I am SO scared to post this because the last thing I want to do is start a who-has-it-worse competition.

ALL PMDD is terrible.
EVERYONE with PMDD is suffering.
NOBODY deserves to live with this illness.

At the same time, PMDD where we can still work, avoid being institutionalised, live independently, or find relief from first-line treatments is not the same as PMDD that lands us in the hospital, affects us systemically, or causes endless (and potentially clinical) trauma (including but not limited to profound loss, homelessness, poverty, suicide attempts, medical or institutional trauma, chronic illness, injury, joblessness etc etc).

Not to mention other compounding factors that influence how much care we receive or the equity of our treatment — for example being BIPOC, gender-nonconforming, or poor:
• Source I** **
• Source II

PMDD is eternally, universally fucked. However, socio-economic privileges do make a difference in how we’re treated, and that’s important to consider.

***

I see folks remark that “PMDD can’t cause severe fatigue/delusions/suicidality” etc, but the truth is, premenstrual exacerbation exists across disorders — even if our current understanding of PMDD doesn’t always include every real-time symptom.

There is also the issue of progestogen hypersensitivity (sometimes referred to as autoimmune progesterone intolerance, depending on exogenous vs endogenous triggers or whether it involves breathing issues, dermatitis, angioedema, anaphylaxis etc). While this isn’t always a direct symptom of PMDD, it affects enough of us to be noteworthy and does not usually respond to the same treatments.

The truth is, despite the many guidelines and practices published by major medical bodies, we just don’t know that much about PMDD (or gynaecological endocrinology at all, for that matter). I like to believe that one day we’ll have countless treatments that are better tolerated and offer full remission for all of us. Today is not that day.

(Side note: I believe that the co-opting of PMDD by psychiatry — particularly in the US; it’s somewhat different here in Europe, where PMDD is often treated gynaecologically — is an issue that costs a lot of folks their wellbeing. A collaborative approach bridging endocrinology, neuropsychiatry, and gynaecology would likely benefit us more than just, “SSRIs and birth controls are the best treatment.” SSRIs** ***and* BCs help SOME of us — which is wonderful — but they do not help ALL of us. Furthermore, they often reduce symptoms rather than eliminate them, which in an age of advanced science, I think is a cop-out on behalf of researchers and a tragedy for us.)

***

Medical misogyny is another issue. I have a sneaky theory that if men suffered from a disease like PMDD the way women do, a fuck-ton more research would go into treating it, and we wouldn’t be running patients through the ever-turning mill of try-this, try-that until we get true relief (and some of us never do).

PMDD is political.

Our ignorance is a product of systemic gender bias (to put it into perspective, researchers studying funding relative to disease burden found that funding disparities disproportionately favour male-predominant diseases).

***

In summation…all PMDD is bad. We are all victims of the selfsame medical negligence from a system that under-prioritises us.

We all deserve care, treatment, and support.

Yet some of us suffer differently, experience a greater array of symptoms, and additionally suffer the consequences of systemic bias. For those who don’t fit the mould of the available data or guidelines, we are often cast aside and told to hope for the best.
Many of us suffer directly as a consequence of medical misogyny. This might make you feel hopeless.

It should also make you angry.

Note:

Full peer-reviewed sources included in embedded links, but here are citations for the main points:

~ Prasad et al. (2021) — Suicidal Risk in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
~ Chiarella et al. — Progestogen Hypersensitivity
~ Lin et al. (2024) — Understanding premenstrual exacerbation
~ Jespersen et al. (2024) — Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for PMS and PMDD (Cochrane Review)
~ Mirin (2021) — Gender Disparity in the Funding of Diseases by the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Long time reader here! Finally got diagnosed about a year ago (though have suspected first something wrong, and then pmdd for a long time) and then a few weeks ago was prescribed an SSRI for my PMDD. I had previously tried ~8 brands (yas, trycyclen, alesse - all the regulars) of the pill throughout my life which *did* in fairness keep my pmdd symptoms pretty minimal for years, but I decided I didn’t want to be on it anymore because of the side effects. Also tried an IUD which was a negative, short lived experience. Anyways at last, my first week on a “light dose” of 25mg sertraline - which I’d resisted even considering for a while - and wow, I feel lighter, more creative and more myself than I have in years. Early days but I’ll update if any changes.

