Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
PMDD is similar to PMS except that it is much more severe.
Symptoms may be physical and/or mental and may include:
Feelings of sadness or despair, or possibly suicidal thoughts
Feelings of tension or anxiety
Panic attacks
Mood swings, crying
Lasting irritability or anger that affects other people
Disinterest in daily activities and relationships
Trouble thinking or focusing
Tiredness or low energy
Food cravings or binge eating
Trouble sleeping
Feeling out of control
Bloating
Breast tenderness
Headaches
Joint or muscle pain
Symptoms Occur the week prior to menstruation and cease immediately when bleeding begins or within the first 1 or 2 days.
If an individual suffers from 5 of these symptoms during this time period, it may be an indication of PMDD.
Step2
There are no concrete answers as to what causes PMDD. It is most commonly believed that PMDD is due to the lack of serotonin in the brain and fluctuates with levels of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
Step3
Diagnosing PMDD is somewhat tricky as PMS and PMDD often parallel each other. Keep a consistent record of mood fluctuations (good and bad) and physical symptoms on a monthly calendar. Notate when you begin menstruation, the rate of flow and when menstruation ceases. Also record positive and negative interactions with others specifically your husband/boyfriend i.e. "Argued with husband over missing dinner. Threw and broke dishes. Cried allot. Heavy cramping. Felt panic. Lasted 3 hours."
Do this over the course of at least 3 months. It is recommended to continue this documentation thru menopause.
This record of moods and events will illustrate symptoms, actions and reactions, trigger points, etc. and is the primary method of diagnosing PMDD.
Be sure to bring this calendar journal with you to meet with your doctor.
Step4
Once diagnosed, there are various forms of treatment including lifestyle changes and prescription medications.
Lifestyle changes may include reduction in caffeine, salt, carbohydrate and alcohol intake; eating high protein meals; drinking water; supplementing diet with vitamin B6, calcium and omega 3.
Other recommendations include exercise, stress reduction, counselling and behavior management strategies.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three medications for the treatment of PMDD: Fluoxetine (Prozac or Sarafem), Sertraline (Zoloft), and Paroxetine HCI (****).
L-tryptophan, a serotonin precursor has also been shown to offer relief of symptoms.
It is important to seek medical treatment from a physician familiar with PMDD as there are possible side effects to prescription and non-prescription treatment. Also, long term treatment may be necessary to monitor symptoms and to reevaluate medication dosages.
For extreme cases, hormonal treatments may be necessary to cease menstruation.
Step5
The good news is that PMDD is treatable and symptoms disappear with pregnancy and with the onset of menopause.
Comments
bizewriter said
on 2/12/2008 Great information for a common cause of suffering.
Mallard44 said
on 2/6/2008 Excellent info! I wish I had known this prior to menopause. It's good that there is a specific treatment.
ursaminor said
on 2/5/2008 Excellent article! Thanks for writing with such clarity. I love being menopausal. It's so much nicer than the alternative ever was.