So i left my job 3 years ago. PMDD got too much again after i came off HRT, so went back on patches for another year. Was suffering from stress and had time off work just before that.
New job is going well, boss is very nice and although i still have deadlines, I had an easier 2 years the last 2 years. I did get ill with a bacterial(or viral?) bug which gave me gastritis(?) last winter which lasted 5-6 months. I suspect bacterial as antibiotics and proboitics helped but i didnt get given antibiotics until after 2 months but the pain did start improving after that. The NHS is close to collapse, thanks to Tory CUT's, so i didn't get much useful information out of my doctors and never found out the cause.
I would say my PMDD started improving from a year ago last October after i got ill (but I don't think the improvement it was related to the illness). I started having a heaped tsp of (gelatinised) Maca in banana and almond milk smoothie in the morning with hazelnuts (made in my Nutribullet). I also took VSL#3 probiotics for 6 months which are strong probiotics prescribed for colitis. Also soya yhogurt with fruit/marmalade.
Maca is known for it's hormone balancing properties and i haven't stopped taking it since. I may have a break next year just to see if the PMDD comes back. Raw Maca apparently can provoke thyroid issues, so i switched to gelatanised after reading that. It's also a good caffeine/energy substitute and i have been able to take less caffeine since starting my smoothies although i still need a bit. Caffeine gives me migraines... The only side effect i've noticed is i might be slightly more anxious rather than depressed but only around ovulation and period time. This may just be because i came off HRT though.
The only other changes i've made to my life besides less stress at work / no more bullying boss are:
1) Gardening in the summer weekly.
2) Got my vitamin d levels up (and that is thought to help PMS)
3) Still taking a magnesium oil supplement at night (which mostly prevents insomnia as its a sedative).
4) I also take more codeine (Solpadeine) as my migraines have become chronic and daily, due to A14 widening project which has left me sleep deprived for 2 years.
5) Still taking probiotics (Alflorex, OptiBac (tried) and Bimuno sometimes) and making my own Kefir.
6) Still take multivitamins on and off but not consistently, nor very high doses.
7) Possibly eating a higher fat/ higher cheese diet also helped? Dr Panay did try a vit d and high calcium diet on women with PMDD.
I did have a slightly higher FSH level on one blood test but back to normal now (meaning possible early menopause) but that was within a year of coming off HRT and NICE guidelines say not to have the test then, although Dr Panay thought it would be fine. So not sure what that means.
I wouldn't say my PMDD has gone completely as i still suffer from fatigue and migraine which follows a hormonal pattern and i get a bit of anxiety around ovulation/period time. But apart from the odd mood swing from interacting with people on facebook, i barely notice my PMDD anymore. I put it down to the Maca but will keep you posted when i experiment coming off it..
