What do you do to handle your PMS?

[Personal Chef]

As I am getting older my PMS is getting a little more difficult to handle. My biggest problem is I am severely irritable which is horrible as I am a stay-at-home mom with a 6 year-old and a 2 year-old. They bear the brunt of my moodiness.

I tried Vitex; St. John's Wort; Magnesium; B-vitamins and nothing has worked. Is there an over-the-counter product you take that you'd be willing to recommend? At this time I do not believe my PMS is severe enough for prescription medication. Thanks for your suggestions.:)

[SheRa]

i don't know if this is an option for you, but i used to get SEVERE cramps (which made me irritable!) and going on birth control helped a LOT.

or would something like yoga or meditation help calm you if you practiced regularly, maybe?

just my first thoughts. i hope someone is able to suggest something that'll help you!

[wallycat]

I know some women go on antidepressants to limit hot flashes (odd, but docs profess it works), so maybe something similar.

I never got bad PMS, but with tamoxifen, I have even less of everything :o

Good luck.

[testkitchen45]

How about daily exercise--even a brisk walk? :)

[LakeMartinGal]

I took the anti-depressant route after a couple of surgeries, and it helps. I take an extremely low dose or Effexor.

Another suggestion would be vitamin D (sunshine vitamin). Red Clover - one of the milder phytoestrogens, which my GYN says is safe to take, even though I can't take hormones, due to having had breast cancer. Others are dong quai, etc, but make sure you get the 'standardized' dose, because some of the capsules are not regulated.

[Personal Chef]

Thanks for taking the time to offer advice.

I do exercise 2-4 times a week either running and/or walking. I am trying to go the natural route. I have my yearly exam in Jan. so if my mood is not better by then I will mention my PMS troubles to my gyn.

Fortunately, I have outgrown cramps. Maybe giving birth helped but I never get them any more.

Yoga is a wonderful option. I had forgotten how much it can help physical ailments.

I'll research more Vitamin D, Red Clover and Dong Quai. Thanks for giving me some hope :)

[AzAnne]

Another suggestion... Evening Primrose Oil.

When I was experiencing the same issues I went to the health food store and spoke with one of the sales girls and she suggested a specific product (sorry I really can't remember the name) that help me alot. So I would try a local health food store and see what option they have available.

[LakeMartinGal]

There's also Remifemin and other products, but I wouldn't take anything without your GYN saying it's ok, as they products may exacerbate other possible problems! Been there, done that.:o

[TKay]

I know you prefer the natural route, but I wanted to mention what my md told me a few years ago. She said lots of women take antidepressants for pms for like the two weeks before and during menstruation. That seemed kind of odd to me since I thought those types of meds took time to build up to an effective level. So I'm not sure how that all works, but you might talk to your ob about it. Of course, I hope you find relief before that. I have been down that road before (and just sort of got through it somehow). It can be the pits. I will also mention that being on birth control pills helped a ton. I especially liked the low-estrogen formula. It really kept me on an even keel.

Good luck and hang in there.

[Chris415]

I'm not sure your age, but this became a problem for me several months ago. It got to a point where I had PMS more than I didn't! :(

My doctor recommended St. Johns Wort (you said you tried this, but for me, it took several weeks to kick in), plus a calcium/magnesium supplement in the evening. I admit, I've been very slack on the cal/mag--I forget at night! :rolleyes:--but I've been taking the St. Johns Wort religiously. My last two cycles have come and gone with virtually no PMS symptoms. I really wanted to go the natural route, so cross fingers, this so far has been helpful.

Best of luck to you, I know where you're coming from,
Chris

[ChristyMarie]

I've also heard that Evening Primrose Oil works.

For me, avoiding salt and all thing craved helps. As does daily exercise. LOTS of water. And some alone time. I will scream without alone time.

[Personal Chef]

Thank you again for your thoughtful responses. I am glad some of you have found some relief through traditional and alternative treatments.

I had forgotten about Evening Primrose Oil. I'll add that to my research list.

I have been taking St. John's Wort for almost 2 years. It's helped a little. I took it years ago and it made a huge difference in my pms symptoms. For some reason it is not helping much this time around. Plus I am tired of the photosensitivity side effect. I was getting sunburned in NJ at 5:00 in the afternoon. I grew up in Florida and was able to be outside for hours without a burn.

I did try magnesium and calcium and that did not help either. Sigh. I am trying to avoid birth control pills. I took them for close to 20 years and at 41 my fertility is very low at this point so I told my husband it is his turn to take over birth control.

[KimK]

Like someone else said, I avoid salt. I also try to avoid sugar and other carbs, especially the two weeks before. No white flour, no cookies, no refined anything. It makes a huge difference in how I feel!

[Personal Chef]

Hmm I wonder what the connection is? That is all I crave when I am nearing my period--salt and carbs.

I started taking Red Clover about 10 days ago and am feeling pretty stable so far. Thanks again for everyone's support.

[Little Bit]

I just thought I'd mention that yoga really helped me. I've been calmer, more stable, etc. with no particular effort at consistent yoga or meditation practice. I think I managed to learn something along the way that I've taken with me into my life even without any particular diligence about practice.

For example, back before yoga, if I cut myself, I'd hurt, bleed, and FREAK OUT. (Big emotional response, regardless of the size of the wound.)

Since yoga, I've noticed that if I cut myself, I hurt and bleed, but I'm far less likely to freak out about it.

On the nutrition front, I've noticed that since I started keeping a food diary a few months ago, my cycle's been more stable and predictable. Does it mean anything? I'm clueless, but am continuing to try to eat a healthy balanced diet with reasonable amounts of protein, fiber, carbs, fat and sodium. I guess keeping track helps me notice what's going in.

I've been avoiding caffeine in recent years, more because of sleep issues than anything else, but maybe it also helps. I've got no idea if lowering sodium intake helps, but I try to do so anyhow, since it's likely to be beneficial in the long run, even if sodium doesn't cause me any major problems for now.

Well, I hope this helps you consider a few more possibilities in your own searching. :)

[Grace]

What works best for me is actually Advil. I know it's a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory, but it also blocks progesterone (or estrogen?) and that surge is what causes all the problems. When I had my fibroids, the same surge that causes all the other PMS problems also caused my fibroids to grow and engorge. The pain was off the charts when that happened (I have since had my uterus removed to solve that problem). But because I still have my ovaries I still have PMS. The Advil still works like a charm. It's like a miracle drug. I take 3 liquigels and I'm like a new person.

It couldn't hurt to try. My neighbor who also has problems tried it on my recommendation and says it's a godsend for her now too.