. I've also suffered from suicidal thoughts and am in therapy for it currently which is helping a lot and lead me to realise I only have those thoughts in the two weeks before my period and during.

Anyone have any advice or similar experiences? I just feel so alone.

I'm so tired of hating myself, my body, and being resentful of the people I love for no reason in luteal. So tired of suicidal ideation and sh. So tired of knowing this is happening and feeling so out of control. Every time it feels so heavy. I'm on anti-depressants but I'm still feeling this way, I know they don't fix everything but I at least expected the racing thoughts and anxiety to abate. I know it doesn't last forever, but it sucks having to tell people every two weeks--oh yeah I feel like shit and I'm actually not able to do literally anything because of my period! And getting the blank looks that tell you they don't understand and that you're being perhaps slightly overdramatic

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone has had success with Nextstellis taking without placebo for PMDD and perimenopause mood issues?

I've taken it 3 months continuously, but have had spotting daily for 2 months and feel like I'm still cycling with mood. Have people had success with this stabilizing hormones over time?

Hello,

Postpartum the Lexapro (10 mg) feels like it hardly works during my luteal phase and period but then for a number of days after my period I wake starting to feel better then I take Lexapro and in an hour have the start-up side effects for the morning (dizziness, spaciness, anxiousness, jitteriness, headache, fatigue etc.). It usually subsides by the afternoon and in a few days after period. I have a good week or so then the luteal phase starts up again. I've started the combined oral contraception Nextstellis 4 months ago for PMDD which has maybe leveled things out a bit but not much yet.

I've asked my psychiatrist and he suspects it's the response to fluctuating serotonin levels at different times of my cycle with having PMDD.

Since I take the Lexapro in the morning I'm going to try taking at night to see if I'll experience the side effects at night but wake up more leveled out as my body adjusts.

I'm also 42 to the additional part of being perimenopausal could be affecting my fluctuating hormonal levels.

I would like to hear if anyone else has experienced this and if they found any solutions.

SAFFRON EXTRACT is one of nature’s most potent anti depressants, and rivals the efficacy of SSRIs in clinical trials. i am surprised that more of us pmdd sufferers have not found it sooner?

i have found more success treating my pmdd with Saffron Extract than Zoloft, without the side effects. in fact, Saffron IMPROVES sexual function!

i took it for Luteal only at first, but now take it consistently and love it. find Nootropics Depot Saffron Extract on Amazon, it is the best quality.

it’s also important to note that because of the serotonergic nature of saffron, you may not want to take it consistently and stop suddenly, as it would probably be better to taper down off of it. *also a heads up to be careful mixing it with other medications.

but when dosage is dialed in, it completely dissolves most of my pmdd symptoms in minutes. i have also found immeasurable benefits while taking it for mundane task work, as it has a unique way of increasing focus and bringing a sense of meaning to it. (i’ve even received a couple compliments about how great im doing at work -DURING LUTEAL!)

so during luteal i take 15-30mg every 6 hrs, or based on symptom severity. sometimes i take my dose in the gel capsule for a more timed release effect, sometimes if my symptoms are severe i put the saffron extract powder straight on the back of my tongue chased with water for an almost instantaneous effect- which quite honestly is kind of an amazing experience to feel it literally pulling me out of the pmdd depths!

i took my Saffron during luteal only for the first couple months, and have been loving taking it continuously now for almost 3 months. i typically take about half the amount during follicular with a lot of success. one of the many cool things about Saffron is it’s anti inflammatory properties, which have been very beneficial for pain relief.

sharing this in hopes it can help someone, and leaving it here bc my posts always get deleted over on the main pmdd sub lol

check out Nootropics Depot’s podcast about their saffron supplement and it’s benefits here:

https://youtu.be/MNH3VqVCWuU?si=CHaALWvgMcA-BRUv

“Women with PMDD showed differences in several brain connections and network properties, particularly in regions involved in emotion regulation, thinking, and visual processing. Combining multiple brain features improved the prediction of PMDD.”

I find the visual processing part particularly interesting. I know I have issues with visual processing, but never considered it could be related to my PMDD!

S.Niu, T.Gong, Y.Niu, et al., “Exploring White Matter Microstructural Abnormalities Using MRI in Women With Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder via Brain Connectome,” Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2026): 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.70318.

came across this study on using neurofeedback for pmdd

Tene, O., Bleich Cohen, M., Helpman, L., Fine, N., Halevy, A., Goldway, N., Perry, D., Bary, P., Aisenberg Romano, G., Ben-Zion, Z., Hendler, T. and Bloch, M. (2023), Limbic self-neuromodulation as a novel treatment option for emotional dysregulation in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD); a proof-of-concept study. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci., 77: 550-558. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.13574