PMS Thread

[Darca62]

I am pmsing pretty bad this month - it will be my TOM in about 3-4 days.
last night I cheated a bit and had two handfulls of baking chocolate. this morning I was so upset (and emotional) I cried because I though the chocolate was goigoing to reverse all my hard work. which it didn't! I am really bloated today but to avoid cravings for sweets I am replacing dessert with yogurt or nuts. pms can be so hard for me on this diet and to be honest with you i've tried this diet twice be fore and quite during my TOM each time but I battled through it in the beginning already so I have to be strong this time as well

[babice]

Be strong. Drink lots of water. Wait it out. Take hot baths and showers. Wait it out.



Easier said than done. But....this too shall pass!

[determination]

You know, I wish women could have the luxury the Oneida Native American women had at their pms time of the month(pre-white man). When the PMS began the woman would leave her family and go off to a place alone to meditate and relax. The man took care of the family for that week. Doesn't this sound nice ladies? After learning of this practice I try to do a little meditation when my emotions run high. It helps a little.

[toese]

You know, I wish women could have the luxury the Oneida Native American women had at their pms time of the month(pre-white man). When the PMS began the woman would leave her family and go off to a place alone to meditate and relax. The man took care of the family for that week. Doesn't this sound nice ladies? After learning of this practice I try to do a little meditation when my emotions run high. It helps a little.

Now that sounds like the best medicine for pms!!!

[babice]

You know, I wish women could have the luxury the Oneida Native American women had at their pms time of the month(pre-white man). When the PMS began the woman would leave her family and go off to a place alone to meditate and relax. The man took care of the family for that week. Doesn't this sound nice ladies? After learning of this practice I try to do a little meditation when my emotions run high. It helps a little.

You know -- that's actually not just a native american thing. In the bible (OT) it says that women were to go outside of the circle during that time because they were unclean! I always found that rather stupid and insulting but, now that you put it the way you did -- yes! It sounds great!

[BeckyH]

Hello, BeckyH here. I'm a P2 Restarter .

Toese-- I've been on Effexor for about 3 1/2 years now. It's been great for insomnia for me, but I think it caused me to have a 22 lb weight gain .

When my doc upped my prescription from 37.5mgs to 75mgs, I gained about a lb a month for 2 years (perimenopause may also be a factor ). I even increased my exercise but it made no difference.

I went back down to 37.5mgs since and the gain seemed to level off. None of my old weight loss strategies seem to work anymore.

Has Effexor changed your weight at all? I hate to change my prescr because I tried so many others with uncomfortable side effects.

Thanks.

[toese]

No it hasn't changed my weight. I think the reason why people gain on these drugs is because it makes you want to eat I don't think it has anything to do with your metabolism.

I track all my foods now and make sure I don't go over my calorie limit I also watch my portions.

If I didn't take effexor I would be one grouchy little beotch!!

[agirlwithadream]

Hey! saw these posts and found them really interesting. There is one side affect that I did not see mentioned but I could have missed it. I have had SO MUCH trouble with my TOM omg. I mean you have no idea. My friends have PMS and I know it hurts them but I see them functioning like walking around and even going out . I cant do any of that. Like alot of you I feel symptoms of PMS 2 weeks before I get it. LIke I will have cramps and mood swings. All that stuff is natural to me. BUT once I get it im done for for like 6 or7 days.

I have excessive bleeding. Its more like hemoraging. Causes me to be really week and pretty much stay in bed for at least 4 days without moving. The pain from that is incredible to. Like doctors ask you in the hospital on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad does it hurt and my pain is a 20 at some points. Im in so much pain I cant even cry.

I have gone to the gynecologist ALOT about it. Last year I had an exploratory surgery because I just new I had some kind of cyst or condition. I was horrified when the results came back that my doctor found nothing unusual. I have been on many birthcontrol pills before that that made me gain a ton of weight and sent me through all kinds of withdrawals. Ive vowed never to use them again because I just dont react well to them like some people. Also I was advised to try the Depot shot but after i researched it and read the horror stories of people gaining not alittle but up to 70 pounds I was like omg no way you know. My gynocologist says that I have a very unusual situation. he said I was in the 1 percentile of girls who had normal periods yet they were so horrible that it was like they had something wrong with them. I had to go on homebound to because of this problem. The bleeding would be so severe that I coudnt go to school for that week. It has affected my work to because of that and the pain.

I just want to be functional I mean not feel GREAT even though that would be awsome lol but not go through this. I feel its a HUGE reason why I have gained weight over the years and had such a hard time keeping it off. Dont when u lose alot of blood you get hungry or crave food? I get so weak to that I dont want to walk.

