What is PMDD?
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What sets PMDD apart from PMS is that some of your symptoms, especially your emotional symptoms, are severe enough to impact your work, school or personal relationships.
The following symptoms are common to both PMS and PMDD. They are considered symptoms of PMDD if they are severe enough to actually interfere with your daily life during the 1 to 2 weeks before your period.
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Emotional symptoms:
Irritability
Moodiness
Feeling anxious/tense
Feeling sad or depressed
A sense of hopelessness
Feeling worthless/guilty
Feeling overwhelmed/out of control
Feeling sensitive
Having conflicts
A diminished interest in activities
Difficulty concentrating
Physical symptoms:
Bloating
Increased appetite
Fatigue
Muscle aches
Headaches
Food cravings
Sleeping more
Trouble sleeping
Breast tenderness
Breast swelling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/premenstrua...
PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, afflicting 8% of all women. It is a mood disorder associated with the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Anxiety, anger, and depression may also occur. It is similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but differs from it in severity and in that it requires treatment, because it interferes with the sufferer's ability to function in her environment. It has been proposed as a disorder requiring further study by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-IV-TR. PMDD is accepted as illness by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but has not as yet been listed as a separate disorder in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases.
I was diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) back in 2003, about a year after the birth of my daughter. After my daughter was born, I had a very severe case of PPD (postpartum depression), and I believe that the PMDD stems from the PPD.
During my PPD days, I was on many antidepressants, some antipsychotic meds, as well as antianxiety meds. They did help, up to a point, and then my medication dosage needed to be increased, eventually leading to a medication switch.
When the PMDD came about, it became even a darker time for me. I was suicidal every month, the desperation was horrible. NONE of the meds I was taking helped my case of PMDD, whereas there are many women who are helped by meds such as Prozac or the generic form of it, Serafem. They did not help me in the least bit. I was hospitalized at one point b/c of the PMDD... as well as once with the PPD.
In October of 2006 I began taking Yaz birth control, which has literally saved my life. I no longer take the other meds, except for an occasional Ativan for anxiety.
Here is an article about my personal experience... I warn you, it's quite intense.
http://www.heartbeatthemagazine.com/0918...
You'll find a link that gives you a lot of info on PMDD in my story.
If you by chance have PMDD, don't ever listen to anyone who tells you that it's "just bad PMS." It's NOT just "bad" PMS. PMDD is a highly debilitating condition, and it is definitely real.
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