Thank you so much for all this wonderful information. I’ve struggled with depression for 10 or more years, recently told that I may have bipolar type II instead. So, I’m on Lexapro and an anti-convulsant which helps the mood instability. Also, recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. So, I take levothyroxine for my hypothyroidism. I have 2 small boys and needless to say my husband doesn’t quite understand what I go through. I now feel that I may have PMDD. I’ve got all the symptoms except suicidal thoughts thank goodness. It’s hard to even think straight sometimes. I fee like I’m losing my mind, fatique, can’t keep track of what symptoms are being caused by what condition.

Anyways, wondering if you can recommend a book that I could buy my husband (and myself) to help him understand what it’s like to have PMDD.

Thanks so much,
Amy

I am a 41 year old lesbian in a new relationship; and even though my partner still gets her regular menstrual cycle, she does not understand the absolute Hell I go through…though I do understand the Hell I put her through and how that makes me feel even worse. I was prescribed Zoloft over a year ago, and it helps me tremendously – however, this month there was a mix-up in getting my prescription mailed to me on time and unfortunately I had to go through this period without my meds. My medication will not be here for at least three more days, and my partner and I are both counting the hours until they get here. lol I realize how dangerous it is for me to be off my medication; and I truly appreciate this web-site so that my partner can also get a little better understanding of not only what I am going through but what I am putting her through as well. It must be helping, because she brought the lap top into our room, plugged it in and quietly retreated back to the living room to watch basketball. lol Anyway, so glad we found this web site, and much appreciation to you and everyone else who understands this awful condition.

May

I am 37 years old and was only diagnosed with PMDD about 5 years ago. HOWEVER, I have been going to doctors since I was 15 saying “I don’t have a little bit of PMS, I have SEVERE PMS”. And of course back then it was completely written off and I was put on every single birth control pill available at the time (which made me even more crazy). I finally took myself off the pill in my early 20′s – but still suffering the awful effects of this terrible condition. I’m sure you can all relate how all of this affected friendships, relationships and especially with family members. The scary thing is when my mom and I now look back on it she definitely had it as well (we used to call her Jekyll and Hyde). So at 28 I got pregnant with my first son and it was like I was free. It was euphoric to feel so good and it lasted until I stopped nursing until it reared it’s ugly head again. I then had a few miscarriages and couldn’t get pregnant so we started fertility treatments but I couldn’t even do IVF because I didn’t produce enough eggs and of quality. With only four eggs not of quality they sent us home and told us to try but the chances were slim and I got pregnant with triplet boys who are now 5. Once again I had bliss for almost 2 years. I remember walking down the stairs one day and thinking to myself that I couldn’t imagine going back to the way I used to feel. I felt like such a great mom and person. And then it hit again. But finally a nurse practitioner gave me a sheet on PMDD when I told her my symptoms and it all made sense. In some ways it was a relief to finally put a name to this. So since then I have done EVERYTHING (I have learned that you must be your own advocate!). I have researched, went to every doctor imaginable (even Columbia University where they couldn’t tell me much more), psychiatrists, psychologists, tried every med imaginable (way too many side effects) supplements, etc. I now do acupuncture but money and time is a huge issue (oh and I had a surprise pregnancy – a girl! – 2 years ago). I have my Masters in Exercise Physiology and am very proactive with eating well and exercising however, during my bad weeks I want to hide from everyone and just sit in my bed (which I used to beat myself up about because I thought I was lazy – well I still do). I scream at my children and it is truly starting to affect them. We also have issues in that my husband has ADD and problems with alcohol. So between my problems, his problems, money problems and what I am doing to our kids I sometimes feel like I am going to break. Almost 25 years of this madness has taken it’s toll on me mentally and physically. So it sounds like this will be a great place for me to get support and information. I’m sorry to be writing a book here but I just needed to get it all out.

Jules

My family may or may not become more supportive once I tell them that I made the final decision and set a date, but that’s okay. Again, I know what I need and I stand behind my decision a thousand percent. If I couldn’t stand behind my decision this strongly I don’t think I could go thru something so serious and permanent.

I would ask you this: Have you exhausted all other treatments? Are you finished having children? Is your husband supportive of this decision? Are you prepared to go thru what might come from the surgery?

PMDD is just a bitch in my opinion to try and explain to people, or should I say, to get people to truly understand. They can sympathize with you, but unless they truly live with it, understanding you having surgery, they just may not be able to do.

Hang in there and good luck!

Stef

There is a ton of info out there if you do a general search of Paxil CR withdraw or taper, any wording along those lines, it’s insane what you have to go thru.
So many people have found out the hard way and I mean months to get off of it.

I am one of those people and only speak about my experiences with it, but again do the search, it’s not pretty.