ANway wow sorry this is so long this post though just inspired me to write about my situation. Has anyone ever heard of someone with PMS this bad? Is there anything that they did or you did to help you get through it? Ive been told exercising helps to but when im as weak as I get I feel it would be dangerous for me to do much..that I might pass out of something . Now I have never tried vitamins and might give this a go because I read calcium helps. any people with results with this?

thanks to all who take the time to read this and respond. u guys are awsome and ive recieved so much help from yall. its so great to know that u are not alone on situations!!!!!!!!

[Amity228]

After searching the forum I found this thread. And this is where I belong. I don't know why but PMS is so bad this time. Last night I had a hard time sleeping and was crying while in bed. Poor DH he was worried but I told him I'm fine sometimes I just need to cry and then I feel better. I took a Tylenol PM to try and help me sleep. Needless to say I got about 5.5 hours and thats enough to keep me going.

DH asked me if its worse because I have lost weight so therefore hormonal levels aren't adjusted to lower weight but after reading this thread and others I doubt it. Last month it was very light so maybe this time its here full force.

I still managed to get up and run and lift weights. It actually seemed easier for me to run today then last week. Interesting. Last week was actually the week before and I started Sunday. So it was easier to run when I actually started I felt like I could have run all day.

Well I just came here to vent a little. Feeling more stable this morning.
Going outside to do some yardwork maybe that will be good healing therapy.

[teeteehawk]

I do the same thing as you Amity228. I get REALLY tired the week before...exhausted! I can't get enough sleep. The ONLY thing I have found that helps with the exhaustion and weakness...water! If I drink the water I need and am supposed to, plus a little more that week, I tend to do a lot better. Also, I have found that it helps with the weight! LOL I hate the cravings. I crave chocolate...I can't get enough. This time while on SBD I had to just say no but man...it is hard!

My poor DH, he worries about me during my TOM! I have PCOS and it tends to make the PMS not only PMS but PMDD. I get it bad...matter of fact...my DH and I never fight...except once a month and that one time (for about a week) is ALWAYS his fault! LOL

[hellolost]

I started reading this thread and needed to post before finishing it.

I have horrid pms.
It lasts about two weeks before and three days into my period.
I actually scare people.

Here is how it goes...
Two weeks before I start my breasts swell and begin to be very sensitive to the touch. Just trying to sleep on them hurts so darn bad.
My attitude starts to change. I start getting irritated very easy.

One week before ...
My back starts to hurt. My breasts hurt so bad that just putting a bra on makes my eyes water. Cramps start going in waves. Sometimes to the point of doubling me over.
My attitude changes drasticly. I start to cry at the drop of a hat. I get angry very easy. I start feeling down about myself. I feel fat because of the bloating. I just feel ugly.

A few days before to the day before..
Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. You are the biggest bother of my life. Why can't you leave me alone. My cramps are incredible. My head hurts. I will cry and snap.

The day off
My boobs stop hurting and the cramps hurt.

Second day.. This is the worst day for me. My body is trying to kill me. I double over most cramps. I have missed work before. The blood flow is crazy. I will use more tampons then any other time. I have to be careful standing up or I might have a accident. Even if I just put a fresh one in. TMI? sorry. I will bawl my eyes out if you are nice to me.

Day three... pretty much back to normal but with a period.

I seriously am surprised that I still have a honey.

[packerprincess]

After reading all the posts I can relate. I have PMS

I get my period every two weeks, don't know why, when I was younger and on the pill it was called breakthru bleeding. So that means I get PMS symptoms twice a month! Was pretty much a mess, yelling, crying - you name it!

Last December I finally got my doctor to put me on Wellbutrin. That seemed to help a lot. Just lately I noticed I was still getting a little wacked out around PMS time, so she added Prozac. So far so good, no cry baby moments or biting heads off. Our part-time girl, who is always screwing up, use to make me nuts. Now I just say oh well, if DH doesn't want to fire her, why should I care?

I haven't noticed an improvement with weight loss or diet. I think it's hormones or lack of that is causing it. I wish there was a cure.

[manzanita]

Among women living closely together, the onsets of menstruation may tend to synchronise somewhat. This McClintock effect was first described in 1971, and possibly explained by the action of pheromones in 1998. However, subsequent research has called this conclusion into question.

Even it's it not scientifically proven, it makes perfect sense in terms of evolution. A female birthing is at risk of predators so if there's a pack of females birthing together, there's pack security. Therefore, ovulation should also be affected. With many females given birth and lactating, other females can take over feeding offspring if one female is having difficulty.

Pheromones are a powerful thing. When I was a student midwife, my uterus would also start clamping down when the woman had a contraction. However, this was *only* with non-augmented/induced labours, which suggests to me, that there is something about pheromones affecting other female. My cycles were also pretty regular and even for allowing for SBD and metformin, it was a pretty startling phenomena!

Manzy