herbal PMS remedies?

[lizajane]

i have a mirena, so no PMS control. the Doc gave me some BCP to take just for PMS (at my request for something to control symptoms) and they made me throw up. i have a big ol' meltdown the other day that had DH all stressed out- and i had to admit it was probably PMS. i HATE talking PMS with men!!! ;)

what herbal/homeopathic methods work for you?? is there something i can pick up at whole foods?

i already take zoloft for something else and i exercise a LOT. i am working on nutrition and limiting caffiene. i need to chill out! (and de-puff! i get too big for all my clothes every month!)

[Tondi G]

you could try something like this!

http://www.easyhealthzone.com/Fem_Premenstrual_p/m713.htm

or this

http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/femalite-remedy-relieve-menstrual-cramps.html

Edited to add that Evening Primrose Oil could be a good thing too! Fish Oils are good for depression so I'll bet they help with PMS also.

[pinkmomagain]

I have heard that calcium/magnesium help with some pms symptoms.

http://women.webmd.com/pms/features/pms-relief

[graciebellesmomma]

I think the Mirena can cause the extreme pms. I've been doing some research on it for a friend and have found out quite a bit. I found the following pretty eye opening.

"Some women will do fine with the Mirena, but I have two big beefs about it. One is that I believe women are grossly under-informed about the side effects of levonorgestrel. Some women will understand that the crampiness and nausea they may feel may be caused by the device and will decide it’s worth it in order to have relatively trouble-free contraception. However, it will just not occur to most women that their lower back pain,pms symptoms, headache, stuffy nose, depression, weight gain and abnormal pap smear (to name a few) could be caused by the progestin in their Mirena. The health care professionals who insert them are unlikely to directly warn women about those symptoms or ask about them when they come in for a follow-up visit (if they even have one).

Marketed to Breastfeeding Women
My other big beef is that these devices are being intentionally and consciously marketed to pregnant women for use postpartum. There is even an implication in the literature that it could be inserted during a C-section. There is very little research about the effects of progestins on nursing infants, and most of what there is was done for one year in third world countries such as Egypt, Bombay and Chile, which is always a red flag to me because it’s so easy to get away with shoddy research in those settings. (If you’ve ever been to a hospital in Egypt you know what I’m talking about—primitive would be a polite description of the one I visited.) A study done in Mexico with breastfeeding Norplant users found that their infants had significantly modified thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.

The one six-year followup study I could find that followed breastfeeding infants exposed to levonorgestrel (Norplant) was done in Norway and found that they had higher incidence rates of respiratory infections, skin conditions and eye infections than the control group, and later were found to have a higher proportion of “neurological conditions.”

To me it’s unthinkable to even consider exposing a nursing infant to any type of progestin. I would call this a form of corporate sociopathy—marketing without a conscience to unwitting, under-informed women who are just trying to responsibly avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Since the FDA is unlikely to take action against this practice it’s up to the rest of us to spread the word."

I take cal/mag tablets for anxiety and evening primrose oil for pms symptoms. I ran out of it this month and went without. BIG MISTAKE. Horribly sore breasts, anger, weeping, felt crazy. I can't tell you how much the EPO helps me. I take EPO by Body Bio and highly recommend it. Between the cal/mag and epo I seem to be about 80% better than I was pre-supplements. I used to take Paxil for 6 years until it pooped out on me.

[lizajane]

I think the Mirena can cause the extreme pms. I've been doing some research on it for a friend and have found out quite a bit. I found the following pretty eye opening.

"Some women will do fine with the Mirena, but I have two big beefs about it. One is that I believe women are grossly under-informed about the side effects of levonorgestrel. Some women will understand that the crampiness and nausea they may feel may be caused by the device and will decide it’s worth it in order to have relatively trouble-free contraception. However, it will just not occur to most women that their lower back pain,pms symptoms, headache, stuffy nose, depression, weight gain and abnormal pap smear (to name a few) could be caused by the progestin in their Mirena. The health care professionals who insert them are unlikely to directly warn women about those symptoms or ask about them when they come in for a follow-up visit (if they even have one).

I take cal/mag tablets for anxiety and evening primrose oil for pms symptoms. I ran out of it this month and went without. BIG MISTAKE. Horribly sore breasts, anger, weeping, felt crazy. I can't tell you how much the EPO helps me. I take EPO by Body Bio and highly recommend it. Between the cal/mag and epo I seem to be about 80% better than I was pre-supplements. I used to take Paxil for 6 years until it pooped out on me.

WOW WOW WOW. i am sitting her in horrifying back pain. my chiro even took new x-rays to see what was up and was surprised that they looked great. i have been working out like a athlete on crack for the past few weeks and have not LOST ONE POUND. my body has changed a little, but still! not one?? i have been nauseated since summer and have actually thrown up a few times! i was JUST sitting here about an hour ago thinking about how nauseated i was and how weird it is that i feel like i am going to hurl at least once/day.

i just went to my ob/gyn and of COURSE, he went on and on about how fab-o it is. he was definitely perfectly happy to remove it. didn't argue with me AT ALL. but he definitely said that "nothing goes into your bloodstream" so any bizarre symptoms could not be the mirena.

but what on earth am i going to do for birth control?? i tried taking BCP again and went NUTS then got WAY nauseated from a different one. i am so nervous about finding one! DH wants surgery, but i am just not ready for a surgical solution. sigh. i am about to give up and let him have it and hold out hope that he will get on board with fostering/adopting.

sigh. stupid birth control.

ETA: i am DEFINITELY going to get some evening primrose oil!

[fauve01]

get yourself a copy of "Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition"

http://www.amazon.com/Fertility-Cycles-Nutrition-Marilyn-Shannon/dp/0926412094/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224397454&sr=8-1

it is chock full of what to do about PMS. i don't know if herbs will help if your problems are Mirena related. GOOD LUCK.

anne