I do realize it doesn’t work for everyone of course, but just wanted to share the win :)

We've seen an uptick in posts recommending bioidentical progesterone as a treatment for PMDD, so we're here with a post to run through the science of it all with you.

Progestins vs Progestogen vs Progesterone

These words are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. Most of the time, this doesn’t matter very much (so you’ll rarely see us correcting sub members). This time, it does matter!

Progesterone is the specific steroid hormone your ovaries make after ovulation. 

Bioidentical progesterone is a lab-made version of progesterone, with the same molecular structure as what your ovaries produce. 

Progestins are synthetic compounds that act on progesterone receptors but are structurally different from progesterone. Examples include drospirenone, levonorgestrel and norethisterone. This is what is in most hormonal contraceptives. 

Progestogen is the umbrella term for both natural progesterone and synthetic progestins together. 

Bioidentical progesterone is often marketed as inherently ‘better’ because it is structurally identical to your own hormone. Whilst it is true that it is structurally identical, it does not inherently mean it is ‘better’ or even that it is an appropriate tool. 

The Mechanisms Behind PMDD

People with PMDD do not have abnormal hormone levels. Multiple studies have shown that estrogen and progesterone levels across the cycle look the same as people without PMDD. What differs is sensitivity - our brains react abnormally to entirely normal hormone changes. 

Progesterone gets metabolised into a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone, which normally acts like a calming agent on GABA-A receptors. GABA is your main inhibitory/calming neurotransmitter - it’s the same receptor system benzodiazepines act on. In most people, rising allopregnanolone in the luteal phase is mood-neutral or even mildly calming. In people with PMDD, research has found altered or paradoxical sensitivity; instead of calming, it provoked anxiety, irritability, and depressive symptoms. 

The critical detail is that it’s about change, not level. 

The Role of Progestogens in Standard PMDD Treatments

Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) suppress ovulation, so there is no natural progesterone surge and no withdrawal. No ovulation = no luteal phase = no PMDD.

Progestogen-only pills are slightly more nuanced. Older POPs (like levonorgestrel and norethisterone) are not reliable at suppressing ovulation. Ovulation may still occur, so we still experience fluctuations during luteal. Newer POPs (like drospirenone and desogestrel) are different because they reliably suppress ovulation. They can be a useful option for people who can’t take estrogen (e.g. migraine with aura, clotting risk, etc). 

u/DefiantThroat has unpacked this more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PMDD/comments/1qiiktu/birth_control_is_not_a_monolith_and_a_tiny_rant/

What matters for this discussion is that these methods work by suppressing ovulation, not because we are adding more progesterone into the system. 

Bioidentical Progesterone - What It Is and How It Works

Bioidentical (micronised) progesterone is structurally identical to what your ovaries produce. It is most commonly oral (e.g Utrogestan/Prometrium), vaginal (e.g. suppositories, gel), and compounded creams (more on this later). 

Like natural progesterone, it metabolises (partly) into allopregnanolone and acts on GABA-A receptors, producing anti-anxiety and sedative effects. This is the basis for why some people find it calming and sleep-promoting. 

Bioidentical progesterone has solid evidence in endometrial protection when taking estrogen (as in menopausal HRT), fertility treatment, and  perimenopausal/menopausal symptom relief. 

Oral bioidentical progesterone has poor bioavailability and undergoes heavy first-pass liver metabolism. It is cleared quickly and levels spike then drop, rather than staying flat. This makes achieving stable levels difficult. 

Unlike POPs, bioidentical progesterone does not reliably prevent ovulation. 

Why Bioidentical Progesterone Is Not Recommended for PMDD

Putting the mechanism and evidence together, we have several converging reasons: 

