The
occurrence of PMS is thought to be increasing in Western society, yet
not much is known
about it's causes still. Some experts think pollution may be to blame,
particularly environmental oestrogens (chemicals which mimic the female
hormone
oestrogen and could also be responsible for the increase in breast
cancer). What can we do about environmental oestrogens? Not a lot, they
are present in most cosmetics, tap water (via contraceptive pill) and
plastics. Eating plants which contain
phytoestrogens is recommended to help combat the effects of
environmental
oestrogens (since these block the effects of oestrogen). Soya beans are a
particularly rich source of phytochemicals. I'm not sure how effective
this is, but i think the quality of the soya protein is important (soya milk and tofu being better than processed soya protein).
The most recent PMDD research points towards the GABAergic system being
modulated by the menstrual cycle, especially by the neurosteroid
allopregnanolone which is a derivative of progesterone. Allopregnanolone
combats anxiety (anxiolytic) as it is a potent GABA-A receptor agonist.
It surprises me
therefore that natural progesterone did not cure my symptoms since
taking
progesterone should increase allopregnanolone levels in the brain.
It did have a strong sedative effect but i suppose the mood swings are also related to serotonin/oestrogen levels. Apparently progesterone can be converted to cortisol though, and perhaps
other derivatives? PMDD has been
likened to drug-withdrawal since allopregnanolone acts like a sedative
on the
brain. If this is the case though surely taking a high dose of
progesterone
before your period will only aggravate the withdrawal symptoms when you
stop
taking it. My moods were a lot worse the second month I took progesterone,
especially
during my period. Perhaps it would be better to take a smaller amount of
progesterone all month round?
Oestrogen is a GABA-A receptor antagonist, meaning it prevents the receptor
from functioning. I'm not sure how this fits in with PMDD symptoms though as oestrogen also raises serotonin levels and mood.
Prozac partly treats PMDD by increasing serotonin levels. Supplementing
with the amino acid L-tryptophan may be a safer way of increasing
serotonin levels. Prozac's rapid onset of action for PMDD treatment, is
thought to
be due to the increase in allopregnanolone levels. Curiously alcohol
increases allopregnanolone
levels, and many women (including myself) crave alcohol and drink more
while
they are premenstrual. Alcohol also
increases dopamine which rewards the pleasure centres of the brain which
could
explain the cravings as well. Incidentally they don't recommend drinking
while menstruating.
Clearly more research needs to be done in this area, especially since
most
women in Western Society now work, as well as raising a family! The
question is,
who is going to fund the research? Pharmaceutical companies don't seem
that
interested, perhaps because Prozac makes them a lot of money, or perhaps
because they are run by men who are uneducated about woman's issues!
They are
missing out on a huge marketing opportunity though given 5% of women
suffer from PMDD, and even more from PMS. And researching hormones and neurosteroids could help solve
other problems which are linked to low serotonin such as IBS,
allergies, migraines, depression etc
See this page for more information.
