PMS remedies

[jhrabosk]

Please help me (and my DH and DD)!

After DD's birth, I noticed that my PMS symptoms were 1000 times worse than they've ever been in my life. I went on the pill for about a year, but that wasn't really working for me either.

So, now I'm back to this RAGING PMS. Cramps and nasty, nasty mood swings. And it starts 7-10 days before my period. I just can't live 1/2 of each month like this!

Does anyone have any non-hormonal PMS remedies to suggest? I'd like to try my acupuncturist, but at $100 a session it's just not practical.

TIA!

[jgriffin]

No suggestions, but you've got my sympathy! After E wasd born I no longer had bad cramps, but I'd spend at least 2 days thinking I was going crazy; I literally couldn't think straight about anything, my brain felt so fuzzy. It took me several months to link it to my period, since I'd never had pms symptoms like that before.

I hope someone here has some good ideas!

nak

[tiapam]

Have you had your thyroid tested? It's a long shot, but I think it's worth a try, that sounds like very bad PMS.

-Pam

DD - Two years old!

[fauve01]

I totally agree getting your thyroid tested and a complete bloodwork check to see if you're anemic or have wacked out homone levels or something.

if your bloodwork all checks out, i'd start with checking your diet. maybe there's something you could add or subtract that would help your symptoms. maybe keep a food diary and see if you can see if your can pinpoint that chocolate helps or red wine sends you over the edge.

i would really really recommend this book, "Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition" by Marilyn M. Shannon. get the third edition (it's most recent).

http://www.amazon.com/Fertility-Cycles-Nutrition-Marilyn-Shannon/dp/0926412094/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5501773-7403856?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182972449&sr=8-1

there are a lot of good suggestions in there. there is a whole chapter on PMS. it might be as simple as adding vitamin b or magnesium or flax oil.

there is a recommended diet for PMS too. basically, it is:
~limit refined sugar, salt, red meat, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate
~limit tobacco use
~limit protein intake
~rely on fish, poultry, while grains, legumes as sources of protein instead of red meat and dairy
~limit dairy to 2 servings/day
~limit fat intake, mainly saturated and cooked (less than 20% of cals)
~increase intake of complex carbs
~increase intake of green leafy veggies, legumes, whole grains and cereals
~increase intake of cis-linoleic-acid-containing foods (safflower oil is an excellent source)

the book gives amounts of all these things too.

hth~
anne

[Tondi G]

Evening Primrose Oil and Grapefruit seed oil extract.

[jhrabosk]

Thanks...I had been thinking about that. I'm due for a full physical anyway, so I think I'll ask them to include that in the bloodwork.