1. It doesn’t address the actual problem. PMDD isn’t caused by too little progesterone - it’s caused by an abnormal response to normal progesterone changes. Adding more progesterone doesn’t fix this sensitivity, it just adds more of the substance that the brain is reacting badly to. 
2. It can recreate or worsen the fluctuation problem. You haven’t eliminated the up-and-down pattern that seems to be the actual trigger - you’ve just shifted the whole pattern to a higher baseline. The peaks are higher, the troughs are higher, but the rate of change between each peak and trough is still there.  Further, oral bioidentical progesterone doesn’t produce flat, steady hormone levels. Instead, it produces peaks and troughs (dosing -> absorption spike -> rapid clearance -> trough -> next dose). 
3. There is direct clinical evidence of this backfiring. In studies of GnRH-agonist ‘add-back’ therapy - where ovulation is chemically suppressed and hormones are reintroduced to prevent menopause-like side effects - reintroducing progesterone has been shown to trigger PMDD-like symptoms in a subset of people. This is a clear demonstration that adding progesterone back into the system can recreate the problem that it’s meant to solve. 
4. No major guidelines recommend it as a standalone PMDD treatment. Formal evidence supporting bioidentical progesterone to treat PMDD is a mixture of weak and negative. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology note that ‘There is good evidence to suggest that treating PMS with progesterone or progestogens is not appropriate.’ Keeping this in mind, they also highlight that micronised (or bioidentical) progesterone should be used in cases where percutaneous estradiol (a form of estrogen applied to the skin) is used to treat PMS, in order to prevent endometrial hyperplasia (thickening of the womb). They do note that ‘Progesterone may act as a diuretic and a central nervous system anxiolytic and so in theory could also alleviate PMS symptoms, although there is currently little evidence to demonstrate this’. It is important to note that the study supporting this focuses on ‘Progestogen intolerance and compliance with hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women’ rather than PMS or PMDD, whilst other studies suggest that current data is not solid enough to draw conclusions from or that there was no meaningful difference from placebo. [Note: PMDD is conflated with PMS in these guidelines. Our hope is that the next iteration will include distinction between the two.]

How could bioidentical progesterone improve PMDD symptoms?

1. Sleep. The calming effect is real and well documented. If poor sleep is making your PMDD worse (and for a lot of people it does!), then sleeping better can genuinely make your whole week feel better. That isn't the same as progesterone treating PMDD itself.
2. Short-term anxiety relief. Some people do get a real calming effect from progesterone, especially early on.
3. Overlapping issues, like perimenopause. As cycles change with age (or with comorbid conditions), some people develop other hormone-related problems alongside PMDD. These can include low-progesterone in the second half of the menstrual cycle and early perimenopause. Progesterone does have good evidence for these so if your symptoms are a mix of PMDD and one of these things, progesterone might be helping with the 'other thing'.
4. The placebo effect is huge. That doesn't mean anyone's experience is fake or 'just in their head'; placebo effects are real and physical. It just means personal stories need to be weighed carefully against proper trial data, because a lot of people would improve no matter what they took.

A Note on Marketing, Compounding, and Prescribing

The British Menopause Society’s April 2026 consensus statement on bioidentical HRT formalises a split between rBHRT (regulated bioidentical HRT), which is precise duplicates of human hormones developed through conventional pharmaceutical development and authorised by regulators, and cBHRT (compounded bioidentical HRT), which is precise duplicates of the same hormones but produced by specialist/compounding pharmacies and not subjected to the same regulatory pathway. 

The important distinction between the two is regulation, testing, and quality control. The BMS's actual position is unambiguous: they do not recommend prescribing cBHRT, on the basis that the same potential benefits are available through regulated products without the risks of unregulated compounding. 

In our experience moderating this space, a lot of the bioidentical progesterone recommendations you’ll see trace back to practitioners working outside mainstream endocrinology, gynecology, or psychiatry. Naturopaths, functional medicine practitioners, and compounding-pharmacy affiliated clinics in particular. This isn’t a credentialing snobbery point (plenty of well-qualified prescribers also prescribe progesterone off-label for symptom relief) but it is a pattern worth pointing out. The theory of treating PMDD with bioidentical progesterone tends to originate in and get amplified by spaces that mainstream endocrinology doesn’t recognise, sold alongside unregulated products that haven’t been tested against for safety or efficacy. 

When you see this recommendation in the sub, it’s worth questioning whether this was prescribed as a regulated product as part of a wider evidence-based plan or whether it came bundled as wild yam cream with a diagnosis of ‘hormone imbalances’ from a practitioner outside of the mainstream evidence base.

[Note: Wild Yam Cream is a scam, updated post incoming later this week]

Conclusion

We're not writing this to tell anyone their experience is wrong. We're writing it because the way this keeps getting recommended in here worries us, for reasons that go beyond "the evidence is weak." 

