PMS

[chefkate]

Who else here gets PMS? OR rather who USED to get PMS, found a good way to deal with it, and now has a happier husband?

Last night was my PMS night and I'm not proud to say I was very mean to DH. It always happens this way. Just before dinner on Day 27 and I get madder than anything you've ever seen and it gets worse all night. The next A.M. around 6 my period starts and bad attitude disppears. I feel so bad about getting so angry with him. Thankfully he's an awesome guy and pretty much knows what's going on and ignores me. I feel like I try really hard to not let this happen but it feels so out of my control. I am normally a really happy person and that little window of time I hardly recognize myself.

Any help would be greatly appreciated although please no drugs/hormones.

My husband thanks you!!!!

 

[taprice]

Hi,

For a few years I was exactly the same. About 10-12 years ago, I'm 47, I went on a strict elimination diet to see if foods were contributing to my nastiness. After a lot of detective work, I realized that I am allergic to citric acid, and very sensitive to chemicals in general. Citric acid absolutely sends me over the edge. Now I avoid it at all costs, which is hard because it's listed in a lot of foods and hidden in many others, and I try to eat as clean as possible to avoid the chemicals. It is interesting because I can tolerate a few chemical laden foods, (a cookie or a few crackers) towards the beginning of my cycle, but if I eat them after say day 14, LOOK OUT!

Tracy

 

[Aquajock]

I have perimenopausal PMS, which means you never know when it's gonna come, how long it's gonna last, or how much or how little of it you'll have (kind of like a Minnesota snowstorm). I try to keep track of my cycle as much as possible and notify DH in advance that Ms. Hyde is coming out; he and I agree that I'll just dive under the blankets or otherwise avoid him until it breaks. Just knowing when it's coming is good; then you can just plan on being away from people when you know you'll be snappish.

A-Jock

 

[allwildgirl]

My PMS is the stuff of legend You know, those scary, Brothers Grimm fairy tales kind of legends with horrid witches and monsters that eat children... yes, that's me. Everyone who knows me even a little bit knows it. I haven't really found anything that helps a whole lot and some months are better than others. My SO actually likes to torment me during PMS. I guess he likes playing with fire. And he knows to take anything I say during that time with a very large pinch of salt.

 

[chefkate]

Thanks for all of everyone's kind words - nice to know I'm not the only *witch*. Maybe I should just plan a night out for myself every 27 days!

Tracy - Do you know what it is about the citric acid that does it to you?

Large pinch of salt?,....More like I need a case of it to throw handfuls of at everyone who looks at me. But only for 1 evening thank goodness!

 

[allwildgirl]

Yes, thank your lucky stars it's one night. Mine lasts upwards of a week, including all the lovely physical symptoms... ugh.

 

[Liz66]

Don't you want to know that my husband and I were having a huge, nasty argument on the SAME NIGHT as you??!! AND for the same reason??!?! The PMS for me is so bad that I contemplated posting, but didn't. I suffer from terrible fatigue (I mean, I could literally sleep all day!) about 3 days before, then I get super crabby, then I get my period and feel like a heel. My cycle is a complete disaster because, I think, my daughter began her period about a year ago and she's not quite into a schedule, and women tend to get on a similar schedule (I'd love to know the biology behind that).

Anyway, for me, I need to go back to my old habits - I used to keep a food diary and ate very clean, had a good, productive work out daily, and kept track of my cycle. A good diet and exercise really seemed to help.

I still feel embarassed by my behavior! As I'm saying these horrible things, a little voice in my head is saying, "I can't believe you just said that! Wait - you should have said that! No-you're being mean!" It's horrible!!

If anyone else has suggestions, I'd love to hear them!
Liz

 

[TeTe]

Oh, yeah. Good times.

DH learned a long time ago about the Medusa that is me during PMS. (Or maybe WAS me. Last month was nothing but hot flashes and nightsweats...the hits just keep on a-coming!). One time we were watching Jeopardy and he kept answering the questions correctly and in the proper form: "Who is Robert the Bruce," "What is the Black Sox Scandal," etc. He was getting on my very last nerve. I finally looked at him and, in the calmest voice I could muster, said, "If you say 'what' or 'who' is something one more time, I swear to god, I'm going to rip your tongue out, honey." He said, "You need to be alone, don't you? I'll just go watch this in the other room." And he did. And then he went out and bought me chocolate later. And, of course, I burst into tears.

 

[autumn]

I just watched a program on Discovery Health CME about PMS and PMDD. Let me add the disclamier: This program is intended for physicians and other health care professionals. Any consumers watching should consult with their physician or health care professional. You have to register to view it online.

http://discoveryhealthcme.discovery.com/pmdd/pmdd.html

My doctor prescribed progesterone (not progestin) for my PMS (most likely PMDD) and other symptoms of low progesterone, and it has done wonders for me. This is not the "standard" treatment, but I feel like a new person. I told my husband the other night that I haven't felt this good in years.

I understand that not everyone wants to rely on drugs/hormones. I am just sharing what worked for me.

 

[chefkate]

Thanks for everyone's funny stories...nice to know I'm not alone. Jeez, maybe I shouldn't be complaining about dealing w/ this for only 1 night!!!

 

[janiejoey]

I found this, it could help you.

1: J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Jul-Aug;12(6):535-41.Click here to read Links
Effect of aromatherapy on symptoms of dysmenorrhea in college students: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Han SH, Hur MH, Buckle J, Choi J, Lee MS.

School of Nursing, Wonkwang Public Health College, Iksan, Korea.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of aromatherapy on menstrual cramps and symptoms of dysmenorrhea. DESIGN: The study was a randomized placebo-controlled trial. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 67 female college students who rated their menstrual cramps to be greater than 6 on a 10-point visual analogue scale, who had no systemic or reproductive diseases, and who did not use contraceptive drugs. INTERVENTION: Subjects were randomized into three groups: (1) an experimental group (n = 25) who received aromatherapy, (2) a placebo group (n = 20), and (3) a control group (n = 22). Aromatherapy was applied topically to the experimental group in the form of an abdominal massage using two drops of lavender (Lavandula officinalis), one drop of clary sage (Salvia sclarea), and one drop of rose (Rosa centifolia) in 5 cc of almond oil. The placebo group received the same treatment but with almond oil only, and the control group received no treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES: The menstrual cramps levels was assessed using a visual analogue scale and severity of dysmenorrhea was measured with a verbal multidimensional scoring system. RESULTS: The menstrual cramps were significantly lowered in the aromatherapy group than in the other two groups at both post-test time points (first and second day of menstruation after treatment). From the multiple regression aromatherapy was found to be associated with the changes in menstrual cramp levels (first day: Beta = -2.48, 95% CI: -3.68 to -1.29, p < 0.001; second day: Beta = -1.97, 95% CI: -3.66 to -0.29, p = 0.02 and the severity of dysmenorrhea (first day: Beta = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.57, p = 0.02; second day: Beta = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.56, p = 0.006) than that found in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that aromatherapy using topically applied lavender, clary sage, and rose is effective in decreasing the severity of menstrual cramps. Aromatherapy can be offered as part of the nursing care to women experiencing menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea.

PMID: 16884344 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey