PMS Remedy

"If I could give you a pill that had the effect of a little Ritalin & a little Valium but had no negative side effects would you take it?"
I like to recall that this is how a doctor described the effects of regular vigorous exercise.
The 'feel good' hormones released during exercise counteract the 'stress' hormones.
And you get the additional benefits of looking better along with feeling better.
Both my 18 yr old daughter have felt the difference if we skip our workouts.

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I totally feel your pain!!! I went to my dr. and she prescribed anxiety medicine and it totally helps. No more crazy lunatic who can be fine one minute and a nut job the next. I highly recommend it! My family is glad that I did!!

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Not sure if this applies or not but I had brutal PMS when I was on the pill, got off the pill and it went back to normal, very mild crabbiness. Perhaps that is the problem.

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That was so me 6 months ago. I talked to my gyn and found out I had PMDD (premenstral disforic disorder) He put me on serefem 15 days out of the month and it is a 90% improvement. I was afraid that my kids would grow up hating the witch that I became once a month and that is all they would remember. I did not relate to that person and I too could not stop it even though I tried. life is much better in our household now. feel free to contact me if you want to talk.

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PLEASE don't be too quick to let your Dr. give you a 'feel-good' pill, pat you on your head and send you on your way. Fast forward a few months and you'll find yourself with nasty side effects plus an addiction no anti-depressants.

My OB/Gyn whom I had trusted for years was going to perscribe Prozac for me when I called-in with severe PMS symptoms - and he hadn't even seen me in a year! I was not depressed, I just needed some extra hormones. I was so disappointed in him I found a new doctor.

Here is what has worked for me for severe PMS over the years (and i've tried LOTS of things) - increase your leafy green vegetables and whole grains for 2 weeks BEFORE your period is to start. I was skeptical on this working, and then very pleasantly surprised when it did work.

If you're interested, I see an Ostepathic Physician who specializes in bio-identical hormone replacement and she is awesome, let me know if you want her info (she's in the burbs). She sees lots of women for severe PMS, not just menopause.

best of luck to you, it's not in your head, hang in there.

W

My mom actually taught me this...I take Vitamin B6 daily once I feel the "crazy" symptom of PMS come on. A Vitamin B complex tablet also works There is such a big difference in the way I feel. I definitely do not get as emotional, weepy, orcrazy. I keep taking it until I actually have my period, then I'm fine.

I agree with the others on the exercise - regular exercise (any physical activity that gets your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes a day 3x a week) will increase your serotonin levels and improve your mood. To increase your serotonin levels through food, avoid instant & processed foods, overcooked & overripe foods, and saturated fats. There are many books on this, find the one that works best for you!
And I also recommend St. John's Wort. It's an herb that can help regulate your mood- you can find it in any vitamin section. I take it whenever I am grumpy, and it works. I don't know if it's the mind-over-matter/placebo effect or truly the herb, but it never fails to work within 20 minutes. I think just acknowledging I'm being a grump and taking steps to change it may be enough to improve my mood. (And it's non-habit forming.)

Try these things before going to your doctor and getting a prescription - you don't want to be dependent on a prescription drug to regulate yourself, because you'll never be able to be that way on your own, and its important to try to fix the problem within yourself first. Good luck! I think with a change in diet and exercise alone you will notice a great improvement!

I have tried a product called PMS Escape (6 packets in each box) that you can get at the grocery store or online. It is a bit pricey, but it helped mellow me out. I was a bit skeptical at first, it is a powder that you mix with water and tastes like strawberry-kiwi, but my husband and I thought we would give it a try, couldn't hurt, and I really wanted relief. I know it is hard for my husband, eventhough he has loads of patience, but I did not want to deal with Feisty the Clown and Bloaty the Clown when they came to visit :D My husband was mostly concerned about me feeling bad, and wanted to make sure I was happy with myself....so we tried it and it worked for me. I even showed the package to my doctor to see what he thought of it, and he said it looked safe, as it has alot of things in it that we should be getting everyday anyways, just in a bit higher dosages (like vit C, vit B6, calcium, magnesium, etc.) Whatever their magic blend, it helps me loads, and my husband and I have seen a noticeable improvement. I feel less: cranky, anxious, bloated, & hungry :)

Hi M. M,

I hope others have good suggestions for you, I can only tell you what I have been doing for myself. My friends say they don't have the energy for my solutions. I workout extra during that time. I am not very good about keeping my workout schedule otherwise but during that week it is mandatory and I do a powerwalk in the morning to get the anxiety out and then right after work I hit the gym and lift weights. It is an adjustment for the family when I have to change dinner time but it really tires me out and I sort of just let things go at home. Being a little "cest la vie" during this time helps out alot. Sounds strange but I actually need to tire myself out so all my PMS is does not go into caring about dirty dishes, laundry, or other smaller iritations. I hope you find a solution that works for you. --V

i have found that the times that i exercise up to 2 days before my period that seems to tame my beast symptoms. i thought at first it was just a coincidence but on days that i haven't exercised, my family definitely notices a difference in my attitude, usually by asking " what's your problem today!?" try just going to the gym, or taking a brisk walk, and good luck.

I don't have any but reading your email made me feel like I wrote it. It's awful! I always feel so awful about everything! Know that you are not alone.

If you get any good suggestions off line, please let me know! I'd love to have a remedy myself. Though I like the idea of wearing myself out with a good workout, though that will take some motivation!!!

I had this problem a few years ago. I thought about taking that antidepressant that's for the 2 weeks before your period, and that is an option, however my doctor suggested that I take some b vitamins. I got something called " stresstabs" at the grocery store, and lo and behold, it really worked! I also think that women need to nurture themselves more, like take time for yourself, excersise, and try to eat well. These things seem to really help. Not that I have anythng against antidepressants , but if you can get along without, for me , this is best. Good luck.

My mother calls vitamin B her crazy medicine. She buys Schiff's brand and says she feels a difference. Even if it's placebo, it can't hurt and you pee what you don't need.

Good luck! Talking to a gyno could help.

Hi M.,
I have had great experience with B complex as others have said as well as GLA which is an omega-6 fatty acid (similar to fish oil but this is more for women and for balancing hormones). I take Shaklee because they are pure, potent and actually work. In fact, knowing what I know now I wouldn't take anything else (like how so many supplements on the market are contaminated with lead and other things). You want something to help you, not hurt you! But if you decide to endeavor with what you can find on the store shelves, note that you want a B complex, not just one of the B vitamins because you can do some damage if they are not properly balanced (hence the complex).

I want you to know that this protocol has helped myself along with many of my friends and customers. Its a 100% money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose. Please contact me for more info or check out my website at www.K.-oneill.myshaklee.com. Good luck to you - it can get better!

K.

Hi M. M,

I get the same way plus I get lovely night sweats and headaches and I'm not pre-menopausal - I already talked to my GYN.It seems that with each child the symptoms got worse and the crabbiness escalated. Maybe it's due to the streaa of all the kids an not really the PMS. Anyway, working out definately helps. I have seen much improvement when I get to the gym at least 3 times in a week. The other item I use is called Relaxx Extract. I got it at a vitamin store and it does help out. I asked my Gyn about it but she could not recommend it because it is not FDA regulated. I looked up the individual ingredients on-line and did not see anything troubling but use at your own risk. They are Chinese, little black pills that look like BB's. The directions say to take 8 pills, 3 times a day with warm water. I only take the 8 pills, 1 time in the evening and only when I feel "that time" coming for a few nights. I think I only took another afternoon dose a few times when things got really stressful. I have been taking it for about 3 yrs now and it makes me much calmer. Do your research and maybe give it a try. I would try the exercise first. Good Luck.