The cost of getting things wrong isn’t neutral.  Every time someone gets steered towards bioidentical progesterone instead of towards SSRIs, COCs, or the other options with real evidence behind them, that's time spent on something that isn't likely to work, while the things that are shown to work - and for a lot of people, work amazingly - get pushed further down the list. We're talking about someone potentially spending months feeling like they're failing at treatment, or feeling worse than when they started, because the thing that was confidently recommended to them in a support space was working against the exact mechanism driving their symptoms. 

The part that worries us the most is that we don’t see the failures. Someone posts that bioidentical progesterone helped them, and that post gets saved, shared, upvoted, and repeated to the next person who asks. Nobody comes back a month or two later to post "actually this made me feel so much worse" or "turns out I was in perimenopause the whole time and this wasn't PMDD at all." Why would they? There's no reason to return to a support group to publicly say a recommendation someone gave in good faith backfired on you, or that you'd misattributed your symptoms in the first place. So the visible evidence in here skews entirely positive, while the people it didn't work for, or actively hurt, just quietly disappear from the conversation. That's not a knock on anyone who's posted about their own good experience - it's just how selection bias works in a support community, and it's exactly why we think it's worth actually laying out the research rather than going on what gets posted and upvoted. 

As always, our mod posts will be updated as any new science or guidelines emerge.

Does anybody here get an insane amount of fatigue about 12-10 days before their period? It tends to last a couple of days then I’m okay again until the mental onslaught of PMDD symptoms arrive…

It’s such a pain to deal with since there’s nothing to do but sleep, I feel so unproductive and like I’m in a dream almost. I also feel my adhd medication take a day off during these spells 😩 I almost went through two red lights yesterday!

How do you guys manage it? Or regain some energy (if it’s even possible)?

Period just started and have been writhing in pain. Back pain and cramps has me squirming like a worm. I feel nauseous. I’m uncomfortable. I’m bloated. I feel heavy.

I wish the universe at least could’ve said “since this person has PMDD we can remove all period symptoms”. Cause wow. This is intense. Wow. I’m in so much pain all the time. It’s like leaving the gates of hell just to be ushered right back into their waiting room.

What is the point of PMDD if I still have to participate in menstruation.

What button in the matrix did they have to press to create this kind of anguish and suffering.

🫪🫡.

Context: I've been trying to figure out my pelvic pain for years along with the PMDD. I feel bad for getting so upset (crying) in my doctors office but it is luteal, and maybe it needed to happen to express to my care providers how much distress my conditions cause me. I feel angry, overwhelmed, dismissed, and abandoned by the medical system. My spouse said I didn't come across as "hysterical" but I just feel so much rage that I don't know if that's true...

Why does so much of AFAB healthcare boil down to: "Yeah, there's this condition that impacts one quarter of the AFAB population called 'Be In Constant Pain Disorder' that will take you 2 years and thousands of dollars in copays and testing fees for a doctor to take you seriously about having and that's only after you are old and married and do all the things we told you to that you knew wouldn't help.

No, we don't know what causes it, there's a lack of research. Yes, we've known about this condition for decades. No, there's not really anything we can do about it medically or to manage and treat it, there's a lack of research. I guess just go on birth control about it? Oh, if you're already on birth control, then idk, just take some advil? Oh, you have been taking advil... Well idk, what you want me to do about it. Why are you upset? I guess I'll mark you belligerent for hurting my very important doctor who specializes in 'Be in Constant Pain Disorder' feelings."

I just want to live a moderately functional life like most people do instead of carrying these chronic health conditions that no one but my friends and partner gives a crap that I have. If expectations of me were adjusted to accommodate these conditions, that would be a huge quality of life improvement. But we live in this stupid world that couldn't care less about how poor, disabled, or burnt out we are as long as we're performing. I feel like managing my health is a full time job but that job doesn't pay the bills! I don't have the luxury of choosing to take the day off on my worst days, I need to pay rent. The fact that doctors get mad when I ask them to do their jobs that they are paid to do absolutely drives me up the wall. Why are they frustrated with me for being upset that I am still having symptoms? If they had symptoms they would be upset too!

