PMDD - women's experiences of SSRIs and St John's Wort

[Tacita]

Hi,

I have been diagnosed with PMDD and have a huge reluctance to go on the Pill or SSRIs. I did try a pill, but it had a side effect I could not tolerate, so I came off it - with a horrific emotional crash!

I know I'll keep having to reconsider whether an anti=depressant might be the best thing in the interests of work, family and relationships, but for now I am trying calcium carbonate and St John's Wort. It os too early to judge the efficacy of this.

I'm curious about women's experience of using St John's Wort and its effects, and also of women who use SSRIs. If you take an SSRI for only half the cycle, as doctors have recommended, do you feel sadder in the two weeks you are not on it? Are there emotional effects of coming off and on cyclically like that?

Thanks in advance.

Tacita

[Bleagh]

Hi,

i to have pmdd I was put on the pill, it definitely stabilises my mood and period pain.

I also have major depression which has been ongoing my entire life which I take medication for. But you may just want to try the pill on its own first. It takes a couple of months to stabilise and o have no sex drive but I definitely helped with my moods.

I how this is helpful for you. It's a horrible illness with little information on it.

Go be amazing.

[DonnaM]

I tried St John's Wort a few years ago, but the amount I had to take for it to have any affect on my depression had a huge sedative effect on me. I went from sleeping often during the day because of the depression to sleeping almost all the time because of the tablets.

Also, things that affect my hormones do not work well for me. I started on medication just over a year ago, after being on various other anti-depressants for many years. My libido came back immediately, which was fantastic after over a decade of almost no sex, but PMS came back with it, and savagely. So at some point last year I tried Evening Primrose Oil, and I went from fine to suicidal within two weeks. It was a nightmare. I stopped taking the oil and recovered immediately. I few weeks ago my doctor put me on the mini pill to top up the IUD I have, and the same thing happened, so I've had to stop taking that as well.

I've been on many different anti-depressants, most of which I believe were SSRIs. It was only then that I realised the things I thought were just my body doing nasty things to me were actually side-effects of the medication. Something that works brilliantly for one person will be useless or actively terrible for another. Some people are lucky and find the thing that works for them first try, others spend years looking for the right med. 

[Dr_Kim]

Hi Tacita, This is an interesting area of research and I don't think there is a definite treatment that works for everyone in this arena. It is a bit of trial and error I’m afraid .

There are a few tips I can give you though:

1.Get a health team around you that you can trust ( GP, Psychologist, Gynaecologist or Endocrinologist )

2.Keep yourself as fit and healthy as you can in all other arenas of your life

3. Don’t give up on medications. You might be interested in this article about using very small doses of SSRIs for part of the month. I don't think this is as likely to cause the possible side effects that getting on and off larger doses can have:

http://med.monash.edu.au/sphpm/womenshealth/docs/pms-and-pmdd.pdf

[Tacita]

Thanks for your reply. I went on the Pill and bled every day for 6 weeks, so a specialist told me to get off it as it was obviously having an undesirable effect on my endometrium. It was so offputting I haven't wanted to try another pill. I've always been wary of hormonal contraceptives anyway. i only tried it because I felt desperate. I know I may have to try another pill some time. It can't go on like this. I just feel scared of them.

[Tacita]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It's interesting to hear the effects St John's Wort had on you. I hope you find the right approach for you.Hope I do too!

[Tacita]

Thanks so much for your response and this helpful link. I am considering this as an option.

[J7a9]

Hi,

I have anxiety, suffer from anxiety attacks and have been diagnosed with PMDD. I took anti-depressants for many years but in the last 3 years the low dosage has become too strong for me. After 2 years of changing meds every 6 to 9 months or failing to come off I did what Dr Kim has outlined.

After 12 months on this regime I am not sure if this regime is right for me any more. I have gone from being able to sense the small changes in my routine - waking early, not sleeping, disturbed sleep as well as extreme anxiety just before, at commencement of period or just after commencement. To now forgetting doses and not experiencing those symptoms of lead up that indicate time to take Ad's now.