Medical Research and causes of PMDD?

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 

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