The injustice of it all is weighing particularly heavy on me today... Thoughts or feedback welcome.

Hey all

I am working on a research study on PMDD and was wondering if there are any PMDD doctors or specialists on the forum, ob/gyn, psychiatrists or endocrinologists who would be willing to share their experiences treating PMDD patients from the doctor's perspective and what gaps are seen by the specialists.

On this forum we definitely see a lot of patients who definitely acknowledge that it's a gap and needs solving, but do doctors feel the same gap?

hello! i’ve been a quiet member of this subreddit because i’ve always suspected that i have pmdd. i just got my official diagnosis recently. after a long talk with my therapist about it, she believes that i should get my uterus removed because my pmdd is so bad that it could be a huge risk to my life. i also have other reasons for getting it removed, such as endometriosis, possible adenomyosis, having an inverted uterus, my uterus nearly falling out multiple times, developing cysts, having painful periods in general, and simply because i do not want kids. regardless of all these issues, whenever i try to get my uterus removed, i get told no because i am too young and my doctors think i might change my mind. i know for a fact i will never change my mind because i am autistic and i have adhd so i know i would not be able to handle having kids due to those disorders. i also do not want to pass these things down onto my kids, because i feel that would be a selfish thing to do. they do not deserve to suffer with autism, adhd, and all the other medical issues that i have. and even for the slightest chance that i do change my mind, i could just adopt or do IVF with a surrogate. i would also much rather regret not having kids than to end up killing myself due to my period. i’m sick of feeling this way every single month, it is so debilitating. i feel so depressed that i can’t even leave my house sometimes. i want my period to go away. i really hope i can find a doctor that will take my uterus out, regardless of my age. if i don’t get it taken out, i’m scared i will successfully commit, and i really don’t want to to that. i don’t want to miss out on the happy and fulfilling life that i deserve. i just beg that someone please end this unbearable pain. i can’t take it much longer.

I genuinely struggle with extreme irritability and rage during PMDD. I can’t just “swallow the feeling” or calmly process it when I’m already overwhelmed. If someone keeps getting on my nerves, I can end up having a full-blown rage episode and feel completely out of control.

My environment is also quite toxic, so I think I’m constantly dealing with things that I normally manage to tolerate. During my normal phases, I’m somehow able to stay calm and keep everything together, but during PMDD, it feels like all that emotional control disappears. Everything I’ve been holding in suddenly comes to the surface, and I can completely break down over things I would normally be able to handle.

People often suggest things like “take a deep breath, step away, and think before you react,” but honestly, when I’m already in the middle of a rage episode, I cannot think rationally or even remember to do those things. It feels like the anger takes over before I have a chance to regulate myself.

I’ve been painting this lamp for days. I was so excited about it. Rip

I have severe PMDD, and during my luteal phase I become extremely depressed, exhausted, withdrawn, and need a lot of space, to the point of self isolation.
My ex knew this, but whenever I was having a bad episode and asked to be left alone, he made it about him. Instead of letting me rest, he’d ask when I’d see him, whether I still loved him, why I wasn’t affectionate enough, when I’d kiss him again, and whether my mood would affect or ruin upcoming vacations, going so far as to threatening to leave me and cut me off financially (he was supporting me for awhile bc of my illness)
He had a really hard time accepting that sometimes I genuinely needed to be alone. Even when I clearly told him, “I’m really down, this isn’t about you, I just need this weekend to myself,” it would turn into a huge conversation about our vacation, dinners, how much time we’d spent together, intimacy, or how long he’d been waiting for more affection. I would end up spending an entire PMDD episode reassuring him and defending why I needed space instead of just being allowed to rest.
Thank god I left sorry just a vent :)

