Update on PMDD Two Years Later

April is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Awareness (PMDD) month. Here is a short update on how I am doing with the disorder.

In 2021, I wrote a candid blog post about having Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). I wrote about how I tried a type of birth control to help me with my cramps and mood swings.

However, two months after I started taking my birth control I had a depressive episode that was caused by a former friend who cussed me out. This really hurt my mental health. I was heartbroken by her words. The words kept repeating inside my head and caused me to get depressed. Since I wasn’t coping well, I went to speak with my nurse about my depression. She suggested that I try an antidepressant that would not only help me get pass the depression that I was facing but it would also help my mood swings. I continued to take both my birth control and antidepressants. But they didn’t help. The birth control didn’t help with my cramps and the antidepressant caused me to gain weight. I wasn’t happy with how I felt or looked. But I was told by my nurse, at the time, that nothing else could be done and I should continue to take them.

 After moving to Maryland in 2021, I told my new nurse that I didn’t want to be on either of them because of the side effects and she agreed. To help with the cramps she prescribed a muscle relaxer. The muscle relaxer helped with my cramps, but there was a side effect that I didn’t like. The pill made me sleepy and when I took it, I slept most of the time.

I still struggled with the mood swings, cravings, bloating and aches and pains throughout my body. To help combat these symptoms I tried taking  Midol, but it didn’t help much. I was getting frustrated. I didn’t feel good.

In addition to the physical symptoms of PMDD I face Anxiety and Depression. Seeing a mental health therapist helps me learn coping skills to help manage my symptoms.

Fast forward to the month of May in 2024, I started having stomach pains, bathroom issues, bloating, and my period lasted longer than normal, and I felt like my bones were on fire. My doctor gave me a prescription for the bone pain, and she suggested I get an ultrasound. I agreed. The ultrasound wasn’t painful, just a little uncomfortable. A few days later I got the results. I had a small fibroid tumor, an ovarian cyst, and a blocked fallopian tube and I was going to be sent to a gynecologist. When the nurse’s assistant called and explained the results, I hung up the phone and cried on Matt’s chest for at least fifteen minutes. I was shocked, but also hopeful that they finally found the reason for my pain, and why my period had been so heavy for years.

 The next day the gynecologist’s office called, and I found out I had to wait until October for  my appointment. So, I waited and worried.

The day of my appointment came, and I was nervous. I had read so many horror stories of women having bad experiences and needing surgery or medicines to help with these problems.

My doctor was kind. She explained that the fibroid tumor was not cancerous, and it was about the size of a poppy seed, my cyst was in normal limits and my blocked tube was nothing to worry about since I am not planning on having children. I shared that my heavy periods and severe cramps were disrupting my daily life. She said that since the muscle relaxers and pain medicine for my fiery bones were working, we didn’t have to change anything regarding pain management. She also didn’t answer my question on why I have heavy periods. So that still remains a mystery.

I listed out my symptoms and told her that a former therapist told me I had PMDD back in 2015. She confirmed that I did indeed have PMDD. I walked out of her office with a prescription for another form of birth control to try to sooth the symptoms I battle each month.  Because of my insurance I had to wait to get it covered. I had to wait until January 2025. I had a lot of ambivalence because of the side effects I had from my previous prescription. Finally in February I decided to take it. But it was only for four days because I got migraines and had panic attacks.

It’s hard to have PMDD, because of the intense physical and emotional symptoms. My anxiety and depression cause me to feel like I am on a roller coaster most of the month. Even though I apply coping skills to help me manage my mood swings they aren’t enough to help me. Sometimes medication, such as an antidepressant, is prescribed.

While I was researching information about antidepressants, I learned that some women benefit from a low dose pill that is only taken during their PMDD week. I told my therapist about it, and he did some research on it.

During my last session he suggested that I try an antidepressant to help with the mood swings. I explained to him that I was hesitant to try another one because I didn’t like the side effects I had from my previous prescription. He explained to me that he did some of his own research and found the same thing I did, and to keep an open mind about trying it.

 I decided to give it a chance, so at my last doctor’s appointment I asked about it and my doctor agreed. It was too late to take it during my last cycle. And my last cycle was hard. I had a lot of anxiety, depression and some tension. Matt and I are still learning how to manage this disorder. Because of the mood swings, anxiety, depression and physical symptoms PMDD is not just hard on the person who has it, but also their family. Matt is learning skills to help me cope with and to help him deal with the disorder.

I tried my new medicine and sadly I had an allergic reaction to it. I am presently waiting to hear back from my doctor to find out what to do next….