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[Focus]

I totally know it's a thing at this point in time, but I have nobody to talk to about this, so please go easy on me.

I'm using the combined pill to help me cope with all the period weirdness that's been going on...probably for well over a year and a half now (although it's only been in the past year and three months that things were spectacularly bad and well on impossible to cope with).

Anyway, it's been working well. I can plan for work and get out the house when I need to for work (and exercise). I'm self employed so no sick pay if I'm not working. And I need to be able to plan and accept future work to get paid.

I'm taking the CP pretty much continuously until I start getting some sort of cramping and/or breakthrough bleeding, which can be barely there. Then I'll stop taking it for a week. So far it looks like this happens every 3 or 4 months. Which is fine, I can cope with it.

Back in May the PMT was horrendous. Much worse that it ever was before all this started happening. I thought I was going to pass out pretty much every moment for two days. And it lasted two days instead of just one, which had always been the norm for me, but never that bad really. But I barely had any 'period'.

It looks like the same is happening this time.

So weird. In my head, bad PMT was associated with a heavy period. And I have the terror of the huge clots and flooding I had before going on the CP returning.

I'm so tired of this.

[CLKD]

It is tiring.

Premenstrual syndrome/tension can be eased by eating every 3 hours.  For me that was easy as long as I stuck to my safe foods.  Lots of dried fruits/nuts; bananas; pancakes .......... anything that didn't take long to cook.

HORMONES 

[Focus]

Really? I didn't know this.

Mine seemed to get a lot worse a bit after I had lunch today (salmon, spinach, avocado and a sprinkling of mixed seeds on top).

At least the constipation has gone...lol.

[CLKD]

How do you describe PMT as it affects you?  True PMT happens in the 10-14 days prior to a bleed.

[Focus]

Hmmm, I used to feel really touchy and paranoid for a week before. Constipation, feeling heavy.

Then on the first day of my period I'd have not too bad stomach cramps and the runs.

The day after, my period was much lighter and I'd feel great again. Day three and four, I barely had any period.

I guess I got off lightly compared to a lot of women? I think it was really my mood that suffered most of all.

Now, I've no idea. Night sweats, weird dreams, constipation and the runs (but not every time), cramps, feeling like I'm going to pass out (but not every time), feeling low in myself. But nothing much seems to follow a regular pattern. Sometimes it's bad, sometimes it's barely noticeable.

[Hurdity]

Hi Focus - sorry to hear you are suffering. Are you saying that these horrible PMT symptoms and feelings you are describing occur when you have the week off the COP because you feel a period coming?

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

HORMONES 

Keep well hydrated and eat little and often.  I think that we accepted alterations when growing up but now we are probably more aware of hormonal upheaval?

[Focus]

Thanks Hurdity.

I think I start getting some night sweats and weird dreams for a few days (but nowhere near as bad as before taking the CP) after I've been taking the pill for 3-ish months. And I feel constipated. Then I have a very, very small amount of breakthrough bleeding.

So I'm falling into a pattern where if that's happening, I stop taking the pill for a week.

So then I get cramps, the runs and a 'period' of varying sorts. Sometimes it's non existent. Nothing like the sort of period I had when I was on the CP thought my late 20s and all the way through my 30s and early 40s. It really is practically not there.

Once in October it was very heavy (clots and flooding, but nowhere near as bad as before) and I was so scared of it being like before and not stopping, that I stayed at home 2 days).

It feels totally unpredictable. But it's made as predictable as it can be by taking the CP, if you see what I mean. And I'm genuinely grateful that I can take it. 

[Focus]

Fancy a laugh?

I put on a guided meditation on YouTube, then decided to go and do a quick 5k.

It was hellish. My slowest time ever and a total struggle.

Thank heavens it was dark outside as about 2k in I was sure I'd clotted and flooded.

Nothing to do but carry on. I have black leggings and it was dark anyway.

Got home, couldn't sit down as everything - cushions and sofa - is white. Couldn't sit on the floor as it's wood and I've stained it before, when things were really bad last year.

But lol...I discovered I just had a sweaty bum 

 

[pants46]

Aaaw, Focus.
You silly billy. But well done for running.🏃‍♀️

[Focus]

Well, cramps gone.

But now I have a headache on my left side, around my temple/eye.

And I've had headaches quite literally only a handful of times in my life. I never get them.

[CLKD]

Hormones! 

[Focus]

Day 3 of cramps. Jesus.

I thought that when I woke up this morning today was going to be better. But they seem to have come back.

There's no rhyme or reason to this. It's exhausting.