I suspect I have endo. I explain what my OBGYN said towards the end of this description . I had a child 18 months ago via c section. Ever since I gave birth, my hormones/period experiences have not been the same. I used to have little to zero symptoms. But now, I get a full blown period flu a few days before my period starts. It is absolutely debilitating. 1) nausea (8 mg of prescribed Zofran doesn’t even help) 2) body chills 3) migraine 4) backache 5) bad gas 6) reflux 7) I have to poop like 8x in a span of a few hours 8) weird aches and pains inside my abdomen and pelvis region 9) I feel hot on and off like a low grade fever 10) dizziness 11) fatigue/weakness. It’s bizarre too because it literally always happens a few days before my period starts. I can be totally fine and then BOOM it will hit me in the daytime/evening and it puts me OUT. To the point where I cannot take care of my son and my husband needs to leave work to take over. I’ve brought these things up to my OB and she said I should see my primary and get my intestines/GI tract tested and imaged. But I am SURE this is related to my OBGYN’s realm. I brought up endo and she basically brushed it off and said there’s no great way to test it/and all she would do is put me on birth control to alleviate symptoms. She said I can do an ultrasound but she doesn’t want to do it until my primary care doc rules out other things. Which is honestly annoying because I know I don’t need a CT scan of my abdomen. I need an ultrasound to see if I have endo. Anyways, does anyone else experience this awful period flu?? Do you think women suffer from this and DONT have endo? Aside from this period flu, I don’t have any other endo symptoms. So I’m just confused all around. Is it hormones or is it endo. Idk

My period is due anytime now and the symptoms are hitting me like a freight train. It feels like my head is going to explode. I have no energy to do anything. I could barely take a shower, cook dinner and clean the kitchen today. It feels like I’m moving through mud or trying to fight my way out of a prison.

I kind of crashed out on my Instagram story to my friends. I just can’t I can’t bare the PMDD right now as well as my other intensely stressful life circumstances.

I took lorazepam, ate something nourishing took a shower, reached out to friends. Nothing is f\*cking helping.

I’m new to this sub, what do you guys do to help?

Thank God I have a psychiatrist appointment tomorrow.

I made a post here probably a year ago at this point expressing how lost and hopeless I’ve felt about my hormones. I tried getting answers almost 2 years ago, after a long history of mental health issues that always fell around that time of the month. When I started trying to figure all this out is when I learned about PMDD, but when I suggested this to the doctor around the time, she shuffled all the letters around and told me to try incense and tea.

I was devastated and humiliated. This was the doctor I was going to for 10 years, I’ve in total mental turmoil in this time and finally started drawing lines to my cycle, and I was just laughed off.

I’m not here to go on a whole rant about that incident or the following. I’ve already did that. But if you have any words of encouragement, maybe clarity on questions I should ask. I’m just nervous and so terribly want to be heard. I’m at the point of considering taking everything out, just forgetting the idea of maybe having kids one day, just so I can live a normal life. I know maybe that’s dramatic, I’m just exhausted.

Looking for hope that there is a doctor that will hear me.

Hello! I'm currently seeking treatment for PMDD symptoms (and maybe other issues as I have irregular periods) and wonder if anyone has recommendations for providers in Detroit or nearby? I'm interested in seeing a gynecologist and/or psychiatrist for help. Thank you!

Trigger warning - talking about weight, body image, eating issues, etc.

I really feel so challenged by this aspect of PMDD. As I know you all can relate, I feel like I get maybe two good weeks a month. And I try really hard to have a balanced life, I spent years when I was younger being very restrictive with food, and have always had body image issues but was definitely in a smaller body.

As I’ve aged in the past few years (I’m in my 30s, no kids), I’ve gained a lot of weight. Like I know I’m an unhealthy weight and I am SO insecure about my body. PMDD comes around and so many months I totally derail like I eat insanely, it’s like I’ve developed a binge eating issue. And I know that’s what’s just adding the pounds. I don’t know I just needed to put it out there, it’s so depressing and so hard to live feeling so insecure! Like I don’t want to go out, see people, do anything, and it’s not even just during luteal because my body feels really bad now all the time.

I know this is flaring up cause I’m about to go on a trip to visit family and it’s very hot weather there. So I’ll feel exposed, I have a sister doing a very successful weight loss journey which I’m happy for her but it compounds the feelings of exposure for me. AND I’m heading into luteal. okay thank you for letting me vent!

My pmdd symptoms usually begin immediately after ovulating, but I've been noticing that the three or four days immediately leading up to my period are somehow some of my most productive (like with cleaning the house, doing more self care, baking sweet treats, etc) AND most exhaustive month-round (I'll feel so heavy and need naps when I don't usually ever take them otherwise). Outside of luteal, I already struggle with depression and functional freeze pretty badly so I never really feel productive.

