Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: honeybun on March 21, 2014, 07:53:45 PM
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My niece is 37 with two kids and an enormous PMT problem. My sis has asked me to ask the lovely ladies here for some thoughts of what's best to take to help.
Her GP initially offered AD'S but asked her to keep a symptom diary and she has now realised it's linked to her cycle.
She is taking St John's Wort but really needs something else.
Can anyone point me in the right direction for something that will help. She was on the pill for years and had no cycle at all. The GP does not want to give her that and as she has no partner contraception is not an issue.
Honeyb
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Hi. I have been Peri since my late thirties, up until then I generally sailed through periods with very little symptom, but as my periods became less frequent when they did it was awful, I could have killed! Also sickness, migraines where I could happily have banged my head against the wall as it would have hurt less. My doctor was great put me on the pill, one I take continually with no break & a low dose of AD, 1 tablet every other day, it has helped enormously, now when I get a period I am just mildly irritated!! Why does her doctor not want to put her on the pill? Sadly I think finding help is all about how lucky you are with your doctor and trying various different things. Good luck.xxxx
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She has been on the mini pill almost constantly since she was a teenager which is really long enough. She would rather go down the natural route if she could. Her mood swings are a real problem and being a single mum is hard enough without hormone problems.
Honeyb
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The mini pill was the only thing that helped control mine Honeybun. It stopped me throwing things and feeling that I would either kill someone or myself. The tension for the last ten days of each cycle was unbearable. I really feel for your niece. I found that mine got worse after each baby was born but for the last pregnancy I had it all of the way through - a very scary time.
Taz x
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i suffer and am going to be trialling a high strength patch or she could try a gnrh analogue to switch her ovaries off.
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I think that if she wants to approach this naturally then the thought of switching off her ovaries might not appeal although it is a treatment used for endometriosis. It does give menopausal symptoms quite often though which might be as bad as PMT. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Endometriosis/Pages/Treatment.aspx Worth considering though if every option has been exhausted.
Taz x
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Years ago a doctor told me Vitamin B6 10 days before a period is due then stop a day after it arrives.
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DIET! PMT is only present prior to the bleeding beginning, once the bleed starts then symptoms ease. If they continue following the period then it is another cause.
My symptoms were: sudden nausea; light headedness; weak legs; irritability; not sleeping/sleeping too heavily. She should contact NAPS who advised me to eat every 3 hours - to keep blood sugar levels even. Not to add anything to the diet but to spread it out, eating regularly even through the night - so a bathroom visit results in a dry biscuit.
Bananas helped me a lot.
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Here's the link to NAPS http://www.pms.org.uk/
Taz x
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:thankyou:
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Thanks Taz, I have passed the link on and hopefully she will find something to help there.
She really does struggle a lot and having two young kids can be a strain.
Honeyb
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Hi, Honeyb, I see this is an old tread but was curious to read. Did you niece find any suitable remedy? I hope so!
What i recently read was that mild SSRIs can actually be very effective and fast in relieving severe PMT symptoms, while taken after ovulation until the period starts, i.e. Just half of the month. The book that I read also discussed how puzzled the scientists are as to why SSRIs tend to work immediately on PMT issues while it takes them a month or so to have influence on general depression and anxiety-type symptoms, even if they are taken full time.
I hope your niece is feeling better now but this info might help!
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I never knew when I ovulated ::)
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She is much better. The longer she is off the pill the better she gets it would seem.
The GP gave her beta blockers to help calm her down and they have helped enormously.
All in all she is a much happier girl.
Honeyb
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Long may it last!
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This is great news , Honeyb!