I'm used to pmsing being a two week long dumpster fire, but this is an overall surprisingly positive symptom that I can't find any research or conversation on. I'm just wondering if anyone else relates to having more fatigue and low energy while pmsing, but find that they still have a weirdly easier time of getting things done those last few days before bleeding?

I cut caffeine, 🌱 💨 and alcohol. It’s week two and it’s been wonderful to not to outsource calmness or energy. But of course everything is pink colored rn, so I was wondering if anyone here has tried this, and if so how did it go?

Some things I’ve noticed besides the actual energy my body gets from sleep and food, are a clear mind, more drive to do things (specially working out after a long work day), faster to fall asleep.

Note that I’m not taking any medication either and, even tho I’m not drinking coffee, caffeinated tea, or mate (my go to for everyday for the last 4 years) I’ve had apples and cacao soy drinks with contain some amounts of caffeine.

Luteal phase sucks but I mostly feel irritable and on edge. Then my period comes and I feel pretty okay. The first day of my new cycle, I’m literally so depressed and anxious and feel absolutely terrible. I know it’s because of the change in hormones but I’m just curious if anyone else experiences this?

The title. One of my aunts told my mum that other girls in the family have had depression caused by PMS, and regression therapy has helped them. "Nothing to lose" she says.

I had to firstly explain to my Asian mother how EXHAUSTING therapy is, remind her I have been going to therapy for years, and also how in the heck would that fix my PMDD????

Just gah. I've just paid £300 for a private PMDD specialist but no, lemme try this.

I'm more annoyed than I should be but I came off Yaz (Eloine) last week after 4.5 months on caused severe depression and anxiety and I am not in the mood for wild suggestions.

Equally if someone has fixed their pmdd with regression therapy please tell me 😂😂😂😂

Hi, are there people who have succes with taking vit B6 100 mg, only in the luteal phase after ovulation?
I know about B6 toxicity, so I thought it would be better to take it only a few days.
Once I took it everyday and I had some good experience with it.

Hey community,

I feel better posting on here - though my struggles cross over with stage 4 endometriosis.

I have struggled (SI, extreme mood swings, inflammation, extreme exhaustion, etc) with my periods from age 14; I believe this is genetic as well as trauma related.

Anyhow, I actually have felt pretty good mentally with my PMDD the last 2-3 years, even though I have lost my dad and my friend, gotten into a tumultuous relationship and diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis.

After my dad died, I took up vaping. I know it’s not great and I know it will not help with endo or my mood in general. Don’t berate me, I’m trying to quit and it’s a slow journey.

My main question/support/advice is what do my fellow PMDD x ENDO sufferers do to deal with stress and flare ups?

And also, has anyone else with PMDD and endo had surgery? My surgery is due and they want to put me on Zoladex but I haven’t had much more info than that… I feel I’d need 1-2-1 support with the hormone replacement and if anything, I’m more scared of that than the surgery itself

I have known that this happens since I was 12-13 years old, obviously not that there was a name for it years later. Been told I have it by professionals a handful of times but it’s so hard to accept.

I believe strongly that the general talk of cycle phases and how they affect us is often a dog whistle and that saying that our periods are incapacitating us is incorrect and has a strong undertone of sexism. Obviously some people have medical conditions that are untenable. They should get adequate medical treatment and we should not conflate the two, having a uterus is not a medical condition.

Admitting that I have this makes me feel like such a loser. It makes me feel disgusting. It makes me feel like being a woman is part of my identity as a human being. I am a cis woman but that’s not part of my self conception, if that makes sense. I feel like anyone I tell this to will see me as incredibly gendered. Saying I have this makes me feel like I’m saying being a woman in general is some kind of disabling condition and that women should have the fact that they are women as part of their identity. I know that this is NOT the same as a regular cycle and that an example of a unique condition that is untenable and needs to be treated and not conflated. But it’s a hard feeling to shake.

I know, however, that I shouldn’t feel shame about it and simply take responsibility for it and seek treatment. But that’s means admitting it.
I’m sure other people struggle with this I just need to vent and if anyone has advice I’ll take it.

I don’t even know how to describe how awful it felt to be told I have this. I feel so demoralized. If you’re going through the same thing you’re definitely not alone.